VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski met with the partners from the “Coalition for the Renewal of Macedonia” to discuss the upcoming elections, now scheduled for July 15. Following the meeting, Mickoski said that the coalition partners unanimously agreed to participate in the elections, once the conditions linked to the public healthcare and to having fair and democratic elections are met.

I informed the coalition partners that our conditions were accepted by the Government – to have protocols in place to protect the health of the voters and to have an OSCE/ODIHR mission. We insisted on strict protection of vulnerable voters, who need to be allowed to use their right to vote. I encourage all to vote, as their health will be protected. It is up to the voters to decide and alter the ugly reality we face for the better. We promise to accomplish everything in our election program. You have my word, Mickoski said.

Main coalition partners include GROM and the Socialist Party, as well as a group of parties representing ethnic minorities. VMRO-DPMNE worked with the coalition partners to prepare a pre-election program that is now being presented to the public.

We pledge to increase the average salary by 25 percent, or at least 6.500 denars. Pensions will go up by 20 percent, or more than 3.000 denars. We will introduce a lower flat tax rate of 8 percent, and we will invest 4 billion EUR in public infrastructure. We pledge to build 150 kilometers of expressways and begin the energy efficient transformation of homes, as well as make natural gas available for heating. We will show the voters the difference between VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM, Mickoski said.