Macedonian PM Rejects TV Duel With Opposition

He contented that there was no real need for a TV debate as his centre-right VMRO DPMNE party presents its results to the people every day.
 
"Being a politician, I am responsible to the citizens, not to Branko Crvenkovski. I don't want to argue. I stand among citizens on a daily basis through media, debates and visits," Gruevski told local media in Skopje.

Since taking the helm of the government in 2006, Gruevski has avoided direct media confrontation with the heads of the opposition. He used the same explanation to reject duels with Vlado Buckovski and Radmila Sekerinska, the former leaders of the Social Democrats before Crvenkovski took back the post last year.

The only occasions when Gruevski and Crvenkovski sit face to face are the sporadic party leaders' meetings, where they gather along with other heads of political parties.

This week Crvenkovski argued that the state faces economic hardships, worsened ethnic relations between the Macedonian majority and the Albanian minority and stalled EU and NATO bids, all developments that he claimed should be discussed between the two leaders.

Instead of focusing on these dire problems, Social Democrats accused Gruevski and his party of obsessing over the opposition's actions when it was in in power and attempting to discredit the party.