Gruevski bargains even when he resigns

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, in last night's televised address to the Macedonian public announced that he is about to submit his resignation letter to the parliament. Yet, he placed a condition saying that he would only resign 100 days before the elections, whenever they are scheduled.

"A 100 days before 24^th of April are already over, the day on which it was agreed to hold elections, and this has entered the law. I stand behind that part of the deal as well. I want to finally leave all the uncertainty, problems, conflicts behind us and I want our country to move forward and continue to grow strongly, "said Gruevski in his live public announcement.

He demanded that the opposition should full fill the agreement and the elections to be scheduled as agreed on the 24^th of April, but he did not miss the chance to criticize them because “recent statements by SDSM cast a shadow over this part of the deal. This is a clear pitfall to hold the country hostage, maintain a crisis, conflict and dispute over the right of the people to choose the people they think should lead the country”.

The Central Committee of VMRO-DPMNE decided that the candidate for President of the Government in the last 100 days before the elections, will be the secretary general of VMRO-DPMNE, Emil Dimitriev.

Gruevski’s resignation was announced before the arrival of the European Union Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, who is visiting Skopje today. Bilateral meetings with leaders of the four political parties are held at the moment - signatories of the Przino agreement. Following these meetings, Hahn will hold a joint meeting including all parties. The purpose of his visit was announced as an assessment of the current implementation of the Przino agreement, but he also announced that his expectation is to close all disputed points in the agreement.