In spite of the expectations that the presidential race will be overshadowed by the early parliamentary elections, political estimates are that the first round of the presidential elections set for 13 April in which only four candidates will be running for office will be decisive for the outcome of both the presidential and the early general elections two weeks later.

The results that Gjorge Ivanov from VMRO-DPMNE, Stevo Pendarovski from SDSM, Zoran Popovski from GROM and Ilijaz Halimi from PDSH score on 13 April are going to determine how the election story unfolds two weeks later. Estimates of both politicians and analysts is that a difference of 60,000-80,000in votes between the two presidential favorites – Ivanov and Pendarovski – could make the battle on the two fronts on 27 April very uncertain especially in view of VMRO-DPMNE’s intention of winning an absolute majority in Parliament.