Opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski said that talks are on-going with the ruling SDSM party over when to hold the early elections.

He did not discuss whether the parties are now focusing on July 5, as the DUI party recently announced, and as was inadvertently revealed by the Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti who revealed that Macedonia is heading for July elections after his private talks with the SDSM party leaders. Mickoski’s VMRO-DPMNE is calling for elections in August or September, expecting that the coronavirus epidemic will be placed under control by then.

Our positions are known to the public. We should reach compromise, but not at the cost of endangering public health. There is a channel of communication and I would rather not disclose more right now, Mickoski said during a press conference today.

Earlier today DUI official Bujar Osmani said that the parties are getting close to an agreement and that July 5 is looking most likely as the compromise date. SDSM demanded elections as soon as possible, as early as June 21 – even though a large majority of citizens declared they would not vote in June, according to several polls. Osmani said that his party is prepared for any date until December, but that, if border reopen, dates beyond July 5 would be problematic given the tourism season.

Mickoski again announced that VMRO would boycott the elections if SDSM pushes for June 21. “Good luck to them”, he said when asked what happens if SDSM insists on this date.