North Macedonia/Mickoski: Let's not vote for constitutional changes, new elections are the way out

2023-08-19 17:50:30, Kosova & Bota CNA

North Macedonia/Mickoski: Let's not vote for constitutional changes, new

The head of VMRO DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, in North Macedonia called on Saturday for early parliamentary elections, saying that they are North Macedonia's "only way out" of the deep political crisis.

He made these comments only one day after the Assembly of North Macedonia closed the debate on the constitutional amendments, but did not put them to the vote as the parliamentary majority did not have the necessary two-thirds votes.

The constitutional changes are necessary for the European integration process and are related to the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in its preamble as a state-forming people, as provided for by the "French proposal" for the settlement of disputes with Bulgaria.

"There is no price at which we would accept these constitutional changes under Bulgarian dictation. Not a single second should be wasted on this issue. The only reasonable way out of the situation now is early elections", declared the leader of the Macedonian opposition, Hristijan Mickoski, on August 19 at a press conference in Skopje.

The hearing on constitutional amendments on August 18 did not last more than three hours, although the debate was expected to last ten days.

The opposition only participated in setting the agenda, for which 70 MPs voted, which for VMRO DPMNE was "evidence that the majority does not have the 80 necessary votes to vote on the changes" and therefore abandoned the meeting.

Their positions on the "importance and approval of constitutional amendments" were presented to the parties in power, but the session was interrupted and its continuation for the act of voting can only be held if the majority informs the head of the Assembly, Talat Xhaferi, that he has secured the votes. required.

"The authorities console themselves and calculate that they have left the door open for constitutional changes by not deliberately closing the session and that the international community will now apply pressure. This will not happen. We do not show triumphalism, nor joy, because things are very serious, and Macedonia is in a very difficult situation", said Mickoski.

VMRO DPMNE says it supports the changes only after receiving guarantees from the EU that Sofia will not present other conditions. This party wants the changes to be approved after the EU membership talks are over, or after the country has joined the union.

The government of North Macedonia accepted the amendment of the Constitution and the inclusion of Bulgarians in it, since in 2022 Sofia removed the veto for the European integration of North Macedonia.

"Entering the EU is our only path. But not at the price of self-sacrifice, nor at the price of a dictation that is a Pandora's box for identity defamation and opening the door to many other demands," said Mickoski.

The Social Democratic League (LSDM) of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski reacted to Mickoski's assessments, saying that the head of VMRO DPMNE "once again confirmed that he is against the EU and wants to block the country's European future".

The SDSM said that in the following week it will continue its efforts to secure two-thirds of the votes for the approval of the constitutional amendments.

"The pro-European coalition led by SDSM will not submit to such irresponsible and unstately behavior of Mickoski. We will not allow the citizens, their future, the state to be blocked by DPMNE", says the reaction of the SDSM.

The Albanian parties have supported the constitutional changes, but have requested that the process also include changing the definition of the Albanian language in the Constitution, which is recognized as a language spoken by over 20 percent of the population in North Macedonia./ REL