Meeting of Macedonian Leaders Ends Without Election Deal

Hopes were high for a final agreement | Photo by Balkan Insight

After starting late and convening for less than an hour, the leaders came out with no agreement whatsoever on how to end the political gridlock caused by the opposition parliament boycott and a dispute over the date for the forthcoming election.

The prime minister and leader of the main ruling VMRO DPMNE party, Nikola Gruevski, told press that snap polls would be called with or without the opposition. He said they planned to announce the date shortly.

“We have done our best and our conscience is clear, as we have invested as much as possible, accepted even irrational, illogical demands,” Gruevski said. “We cannot go beyond this limit, regardless of whether the Social Democrats participate in the elections or not," he added.

Branko Crvenkovski of the Social Democrats said his party's boycott of parliament, which started in late January, would continue. He accused Gruevski for being unwilling to reach agreement.

"We are ready for future talks if the ruling party initiates them,” Crvenkovski said.

This was the second meeting of the two leaders this week; both were hosted by head of state Gjorge Ivanov.

Hopes were high that Tuesday's meeting would produce an agreement that would lead to an end to the opposition boycott and a date for fresh elections.

All parties on Monday agreed in principle on a revision of the voters list and the electoral units in order to ensure a fair election process and eliminate possibility for fraud.
 
The ruling VMRO DPMNE party also accepted, in principle, the adoption of a law that would prevent the state from favouring certain media outlets by directing all its advertisement money to them.

However, the prime minister maintained that he cannot influence the court and unfreeze the bank account of the A1 TV, a critically inclined media that the opposition claims Gruevski wants to shut down. The blocked account contributed to the opposition's decision to launch a parliament boycott.

Ali Ahmeti, the head of the junior ruling partner the Democratic Union for Integration, and Imer Selmani of the opposition New Democracy party, also attended the meeting on Tuesday.

Observers expect fresh elections to take place as early as mid June.