North Macedonia before the May 8 elections

2024-05-04 19:52:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

In North Macedonia, the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE calls on Albanians to go to the polls on May 8, while accusing DUI and the Social Democrats of a script to boycott the runoff of the presidential elections. Meanwhile, the Albanian parties do not appeal to their electorate to support one of the two Macedonian contestants. On May 8, the parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential elections will be voted together.

The Albanian parties in North Macedonia have not decided which of the two candidates for president of the country they would support and will probably let their electorate decide based on their will. Ali Ahmeti of the DUI has talked with the candidate of the Social Democratic League, Stevo Pendarovski, but he has not publicly explained the details of the conversation.

On the other hand, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovska is seen by the Albanian electorate as a nationalist politician who aims to revise the Ohrid Agreement, which advanced the rights of Albanians, and an opponent of the agreements with Greece and Bulgaria that enabled the integration of North Macedonia in NATO and accelerated the processes towards the EU.

Political leaders during the presidential and parliamentary campaign have often used derogatory language and rhetoric towards their opponents.

VMRO accuses DUI and SDSM of a scenario of boycotting the presidential runoff on May 8, while Hristijan Mickovski calls on Albanians to go to the polls:

"The Democratic Union for Integration continuously invents rules. They are afraid and aware of the criminality they have committed", said the opposition leader in response to the DUI officials' comments that the new government should be elected with a double vote, respecting the principle known as Badinter, through for which a majority of the votes of the representatives of the non-Macedonian communities in the parliament is also required.

Mr. Mickovski accuses the DUI of using blackmail and pressure on the residents of areas in the east of the country to win votes with the help of police officials.

Meanwhile, the head of DUI Ali Ahmeti rejects the accusations, as he invites the investigation bodies to deal with them. He, on the other hand, raises concerns about Russian influence in the campaign:

"Rifles after the war and words after the assembly have no value, so let those candidates for president and prime minister learn that today we need stability; we need peace, security. Russia is investing enough to make our country unstable. Russia is very interested in the Western Balkans not having stability", said Mr. Ahmeti in a meeting with citizens in the vicinity of Tetova.

Meanwhile, the coalition of Albanian opposition parties known as VLEN says that it cannot guide the voters which presidential candidate to support in the run-off because "they don't have their votes in their pockets", as expressed by Izet Mejhiti of this coalition.

The Social Democratic League (LSDM), which appears to be experiencing a sharp decline in the support of its electorate, places part of the blame for this on its 7-year governing partner, the Democratic Union for Integration.

Dimitar Kovacevski accuses VMRO and DUI of inciting inter-ethnic impatience and jeopardizing the country's multi-ethnic character.

"Even Hristijan Mickovski and Ali Ahmeti and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova behave irresponsibly towards the state and towards the citizens and if we don't do something to prevent this behavior, one day we will all pay for it in one way or another", said the social leader - democrat

The polls show VMRO-DPMNE as the winner of the parliamentary elections, while the two Albanian parties who now insist that they will be participants in the new government. VMRO defends itself against DUI, while it prefers the VLEN coalition. A principle from years ago that the winner of one block with the winner of the other block of the electorate divided on ethnic grounds, will have to form the government, has been broken after the 2017 elections when the DUI entered the government with the SDSM. although VMRO had won the elections.

For the formation of the government cabinet, 61 votes are needed from the 120 seats in the parliament.

Parliamentary elections and the presidential runoff are held on May 8. A little over 1,800,000 inhabitants have the right to vote./ VOA