The Alliance for Albanians (AA) has issued a public statement announcing an extraordinary press conference held by party leader Arben Taravari in Tetovo. During the conference, Taravari emphasized two key objectives for the upcoming presidential elections, expressing his belief that the president should be elected within the Parliament in the future.

“I have entered this race with ambitious goals. My partners and I share a dual purpose: firstly, to have an Albanian candidate reach the presidential run-off for the first time, and secondly, to initiate a comprehensive debate on the role of the president in our political system. North Macedonia operates as a parliamentary republic, not a presidential or semi-presidential one. Moreover, our entire political and constitutional structure is founded on the principles of consensual democracy between the two major nationalities, as sanctioned by the incorporation of the Ohrid Agreement into the Constitution,” stated Taravari.

He highlighted that his presidential platform would revolve around reinforcing consensual democracy, drawing inspiration from the ideals of Arben Xhaferi.

“My partners and I aspire to a future Constitutional amendment encompassing three key elements: the inclusion of Bulgarians and other minorities in the Constitution, the elimination of the ’20 percent’ clause regarding the Albanian language, and the shift towards electing a president within the Parliament rather than through direct elections. This represents a significant development. Consequently, political forces representing the two major nationalities in the Parliament would jointly determine the allocation of the top three state functions,” Taravari explained.

He is actively seeking the support of the Albanians and the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).

“I urge the Albanian community and the DUI, which has been indecisive regarding its nominee and has previously endorsed a Macedonian candidate for president in the spirit of consensus, to rally behind my vision and candidacy. We now have the opportunity to collectively strengthen consensual democracy through constitutional means. This presents a chance to guarantee that one of the three principal state functions is automatically allocated to the Albanians, as the second-largest ethnic group in Macedonia,” emphasized Taravari, as reported by his office.