Skopje proposes constitutional changes and early elections amid opposition from VMRO-DPMNE party leader

“Let’s all vote on the changes to the constitution and immediately after that go to early elections.”

This is what the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Dimitar Kovachevski proposed after the meeting with Christian Mickoski, the leader of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, reports BGNES.

“Listening to all the statements, I understood that for Mickoski and VMRO-DPMNE, it is only important to be part of the government. To show that we are not oriented towards obtaining political points for ourselves and that we are not guided by our own interests, we will immediately vacate half of our seats to VMRO-DPMNE. In this way, with all political parties for European integration, this government will implement the constitutional changes and complete the screening process. Our young people deserve to be part of the EU, but here in our country, not abroad,” emphasized Kovacevski.

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For his part, Mitskoski categorically opposed the constitutional changes, which include the inclusion of Bulgarians in the basic law of the Republic of Macedonia.

He expressed readiness to participate in government with Kovacevsky’s party – Social Democratic Union (SDSM), but only on the condition that Ali Ahmeti’s Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DSI) is not part of the government.

“VMRO-DPMNE is ready to enter a government with SDSM and the other political parties, but without the participation of DSI in this government,” Mickoski said after his meeting with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski.

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In his words, VMRO-DPMNE, together with the coalition, are determined that “they will not support constitutional changes under Bulgarian dictation in this way and under these circumstances.”

Mickoski pointed out that at the meeting, Prime Minister Kovachevski proposed to start a discussion within the parliament and to vote with a majority on the need to change the Constitution, and then to form a government in which five of the ten ministries are given to VMRO-DPMNE .

“He proposed that they carry out the changes to the constitution, start the negotiation process, which we got confirmation today that it has not started, then close one or two or three chapters, depending on the speed, and that government go to parliamentary elections.” , Mickoski said.

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“VMRO-DPMNE is ready to participate in such a government, with the elections being prepared by an expert government a hundred days before they are held, and the possible constitutional changes being valid on the day when the ratification of the protocol for Macedonia’s accession to the EU by the parliaments begins of the 27 member states,” Mickoski said.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Kovachevski interpreted this proposal as a violation of the negotiation framework.

“Then I suggested to him that we go to early elections, which will be held on three dates in the autumn, to form a government of broad national unity in which the DSI will not participate. And since no EU member state (except Bulgaria – note ed.) has nothing against Macedonian identity, tradition, culture, customs, Macedonian language, then here I am ready to talk to several Prime Ministers at the next meeting of the European Council , to give confirmation or assurance of anything we say. And let’s see if it is so, as they tell us, bearing in mind that Bulgaria also has a legitimate government, and with this document to show the Macedonian citizens that Europe stands behind the centuries-old Macedonian identity”, Mickoski announced.

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE emphasized that the 44 opposition deputies are united and will not support the constitutional changes.

“The Democratic Union for Integration (DIU) is ready to support a government without its participation, if the opposition supports the constitutional changes and they enter into force before the formation of this government,” said the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia Bujar Osmani.