Meeting with supporters in Ohrid, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski accused Zoran Zaev of lying after the Prime Minister recently claimed that he is to be credited for what he called record breaking foreign investments in Macedonia.

The only foreign investments that are coming are here as the result of the work of the previous, VMRO-DPMNE led Government. This current Government is lying about the levels of foreign investments. What they present as a new investment record is actually the level of income tax these companies are forced to pay, as a result of their tax hike. The actual investments are orders of magnitude lower than what they claim to be. Not to mention the Government’s capital investments, which are stopped – their implementation was at mere 1 percent, Mickoski said.

Ohrid saw the long awaited highway link to Kicevo, which should considerably shorten the time needed to reach the capital Skopje, stopped by the Zaev led Government despite the fact that the work was well advanced under a Chinese investment company.

Speaking in the Parliament recently, Zaev claimed that astronomic levels of FDI are pouring into the country, putting the number for 2018 at over 600 million EUR, but giving few specifics, except for one German company he claims will invest in 2019 and citing the growth of the medical marijuana sector where his family is heavily involved. Zaev also claimed that two Greek investments planned for 2019 will amount to 750 million EUR.

In his pre-election meeting, Mickoski said that the city has become more impoverished under Zaev and is feeling the pressure of crime and corruption like the rest of the country.

Ohrid is left at the margins. There is no perspective, and no new investments. The lives of the people have not improved. We see only injustice and the innocent are bearing the brunt. We need to defeat this injustice and fight for an honorable Macedonia, Mickoski added.

The presidential elections are scheduled for April 21st, with a second round expected on May 5th. VMRO is promoting its candidate Gordana Siljanovska, while this evening Zaev’s SDSM elected Stevo Pendarovski as its candidate.