VMRO-DPMNE formally elected Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova as their presidential candidate, who will compete at the elections on April 24th and May 8th. It was enough, it’s time for change, declared Siljanovska, as she accepted the nomination at the party convention held at the Skopje Philharmonics hall.

We have heard that the EU, without the Western Balkans, is an unfinished symphony. Some say it leaves us as Europe’s Achilles heel. Either way, it’s time to change that. We are now in the group of the most corrupt countries, in a political system with disturbed balance between the three powers, with sultanic leaders, Siljanovska said.

She announced that, as her main course of action as President, she will convene a team of top domestic and international constitutional law experts, to examine the Constitution and identify the points that are generating the current problems the country is enduring. Siljanovska also pledged to focus on restoring justice in the country and ending the designation of Macedonia as a hybrid regime instead of a full democracy. She cited the lack of options to dissolve Parliament as one of these defect sthat will need to change, and also urged that the census of 40 percent turnout needed to elect a President be scrapped. Albanian parties are considering a boycott of the second round of the presidential elections, when the two Macedonian candidates nominated by VMRO and SDSM are expected to go through, in order to advance their request that the presidents are elected in Parliament, giving the Albanian parties veto power. VMRO and SDSM both rejected the proposal.

During the convention, Siljanovska also discussed the disastrous handling of the passports crisis as one of the examples of mass violation of human rights that Macedonian citizens are enduring.

There can be no democracy without individual rights and liberties. And yet, we see attempts to suspend the voting right and to undermine the rights of our citizens. You can be allowed to travel through Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Germany, they will wave you through with a smile, but if you’re here, you will not be allowed to leave the country, Siljanovska said.

Siljanovska also promised to be more active in public than the incumbent and her likely main opponent in the elections Stevo Pendarovski, noting that he only addressed the Parliament once a year. She blamed Pendarovski for failing to include the opposition in the negotiations with Bulgaria, which led to the veto of Macedonia’s EU accession talks.

Imagine if we had a President who would address the country on the issue of the EU negotiating framework and sought consensus on the issues of utmost national importance? He failed to do so and undermined our negotiating positions. We should learn from our neighbors how to approach the lines that are set in accordance with the interests of the citizens, Siljanovska said.