Early parliamentary elections could be held in April or June, Dnevnik has learned from party sources. It is speculated that Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s meetings in Washington are crucial for resolution of the name issue and that is possible for him to announce, immediately on his return from Washington, that early elections would be called. In that case, the census would be postponed, which would not be a problem for BDI at all, especially if that works in favor of resolving the name issue with Greece, which Ali Ahmeti’s party has been long calling for.

Dnevnik has learned that Gruevski and Ahmeti have already discussed the possibility of early elections over the next few months, especially if no agreement is reached with SDSM for stopping the parliamentary boycott. According to BDI’s assessments, it would be good to hold the elections in early June, after the census scheduled to take place on 1-15 April. It is said that the date of the elections could be defined after the census and before announcing the results. However, BDI will not oppose the idea of postponing the census if governing VMRO-DPMNE insists on holding elections in the next few months.

The ruling parties did not specify whether the election law would also undergo thorough changes or whether the possibility for a diaspora vote would only be prolonged and not apply to these elections. VMRO-DPMNE say that if SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski truly meant what he said at the leaders’ meeting, he should stop the boycott. The court decision to unblock the accounts of the media on Pero Nakov Street, the release from detention of two managers of Velija Ramkovski’s firms, the postponement of the debate about the crucial laws and the revision of the voters’ list, according to VMRO-DPMNE, should be enough to encourage the opposition to return to Parliament. Gruevski’s party reiterated that a bad practice would be established if all parties unsatisfied with their ratings boycotted the Parliament or the elections unless their conditions were met.

“Our obligation as a government is not to fulfill anyone’s wishes but to create conditions for democratic functioning of the institutions,” a high-ranking party official of VMRO-DPMNE says.

VMRO-DPMNE also say they know what SDSM wants but there is no announcement yet either of a leaders’ meeting or of a meeting between Gruevski and Crvenkovski.

SDSM refused to give any information Wednesday whether upon the meeting of Crvenkovski’s conditions, that is to say upon unblocking the accounts of Ramkovski’s television channel and papers, he was ready to discuss the other conditions or return to Parliament. They say that the condition has not been fully met considering they are still waiting for investigative judge Vladimir Tufegdzik’s final ruling.