The Interior Ministry confirmed reports from VMRO-DPMNE that is has a problem with dual personal ID numbers, but insisted that the problem is old, of a smaller extent and is being resolved. At a press conference today, VMRO leader Hristijan Mickoski revealed that 20,000 dual numbers were issued, which, he said, is being used for voting irregularities and other criminal activities.

The issue began in 1981 when the electronic records were introduced. The dual numbers are being canceled. The reports that there are 20,000 such dual numbers is unfounded, the Interior Ministry said, insisting that the errors were made only in the first four years of the system.