The ruling SDSM party grabbed power in 2017 owing to a campaign where it claimed it will fight corruption. These claims are now widely mocked after much of the evidence SDSM offered was debunked, top officials which SDSM accused of corruption now work with the party, and most importantly – after a series of corruption scandals against SDSM leader Zoran Zaev and his chief lieutenants.

But with the elections drawing near, SDSM Vice President Radmila Sekerinska – herself accused of being part of the major Racket scandal – tried to reheat the old rhetoric. She accused one of VMRO-DPMNE candidates Antonio Milososki of corruption, and of allegedly failing to show up for one of the numerous trials SDSM linked prosecutors initiated against opposition officials.

The former Foreign Minister responded today in a TV debate, in which the SDSM candidate failed to appear and confront him.

I diligently receive all court inivitations,  but Sekerinska and Nikola Dimitrov can’t help themselves but spread lies about me.  It’s much easier for them to do so, than respond to the questions why they failed to keep their promises to the people in the south-western region, like the new road to the Greek border they promised, or to rebuild the burnt Kopanki hotel. “There are potatoes growing on the line of the Kicevo – Ohrid highway that was supposed to be built by now”, he added.

On the issue of corruption, SDSM wants wiretaps to be used as evidence against VMRO officials, but not against them. I say, if the tapes apply to Mile Janakieski, they should be used as evidence against Zaev too. Zaev knows that his associates are now giving us evidence that compromises him, as do other whistleblowers, Milososki said.

During the last session of the Parliament, SDSM rammed through a law that would ban prosecutors from initiating charges based on wiretaps – but only in the future – this controversial practice will still apply for the dozens of VMRO officials who were charged by now fully disgraced prosecutors such as Katica Janeva, who were openly doing the SDSM bidding.