There will be early parliamentary elections but they will be boycotted by SDSM. This information came from the headquarters of VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM after their leaders, Nikola Gruevski and Branko Crvenkovski, following two days of shifting responsibility onto each other for the political crisis, failed to reach an agreement. Instead they grew apart even more as a result of which the most unwanted scenario for the country, early elections boycotted by SDSM – has become an option.

Experts caution that the two political factions must not allow boycotted elections because instead of being overcome the political crisis would then only worsen and produce far-reaching consequences.

The leadership of SDSM is resolved to boycott the elections unless all their demands are met. Although Gruevski accepted formation of a commission to review the voters’ list and for the election law to be modified jointly in Parliament, high-ranking officials of SDSM see no signal based on which an agreement could be reached.

“Until all our demands are met, including unblocking the account of the four media on Pero Nakov Street, we are not going back to Parliament. If Gruevski insists on holding elections in such undemocratic conditions, let him run alone. SDSM is definitively going to boycott the elections,” a senior SDSM official said.

On the other hand, a senior official of ruling VMRO-DPMNE says that they have met four of SDSM’s five demands, which is all considering that the court and not the Government is authorized to unblock A1’s account.

“We are not going to let the state be held hostage by the effort of salvaging Branko Crvenkvski’s political career. There will be elections, even if SDSM boycotts them. We will not be blackmailed with conditions over which we have no power, such as unblocking accounts. That is not a fight for freedom of media, but an effort to protect crime,” he said.

Gruevski’s party says that Crvenkovski is taking such steps to buy time and delay the elections. They also say they will hold the elections to show that parties cannot threaten with boycott whenever they feel like it.

SDSM does not believe that four of their five demands have been met. In addition to the demand for unblocking Ramkovski’s accounts, they also believe their demand for equitable distribution of money for government advertisements has not been met, even though Gruevski said the Government was willing to stop all media campaigns. SDSM say they will not negotiate the election law either until a working body outside of Parliament is formed to closely define all details and guarantee that no changes would occur in the courses of the parliamentary procedure.

Although the opposition did not attend the coordination meeting with Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski Wednesday, he said he would still appeal to them to return to Parliament. At the coordination meeting, the representatives of VMRO-DPMNE and BDI decided to form a 10-member commission to review the voters’ list, analyzed the working versions of the Government for modifying the election law that would include only the remarks of the OSCE and the ODIHR, and discussed the modifications to the Judicial Council law which would deny the justice minister the right to vote. Veljanoski said a new coordination meeting would be held Friday. If the opposition does not come, the formation of the commission will be pointless but the procedure of modifying the other two laws would continue.

Jani Makraduli from SDSM said Wednesday that the coordination meetings were an alibi for not meeting SDSM’s demands.

“The key to getting out of the political crisis is in Gruevski’s hands. His press conference only confirmed that he has no intention of accepting SDSM’s intentions,” Markaduli said.

VMRO-DPMNE have no fear that most criticisms from the international community would be leveled at them if the elections are held with the opposition boycott. They say all arguments are on their side.

On the other hand, political expert Suad Misini warns that both at home and abroad more acceptable would be the arguments that there are no conditions for fair elections than Gruevski’s arguments however substantiated they are. He is categorical that Gruevski must not call elections that will be boycotted no matter his arguments.

“Gruevski is going to profit most if he holds elections that will not be boycotted by any party. Perhaps he wants to show that there are things the Government has no powers over, but nobody buys that the judiciary is independent. Gruevski has to swallow that condition too, meet the demands and call elections with all parties because only in that way he can be happy with his win,” Misini says.

University Professor Tanja Karakamiseva warns that it is in the best interest of the country for both leaders to find a solution and call elections by consensus. In her view, the boycott is not a good solution and is not bringing any benefits either institutionally or politically.

“The conditions of the opposition are not in the service of reaching consensus. If the opposition truly wishes elections, it should accept them unconditionally,” she said.

She is categorical that it is bad to hold elections without the opposition but sees no other way for getting out of the dead-end. She believes it is unprincipled to set such conditions and block the process indefinitely. She says she understands the government to some extent why it is not meeting all demands because a bad practice could thus be established and other parties too may start setting conditions and threatening with boycott in the future.