VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski said that the opposition was prepared to go to the polls as early as January, but that it was rejected during the meeting in the residence of President Pendarovski on Sunday. Mickoski reaction comes after Zaev insisted that they wanted to go to the polls in December, but the opposition balked at this idea. This would’ve meant that Zaev cuts short the period of 100 days during which he needs to resign and the opposition must hold some of the key ministries associated with abuse of the Government power by the ruling SDSM party.

The law is clear, it provides for 100 days of a technical Government, and it takes 45 to 60 days from the dissolution of Parliament to hold elections. We said we are prepared to dismiss the Parliament and form a technical Government next week and then count the 100 days and have elections in what, January or Febriary. But that was not accepted. Zaev’s party machine clearly had a different goal in mind, and wanted to present a situation that we are allegedly fleeing from early elections, Mickoski told Sloboden Pecat in an interview.

UItimately, a March date was proposed and eventually the parties agreed on April 12th, and Zaev will resign on January 3rd.

In the interview, Mickoski said that he expects the extremely difficult period which Macedonia endured under Zaev will end with the coming NATO accession, and a new work begins.

It will be an even more challenging path, to accomplish full EU membership. But we are prepared to do that and we should not discourage the citizens who are beginning to believe that Macedonia can’t succeed. Don’t fall victims to the SDSM propaganda. We have a plan about how the country can be placed on a fast track to the EU and will become part of the European family, Mickoski said.