Macedonian Elections - 2020

[VMRO]

LAZAR ELENOVSKI WILL BE THE CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER AGREED BY VMRO-DUI !

Hours ago, the media close to Ali Ahmeti's DUI, published an information that Hristijan Mickoski's VMRO has accepted Ahmeti's request for prime minister. As it is said, the prime minister will be in rotation, where for two years he will belong to DUI and two VMRO, reports gjurmë.info


Gjurmë.info exclusively learns that the parties have agreed to nominate Lazar Elenovski as Prime Minister. Sources within the DUI say they have not yet decided on such a name but do not deny in an agreement with VMRO. On the other hand, Ilija Dimovski from VMRO, stressed that there is no information about such a thing and that he is not part of the negotiating team with DUI.

Some time ago, Elenovski's name was "curved" in the media that he could be a candidate for prime minister, but without specifying from which political entity he will be proposed.

Otherwise, today the leader of SDSM, Zoran Zaev has met with the leaders of Albanian parties, starting with Ali Ahmeti, Ziadin Sela, Bilall Kasami, Afrim Gashi and Menduh Thaçi.

[VMRO]

From wikileaks

INISTER OF DEFENSE: LAZAR ELENOVSKI (NSDP)

13. (U) Although he is an NSDP ministerial candidate,
Elenovski was the founder in 1992 of a youth movement under
the umbrella of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia
(SDSM). He also founded the local NGO "Young Europeans for
Security" in 1995. Elenovski worked from 2001 to 2005 as
Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Skopje's public transport
enterprise, serving concurrently as Secretary General and
then President of the Euro-Atlantic Council of Macedonia.
He was a member of the SDSM-led government's working group
on NATO membership in 2005.

14. (U) Born in 1971 to an ethnic Albanian mother and
ethnic Macedonian father, Elenovski speaks English well,
and is fluent in Albanian and Serbian. He served a
12-month stint as a soldier assigned to an anti-aircraft
battery in Croatia in 1990 as part of his military service
obligation. Elenovski holds an M.A. in economics.

[Soldier of Macedon]

https://balkaninsight.com/2020/08/12/albanian-pm-demand-may-be-slowing-north-macedonia-coalition-talks/

The former partners in the last coalition government in North Macedonia, the Social Democrats, SDSM, of Zoran Zaev, and the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, led by Ali Ahmeti, are engaged in substantial talks on a new government, amid speculation that talks might be stuck over the DUI’s insistence on an ethnic Albanian prime minister. Both parties have hinted at differences but have avoided answering whether this remains the main stumbling block. “The talks and consultations on a parliamentary majority and a coalition that can carry out a full four-year government mandate are ongoing,” the Social Democrat spokesperson Kostadin Kostadinov said on Tuesday. He added that, “in the interest of the talks, at this moment we cannot reveal any details”. He repeated that the party was convinced that as Zaev heads the party that won most seats in the elections – 46 – he will be appointed prime minister-designate by the president by the end of this week, as deadlines prescribe. After meeting Zaev, DUI head Ahmeti on Monday came out only with a vague statement that, “we are equally close and far from forming a new government”. He also did not reveal details. “We are investing in things going in a good direction… I hope that all parties will have a strong political will so that we overcome the differences and hardships,” he added. Speculation that the talks are stuck over the DUI’s demand for an Albanian PM were fuelled by the head of the small Democratic Alliance party, Pavle Trajanov, part of Zaev’s election alliance, called “We Can”. “The DUI had a good campaign with the phrase ‘Albanian PM’, and they are insisting on that at any cost,” Trajanov told Kanal 5 TV this week. In the elections, the DUI kept its place as the largest ethnic Albanian party in the country, insisting on an ethnic Albanian prime minister in the shape of political veteran Naser Zyberi. He would be the first Albanian prime minister of the multi-ethnic country in which Albanians make up about a quarter of the population.

According to unconfirmed speculation, the DUI now wants an Albanian PM for at least one year of the four-year government term, either at the start or end of its term. If the Social Democrats, with 46 of the 120 seats in parliament, and the DUI, with 15, strike a deal, they would control a majority of 61 seats, burying the opposition VMRO DPMNE party’s theoretical chance of forming its own majority. The SDSM and DUI formed the backbone of the last government elected in mid-2017 that ran the country until the start of this year, Both parties remained in the caretaker cabinet elected in early 2020 to carry out the early elections. After VMRO DPMNE, which has seats, last week said it was also in talks with the DUI, this week party leader Hristijan Mickoski said this was no longer the case. As the talks go on, the DUI this week also called for a meeting of all ethnic Albanian parties, setting a date for Thursday. Not giving out specific details about what they wish to discuss, the move comes after the party previously called for an All-Albanian agreement in the country, under which, as the largest Albanian party, the DUI would have the exclusive right among them to head talks on the formation of the government. This proposal was rebuffed by its opponents, the opposition Alliance for Albanians, who together with their Alternativa party partners, won 12 seats, as well as by other smaller Albanian parties. The proposed meeting still hangs in balance as both the Alliance for Albanians and other parties have not yet confirmed their presence. Zaev said he saw the planned meeting as a form of “DUI pressure” on him, and suspecting that the DUI plans to use it to strengthen its arguments for an Albanian PM. The countdown for the new government began on August 4 with the constitutive session of the new parliament. Electing a new speaker will have to wait until one side or the other musters a majority. Under the legal deadline, President Stevo Pendarovski has until this Friday to give a mandate to a prime minister-designate. He will then have 20 days to do form a majority, meaning until early September at the latest, before submitting his platform to parliament for approval.

Reports are indicating that Pendarovski is giving Zaev the mandate shortly as he has apparently obtained the necessary numbers to form a government.

[Carlin]

The 20 days deadline which President Stevo Pendarovski gave to his SDSM party ally Zoran Zaev to form a Government began ticking. While accepting the mandate yesterday, Zaev acknowledged that he doesn’t have the necessary 61 votes yet, but promised to Pendarovski that he will have them by the end of the period.

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/the-deadline-pendarovski-gave-zaev-begins-to-tick/

[Carlin]

An agreement has been reached, Zaev will be prime minister for three years, Ziberi one year, reports Kanal 5

URL:

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/an-agreement-has-been-reached-zaev-will-be-prime-minister-for-three-years-ziberi-one-year-reports-kanal-5/

The prime minister post has been agreed, three years to be held by Zoran Zaev, one by Naser Ziberi, Kanal 5 reports, citing party sources.

According to Kanal 5, it has been agreed DUI to run the PRO and the Ministry of Interior.

SDSM previously said that the program of the new government will be mostly dedicated to the economy where the main principles are slaries and pensions to continue to grow, to invest in young people and balanced regional development.

[Carlin]

No sooner did I post the above SDSM has come out denying the above reports from Kanal 5 as "fake news".

[VMRO]

I suspect if BESA agrees to DUI in a coalition and even a DUI candidate for premier will definitely hurt their party.

Their platform from day one was anti DUI and softening their stance on DUI might seal their party career come next election.

[Carlin]

Ultra-nationalist video address of Ahmeti's brother to the Albanians

“Чувајте го братството, а тие нека цркнат во сопствениот инает” – Скандалозно видео обраќање на братот на Ахмети до албанците

URL:

https://libertas.mk/chuva-te-go-bratstvoto-a-tie-neka-crknat-vo-sopstveniot-inaet-skandalozno-video-obra-a-e-na-bratot-na-ahmeti-do-albancite/

Братот на Али Ахмети им се обрати на граѓаните од албанска национална припадност, притоа со скандалозно квалификации за македонците.

О Албанци, соберете се денес за единство, бидејќи само неразделни можете да напредувате. Знаење и слобода се стекнуваат само кога ќе постои љубов, инаку тие исчезнуваат и живееме како партии. Не се карајте, не се разделувајте оти непријателите тоа и го очекуваат, но братството чувајте го и нека цркнат во сопствениот инает. Не ги слушајте што велат тие дека сме исто племе со нив, така тие се навикнати да доминираат секогаш, тие никогаш не сакаат да нè гледаат како напредуваме, туку да бидеме сите неуки и постојано да нè водат. Албанецот, велат дека не може да биде цивилизиран, затоа што нема јазик за пишување. Како можеме да бидеме браќа со непријателот, кога тој самиот бесрамно нè става во опасност. Албанецот со сето срце не сака друго, освен Албанија, која му даде име, но му даде и храброст. За храбри сте храбри, ова и самите го знаете, но каква полза има за татковината кога не е таа што била. Стремете се кон Албанија, да се спасите од оваа опасност, да кренете глава, спасете се од нивните канџи, а потоа да бидете среќни. Ако сте родољуби и Албанци, сплотете се како што беше во времето на Скендербег“ – рече братот на лидерот на ДУИ, Али Ахмети.

[Carlin]

Zaev confirms he reached a coalition agreement with DUI, under which he will be Prime Minister

URL:

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/zaev-confirms-he-reached-a-coalition-agreement-with-dui-under-which-he-will-be-prime-minister/

SDSM party leader Zoran Zaev announced that he reached agreement to form a coalition in which he will be Prime Minister. Zaev said that Ahmeti agreed with him taking the position – having an ethnic Albanian Prime Minister was a key request of Ahmeti’s DUI party before the elections.

We confirmed the framework of future cooperation between SDSM and our coalition and DUI, Zaev said, insisting that he will lead a Government for a full four year term. “We reached agreement on the division of responsibilities in the Government and we will work with dedication for the interests of the citizens and of the country”.

The two were accompanied by their confidants Ljupco Nikolovski and Artan Grubi during the meeting. Both party leaderships will meet today to confirm the coalition deal.

DUI and SDSM will jointly have 61 seats in Pariiament – the bare minimum needed to form a Government. Zaev said that they will be supported by the small DPA party which adds one vote.

[Carlin]

Влада на ДУИ со Зоран Заев, СДСМ скоро развластен

https://plusinfo.mk/vlada-na-dui-so-zoran-zaev-sdsm-skoro-razvlasten/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=1326a7140e8c9777119de7956ffbb0d7ce41b158-1597773959-0-AYHl6WCdQVzKS94u6zMq4GlYNzOe3pOdByQmweQRMq9yC4QIVyWXI7IrJ8PTXifRk7mytknVY3UoX4l54860rC1K0QCnNDu6F0g1_21WGbUG9t8jtYZWkkpoWfhG7cPNo_qC7HHKfXq3sqkrtOMMwPdlLtXICg4-1xdRsVRFC9EZqbaEK75eTn5_ClLLX2gjiYhWSUEpqkPLwQPl4kpzc-7cbqz7BnKgsfXOhC7mpSkTHSz3qCJr80e9firlf5mUH9p-e13arASbTRI20Xy3FnMCLtnB0DJT5aeO017BVNRQABNVxpwL_TcaLPOuTJRfYzfXiMlMXT-pKVjhq2EKQLE

[Soldier of Macedon]

Zaeviqi has accepted a DUI candidate to replace him as PM in the last 100 days of his mandate, assuming his horde of traitors make it to the end without becoming a technical government, in which case it doesn't seem that this arrangement would apply.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqTv5Ygc_1s

[Carlin]

Bujar Osmani expected to be named Foreign Minister

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/bujar-osmani-expected-to-be-named-new-foreign-minister/

[Carlin]

Artan Grubi will have veto power over every major decision Zaev makes?

URL:

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/artan-grubi-will-have-veto-power-over-every-major-decision-zaev-makes/

Artan Grubi will have veto power over every major decision Zaev makes?

Artan Grubi will have veto power over every major decision Zaev makes?
The DUI party campaigned on the promise that it will secure an ethnic Albanian Prime Minister. Under the agreement revealed yesterday, it will only get its wish in a symbollic way, in the last 100 days of the Government.

But, as Koha reports, Artan Grubi, the powerful adviser of DUI party leader Ali Ahmeti, will be named Deputy Prime Minister for Political System. This position was usually used to hire DUI party loyalists under a vague pretense of working to advance Albanian minority rights, with no questions asked about whether they are actually even showing up for work. But in the future, this position would have the power to approve or veto major decisions made by the Prime Minister.

As presented by Koha, Zaev would have no actual decision making power without Grubi’s approval. Coupled with their control over the Finance Ministry, which approves even minute spending of public institutions, DUI could have a far more powerful role in the next Government compared to what it has now.

[Carlin]

Parliament confirms that the vote is called off as rumors of rebellion in DUI grow

https://english.republika.mk/news/macedonia/parliament-confirms-that-the-vote-is-called-off-as-rumors-of-rebellion-in-dui-grow/

The Parliament announced that no session will be held today, despite the widely anticipated vote to re-elect Talat Xhaferi as Speaker.
SDSM and DUI announced a coalition that would have 62 seats – 61 are required to elect a new Government – but today outlets reported that some DUI members of Parliament are not satisfied with the deal and are not willing to vote for the Speaker or the Government.