Macedonia will most probably evade street protests outside the state institutions as a way to come out from the political crisis in Macedonia. This scenario that over the past few days began to be announced in some media and in appearances of certain people will still withdraw itself before the standpoints by the key political actors in Macedonia- that the showdown of the crisis should be looked for through a political dialogue.
Opposition SDSM and governing VMRO-DPMNE on Wednesday were categorical that this scenario would be catastrophic and at no price would anyone allow the problems to be solved by boycotting the parliament and street protests as seen in the case with Albania, Tunisia…
In addition to this, the messages that on Tuesday were conveyed by the international representatives and whose main point is to resume the political dialogue and provide freedom of the media.
Weekly newspaper Globus that is considered being close to the opposition, on Tuesday published a text entitled “The dictatorship cannot be won over within the institutions”. Author Vasil Mickovski emphasizes that one should not be surprised by the fact that the opposition wants to be radicalized.
“Does anyone still believe that the dictatorship can be won institutionally? The opposition will make a fatal mistake if it gives up and once again takes the role of a constructive factor in times of general destruction. The battle for the heads of Macedonians, namely the ambition to impose citizens with certain notions and opinions, began and ended with someone’s broken head. This fact must be respected but also the truth that no freedom has been conquered without a fight has to be accepted as well,” reads the text in Globus.
Former SDSM president candidate Ljubomir Frckovski in his column for Dnevnik wrote – “If our audacity to be free, when returning to our democratic and constructive, roots, means to destroy the undemocratic regime, let it be,” stressed Frckovski.
SDSM vice president Gordan Georgiev says that such announcements and prognoses present exhibitions.
“I see that there are people who are impatient a popular protest to take place and are forcing this subject a little bit too much. As a party, we do not plan such a scenario and the encouragement comes after the meetings with diplomats and after the A1TV interview with PM Nikola Gruevski that VMRO-DPMNE’s organs will debate on the subject of early elections,” stated Georgiev.
Ilija Dimovski from VRMO-DPMNE stated that “everyone who has though about this scenario is burying his own political grave”.
French and British ambassadors to Macedonia, Jean-Claude Schlumberger and Cristopher Yvon, expressed concern for the political situation in Macedonia at Tuesday’s separate meetings with SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski.
“I came to get informed because I have no intention of interfering in the country’s internal affairs. However, I will insist on the necessity to resume the political dialogue. Another condition for political dialogue is the media freedom and the professional journalism,” said Schlumberger.
British ambassador Yvon, after the meeting with Crvenkovski, expressed concern over the decision of opposition parties to leave the Parliament.
The US embassy to Skopje also expressed concern over the present crisis in the country.
“Our concerns are about the current crises in Macedonia: threats to independent media, independent judiciary and Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We are also concerned about the state of political dialogue in Macedonia and encourage an open conversation between the people of Macedonia, their government and their institutions as a critical part of that dialogue and the development of a vibrant, open society,” embassy's Public Affairs Officer Angela Aggeler told MIA in a written statement.
After the meeting with the British and French ambassador, SDSM announced that the ambassadors have shown understanding about SDSM’s decision and expressed hope that the Government will create conditions for constructive political dialogue in the Parliament.
“Crvenkovski stressed that the recent developments related to A1TV and the daily newspapers 'Vreme', 'Spic' and 'Koha e Re' led to the SDSM's decision to leave the Parliament. He added that he has never supported an institutional boycott but that there is no room any more in Macedonia for a democratic battle within these institutions. He stressed that SDSM does not want to be an accomplice in destroying the country’s democracy,” the party’s press-release reads.
Political scientist Zidas Daskalovski considers that the opposition with its efforts, with all its strength, will try to seize power, together with non-standard methods such as street protests and blockades.
“The thing that is essentially important for Macedonia is whether its citizens are buying the story of SDSM and their allies that there is no democracy in Macedonia, that Gruevski’s regime is domineering, that the country has no future etc. If the opposition is the only one to protest then it will be on the verge of an incident but they will fail to change Gruevski’s governance and one bitter taste between the electorate will remain- that when VMRO-DPMNE is in power, SDSM is trying to seize power in every way it can, by abusing the processes in the region or in the country to its own benefit,” says Daskalovski.
