On today’s press conference the President of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaev announced the names of the dismissed directors and managers. Furthermore, he answered several questions from the media and journalists covering various topics.
When asked about the forthcoming leadership meeting scheduled for Friday, Prime Minister Zaev underlined that he is ready to discuss all topics proposed by the political parties’ leaders.
Prime Minister Zaev reaffirmed his assurance that besides the presidents of DUI and the Alijansa za Albancite, Ali Ahmeti and Zijadin Sela, respectively, the meeting will be attended by the leader of VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski.
“I have expressed my views clearly. I have no intention of fulfilling someone’s wishes for early elections, although I know that I will win. I underline, once again, I know that the this coalition will win and I am sure of it, but I have no intention of inflicting damage to the economic perspectives of the citizens only to prove my point. Is there a country that during the process of becoming a NATO member-state and commencing negotiations with the European Union has postponed these processes and has conducted elections instead? Why should we be afraid of early or regular elections in 2020 when we successfully made this country part of NATO, when we are opening chapters within EU and in times when the economic parameters are high and the citizens feel these benefits? I think that we are all aware of what is actually going on. Everyone has the right to make certain calculations, however, we are all accountable in the country and we know that we must make the decisions together”, said Prime Minister Zaev.
While emphasizing that the dialogue and mutual conversation is an obligation for all political entities and high officials in the country, Prime Minister Zaev said that it is of utmost importance for the leaders of the greatest political parties to talk on a very important topic, such as the population census.
“They cannot ask us to be a normal country and at the same time to refuse to speak of census. Only North Macedonia, the Republic of Mali and a few more countries have not conducted a census in the period while they were in power. Does this mean that we should postpone the census for some ten years more? We must sit and discuss on all reservations that someone has and to guarantee a successful census”, said Prime Minister Zaev.
Responding to a question from the journalists, Prime Minister Zaev also stated that in order to talk on early elections, it is necessary for the political entities to reach an agreement for the Election Code.
“ODIHR has issued recommendations and we must implement these recommendations. In the time when we were in opposition, we were asking for implementation of these recommendations, now the Government is asking the same and the opposition does not want to come to the leadership meeting and to talk of this issue. I do not understand, nor do I see the reasons for such behavior. If the early elections are the reason for their refusal, then they should come and talk of the Election Code”, added Prime Minister Zaev.
In the very end, Prime Minister Zaev underlined that if the opposition wants a legal state, they cannot refuse participation in the process of adopting a Law on Public Prosecution and to end this process in not adopting a law.
“The legislation covers two segments – judiciary and prosecution and now, we have no Law on Public Prosecution and we postpone it. Why? Because, as Mickoski says ‘I will turn the Special Public Prosecution into dust’. Why? Why turn it into dust? Because the Special Public Prosecution has an ongoing investigation for corruption among high officials in VMRO-DPMNE. The law must be equal for all”, underlined Prime Minister Zaev on today’s press conference.
