In its initial response after President Gjorge Ivanov gave SDSM leader Zoran Zaev the mandate to form a Government, VMRO-DPMNE said that its efforts to force a rejection of the Tirana platform on the part of SDSM was successful. Zaev received the mandate only after signing a written guarantee that he will uphold the Constitution and that foreign documents, such as the platform, will not be used as condition to form the Government.
“The political resistance on the part of VMRO-DPMNE and the 80 days long mass protests of hundreds of thousands of citizens across our country resulted in the necessary guarantees that the unitary character of multiethnic Macedonia will not be endangered. President Gjorge Ivanov made an enormous contribution in this effort, with his principled position to fight for and secure a guarantee that the future of our country will not be decided on foreign declarations and platforms”, said VMRO-DPMNE official Nikola Todorov.
Todorov repeated the VMRO-DPMNE position SDSM constituted electoral fraud on its own voters, by adopting the Tirana platform after the elections. Todorov repeated statements from Zaev, who said that he has a positive attitude toward the platform as he was attempting to receive the support from ethnic Albanian parties to receive the mandate.
“This meant direct endangerment of the multiethnic society we have built so far, and turning our country into a binational state. The danger was real and the people responded sharply, resisting the announcements that our currency or military uniforms will be made bilingual, and that Macedonia will be declared a genocidal state. VMRO-DPMNE made its own contribution in this process. Even though we won the December elections are received the popular support, we offered SDS to reject the platform and form a minority Government we’d support. That did not happen. SDS refused our offer and prolongued the political crisis. Its irresponsible and destructive behavior led to political violence and their attempt to elect Talat Xhaferi as Speaker of the Parliament. Macedonia would have avoided these months of political crisis if Zaev had the courage to distance himself from the Tirana platform sooner and if he had given the guarantees President Ivanov asked for, and received today”, added Todorov.
Nikola Todorov noted that Zaev is the first Prime Minister who was asked to give a written guarantee that he will not endanger the highest national and state interests, adding that this alone is enough to understand the risks under which Macedonia is. Todorov also noted that Zaev’s would-be coalition partners did not sign the guarantee, which was delivered to President Ivanov signed only by Zaev.
“As of today, SDS and Zoran Zaev bear the whole burden of responsibility. They control the majority in Parliament and it is up to them to form the future Government. We all know how little Zoran Zaev’s word is worth. He has said one thing and done another too many times to remember. VMRO-DPMNE will closely follow his work and will not give him any reason to step back from the guarantees he has now made”, Todorov said.
He concluded by expressing his gratitude to the citizens who stepped up to demand guarantees for the sovereignty and independence of the country. Todorov said that SDSM’s destructive policies have clearly increased the level of support for VMRO-DPMNE and its Coalition for a Better Macedonia, and that its demand for early general elections stands.