The census will be postponed for certain better times, the leader of the coalition partner in office BDI, Ali Ahmeti, said Tuesday. He put down BDI’s decision to assume such a position on the recent developments in the country and the atmosphere Macedonia is currently in.
“The census will be taken in some better time,” Ahmeti said. Asked what time was suitable for the census, Ahmeti replied: “I think it is not very important when the census is taken, either October or November. It is important though that it is taken after the early elections.”
Ahmeti confirmed that he informed his coalition partner, VMRO-DPMNE, about BDI’s stance.
“We talked with our coalition partner too and considering the early elections the census should be postponed,” Ahmeti said.
Ahmeti met Tuesday with Slovenian Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar, who is paying a 2-day visit to Macedonia. Answering reporters’ questions after the meeting, Ahmeti said Minister Zbogar wanted to learn more about the interethnic relations, the implementation of the Framework Agreement, the early elections, the census and particularly the name issue. As regards the interethnic relations, Ahmeti told Zbogar that all institutions, including the media, should contribute to better interethnic relations.
Asked whether there will be early elections even if the opposition boycotts, Ahmeti said, “the boycott is not good and all should participate in the early elections.”
Ahmeti was the first Macedonian official Slovenian Minister Zbogar had a meeting with Tuesday after meeting the Associations of Slovenians in Macedonia Monday. He also visited the St. Petka hydroelectric power station and was present at the start of the construction of the new building of the Ministry of Finance together with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
Minister Zbogar was scheduled to meet SDSM president Branko Crvenkovski Tuesday too and his official meetings with his Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and President Gjorge Ivanov are set for Wednesday.
Minister Zbogar said he had come to Macedonia to confirm the good relations between Slovenia and Macedonia and see what can be done to improve them.
“Of course, I am very much interested in Macedonia’s situation as regards the name issue that checks the country’s progress and I want to learn what the political situation is with regard to the early elections,” Zbogar said underlining that he carried no messages about the elections to deliver and rather came to listen.
