President Stevo Pendarovski’s Office said Sunday it’s possible to declare another state of emergency nationwide only if political parties reach an agreement on election date.

The response from the President’s Office comes after VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski called on President Pendarovski earlier on Sunday to extend the state of emergency in the country.

“President Stevo Pendarovski’s position is known to the public. The President is prepared to declare another state of emergency nationwide, only if all political stakeholders reach an inter-party agreement on early parliamentary election date, creating a legal framework to oganize and conduct elections,” the President’s Office told MIA.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Mickoski called on President Pendarovski to extend the state of emergency, underlining that VMRO-DPMNE will participate in the elections under two conditions, the first of which requires protocols for the protection of people’s health, and the second is right conditions for fair, democratic and inclusive elections, with an OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission.
Mickoski, who said that the first possible election date is mid-July, noted that the election campaign could be launched a day after the OSCE/ODIHR mission arrives in the country and holds a press conference, adding that the election date can be set from that day.

Macedonia’s state of emergency expired at midnight on Saturday. After leaders of the country’s two largest political parties, the ruling SDSM and the opposition VMRO-DPMNE – Zoran Zaev and Hristijan Mickoski, respectively – failed to reach an agreement on election date at a meeting hosted by President Stevo Pendarovski on Friday, election-related activities resume for July 5. The election campaign is to be launched on June 16.