Evidently opposition leader Zoran Zaev is attempting to eschew handing over the materials to the Special Public Prosecutor and to have the (April) elections postponed, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said noting SDSM was wrapping up the year in fear and panic of experiencing overwhelming loss in the forthcoming elections.

Under the June/July agreement, SDSM has one key obligation, which hasn’t been fulfilled yet, according to him.

“SDSM had one key obligation to fulfill, i.e. to hand over the materials to the Special Prosecutor, and this obligation hasn’t been met yet. It’s obvious that (Zoran) Zaev is attempting to eschew this obligation and to create a situation in which the elections could be postponed. They are making all kinds of attempts to postpone the elections,” Gruevski stated Monday after visiting the Children’s SOS Village in Skopje ahead of the New Year’s holidays.

The final objective of the SDSM-led opposition, he added, is to have the elections delayed because ‘they are aware they’ll lose the elections.’

According to PM Gruevski, VMRO-DPMNE has met the obligations stemming from the June/July agreement although there have been delays.

“Since the crisis broke out, caused by SDSM by releasing doctored materials provided by foreign intelligence services in Zaev’s admission, efforts had been made to resolve it through talks, backed and facilitated by the international community. The agreement reached in Skopje in June and July envisaged a number of obligations to be met by the two sides. We were supposed to fulfill a bulk of them and SDSM had fewer obligations to fulfill. We have met all of our obligations. There might have been delays spanning a week or two, but it’s important that we have met them,” PM Gruevski stated stressing the delays had been caused by SDSM’s attempts to hinder the process leading to delaying the April elections.

He called Zaev’s claims, that the materials were guarded better while being in his possession than being handed over to the Special Prosecution, ‘incomprehensible’. “The building where the Special Public Prosecution is based is being protected by the Macedonian police, which are being managed by a minister appointed by the opposition,” the Premier elaborated.