DPMNE to organize “militias” to keep Macedonian elections democratic

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DPMNE’s Spiro Ristovski, the president of their election committee earlier this evening stated they have gathered evidence of the Government run by SDS(M) using police and activists to bribe voters for the upcoming local elections on October 15th.

“For the first time in Macedonian history we had a (Kichevo) city council candidate being killed during the election campaign. Another opposition candidate mayor was assaulted and ended in the hospital with fractured skull, DPMNE candidate mayors were abused and assaulted by police officers, numerous of our offices had doors and windows broken etc. We also witnessed the SDS actively spending state resources and finances for their party activities and these illegal activities have only intensified.

In the last 24 hours in Kriva Palanka we have noticed a case of distribution of cooking oil transported by police vehicles. People who received the cooking oil were told to vote for SDS. In Strumica, last night in the Turkish neighborhood, two vehicles with markings of the City of Strumica went from house to house offering money (3-5,000 denars) in exchange for a vote for SDS. A relative of a senior SDS official and holder of state office, literally spent the last three days in the Turkish neighborhood bribing resident in exchange for votes for the SDS. In Krushevo we have noted cases where firewood is offered, and in turn residents are asked to vote for SDS. In Kocani, our candidate for counsel was detained without any evidence, without any arguments. We are receiving information of police abuse in the direction of intimidation, pressures against citizens to vote for SDS” – stressed Ristovski.

Ristovski added the goal of this press conference is not to inform the SDS of their wrong doing because they are directly involved in it, but to inform the OSCE and ODIHR. Ristovski also asks citizens not to back down from SDS intimidation tactics as they too are aware they’ll lose the elections.

“Because the SDS police is actively breaking the law and is working against the citizens of Macedonia, we’re going to create citizens militias to ensure the elections in Macedonia are democratic” stated Ristovski.

What this entails, and how will the militia work at this time is not known.

  • R_U_Jhoking

    Selling your children’s future for 5000 denars…..YGTBFKM

  • Wolf

    Where is the EU. Fell asleep on the job. Don’t ask the UN they’ll take the bribe as well.

  • V.M.

    By ‘militias’ they meant guys with cell phones filming election fraud…