VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski reiterated his call for early general elections as the only way to restore the country to the people. Mickoski blamed Zoran Zaev and his Government with destroying Macedonian democracy with its abuse of the judiciary, forcing political decisions and the all around defeats the country is faced with.

VMRO-DPMNE is the biggest political force in the country. We will take part in the elections and there is no doubt we will win. We need to win the confidence of the people, because only with their help can we protect Macedonia. We are unable to correct the actions of the Government from the opposition, this is why we are calling for early general elections, where all of the lies and the crimes of SDSM and Zoran Zaev will be revealed, said Mickoski.

Presidential elections are regularly expected in late April, and Mickoski is calling for early general elections at the same time, which, under the so-called Przino rules would mean that Zaev and key ministers would have to resign in January. Mickoski said that this is necessary given the all out capturing of the state by the ruling SDSM party, and especially the abuse of the police and the judiciary for political ends.

Zoran Zaev and this Government are openly announcing the outcome of court cases, they are wiretapping judges and prosecutors and there is no investigation in the matter. With the latest events in the Parliament, they are providing votes for Zaev in the most shameless and unscrupulous way. We present the facts we have in all our meetings with the international factor, and we receive understanding. But, we see that their criticism toward Zaev has been absent in the past period. This is likely because they expect Zaev to get something done. Meanwhile we have no rule of law, citizens feel insecure, and the international institutions see this from their communications with the citizens, said Mickoski.

Given the way SDSM is acting, Mickoski predicted them the fate of PASOK, the Greek social-democratic party which was nearly completely ruined in the past years. Mickoski said that polls show VMRO-DPMNE enjoying a 2:1 lead among ethnic Macedonians and other smaller communities, a deficit which SDSM is trying to make up among ethnic Albanian voters, but only by symbolic gestures which will not improve their lives. His interview with Alfa TV comes a day after SDSM and DUI violated the Constitution to publish a law expanding the use of the Albanian language in parts of Macedonia with little to no ethnic Albanians without the President’s signature.

They are not announcing new investments that will employ a thousand Albanians or building a new water supply in Aracinovo, or solving the traffic problem in Tetovo. Instead, they are playing to low passions and are trying to stir emotions among the Albanians, and this is their way to win Albanian votes. This will cause problems between SDSM and DUI, which is reluctant to see SDSM take even more Albanian votes and establish itself as the leading Albanian party in the country, said Mickoski.