Macedonia stuck in negotiations for new government!

WEEKLY ANALYSIS, January 9-15, 2017

January 29 is the last deadline for designate Nikola Gruevski, who as leader of VMRO-DPMNE needs to form a government, with DUI or other ethnic Albanian parties in Macedonia. However, the situation is very complex. The relation between VMRO-DPMNE and DUI is tense.

The platform adopted by DUI, Besa and the Alliance for Albanians is unacceptable for VMRO-DPMNE, even at the cost of not forming a government. VMRO-DPMNE is decisive that it will not allow bilingualism in the country, or fulfillment of other items of the Platform, while DUI remains categorical that it will not withdraw from the implementation of the Platform. According to the central party leadership, all options are possible, even for DUI to be in opposition. Experts think that SDSM is becoming a relevant factor on the Macedonian political scene, because according to them the negotiations between DUI and VMRO-DPMNE will not succeed, and therefore SDSM will have the responsibility to form a new government.

While calculations are being made in the political leadership of the country, citizens are facing real problems, as a result of the lack of responsibility of the state institutions. Two children have died from the flu, 11 villages are cut off, other settlements do not have water. The Clinic of Oncology in Skopje does not have a roof, because the construction activities were not completed by the start of the polar winter. The Gynecology clinic in Stip celebrated Orthodox New Year with cookies in the shape of female genitals. The roof over the Veles Theatre, which was built two years ago with 12 million euros, is leaking…

Platform of DUI, Besa and the Alliance of Albanians stirs commotion

The Platform of the ethnic Albanians in Macedonia is a declaration from which DUI, Besa and the Alliance for the Albanians will not withdraw in the upcoming negotiations with the designate for forming a new government.

While VMRO-DPMNE is categorical in its position that it will not accept bilingualism in the entire country, SDSM have still not presented their official position in the public even after eight days of the adoption of the document. The Platform, according to the Democratic Union, opens many dilemmas and will create inner instability, which will have long-term consequences on the interethnic relations, democratic processes and the economic development.

About sixty Albanian intellectuals insisted that in the process of negotiations with the parties receiving the mandate, it should be taken in consideration that VMRO-DPMNE is still led by “people who have responsibility for the catastrophic situation in every segment of the socio-political life and that as such, they do not enjoy credibility to further lead the country!”.

Signatories call for a possible agreement to be made, “not with bad intentions – with the purpose of preserving the existing regime and of the group interests, but rather with a rational approach in order to orient the country towards democratization, general development, opening of perspectives, realizing ethnic equality and welfare, as well as for integration of Republic of Macedonia into NATO and the EU”.

The negotiating of the items of the Platform in Tirana and Pristina was assessed by VMRO-DPMNE and part of the Macedonian public as direct interference of Albania and Kosovo in the inner political developments in Macedonia. For the Albanian Ambassador in Macedonia, Fatos Reka, the meetings with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama just reflect Albania’s concern for the Albanians abroad.

According to University Professor Ramadin Ramadani, the Albanian Prime Minister is not just a prime minister of the Republic of Albania, “but is in some way also an Albanian prime minister. And that distinction is very important, especially among the Albanians in Albania and Macedonia!”.

For Dr. Saso Ordanoski that meeting “is not a good act, but it needs to be understood as a practicality”, more specifically as a post-election situation initiated by the international community.

VMRO-DPMNE officials furthermore as ministers and MPs

The Macedonian public reacts, while legal experts point out and call on oppositional SDSM to raise its voice, because officials from VMRO-DPMNE, contrary to the law, are performing two influential political functions.

According to Professor Dr. Mirjana Najceska, resignations have to be submitted by Emil Dimitriev, who is unlawfully a prime minister and MP, but also by Nikola Poposki, who is unlawfully a Minister for Foreign Affairs and an MP, Nikola Todorov, unlawfully a Minister of Health and an MP and Elizabeta Kanceska Milevska is unlawfully a Minister of Culture and an MP.

University Professor Borce Davitkovski also pointed out that the newly elected MPs need to immediately leave their ministerial and prime minister functions.

Special Prosecutor’s Office continues its work

While VMRO-DPMNE is trying at every cost to remove the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) from the political agenda and to put ad acta all criminal acts arising or that will arise from the “Wiretapping” affair, the SPO continues its work. Within the framework of a preliminary procedure, in accordance with all legal regulations, it has taken away documents from the State Archives for the “Skopje 2014” project.

The SPO previously opened an investigation for “Skopje 2014”, the case “Tender”, in which the first suspect is Minister Kanceska Milevska, due to reasonable doubt of having abused her official position in concluding an agreement for construction works of the Museum of VMRO.

The SPO has received, but is not announcing the response of the Administration for Security and Counter Intelligence on whether it can use the classified evidence in court proceedings for the case “Fortress 2”. They will let judge Lidija Petrovska, who is leading the process, to decide whether the evidence, which is state secret, will be used in the proceedings. The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. In the case “Fortress 2” the first suspect is the former head of the Fifth Department, Goran Grujevski and six employees from the Administration who are accused of destroying 2,047 official acts, of which 22 concern the communication surveillance systems.

The international community sends out message that “the objectives of the citizens need to be in focus”

Politicians need to focus on the objectives of the citizens. The political parties should negotiate and find a way to form a coalition government. The political parties need to work as quickly and efficiently as possible and reach an agreement, in order not to prolong the process. These are the messages of Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State Department, Hoyt Yee.

Respecting Macedonia’s sovereignty, the US considers that the parties have the opportunity to make that decision without interference from outside. They recommend – for the new government to support the international commitments, including also the provisions of the Przino Agreement, for the parties to make it clear that they are determined to respect the Constitution of the state, human rights and the institutions of the state, also including the new institutions such as the Special Prosecutor’s Office, to respect the rule of law and the objectives of the citizens for integration in the rest of Europe, to join NATO.

The EU are also waiting for a new government to be formed, and then to send their congratulations, for the first time after the elections of December 11.

Моnika Taleska