Macedonia holds presidential election

Associated Press

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia holds a presidential election Sunday, its fifth since the Balkan country gained independence following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia in 1991.

Nearly 1.8 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 3,528 polling stations. Polls open at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT)

Four candidates are running for the largely ceremonial post. Opinion surveys show current President Gjorge Ivanov, 53, as the clear front-runner. Ivanov, who is supported by the ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, is seeking a second 5-year term. His main opponent, 51-year-old Stevo Pendarovski, is backed by the main opposition Social-democrats.

If no candidate gets an absolute majority in Sunday's voting, a runoff between the two leading candidates will take place two weeks later.