Skopje, 18 April 2024 (MIA) – The campaign for the parliamentary elections kicks off Thursday as parties and coalitions gear up to unveil their election programs and MP candidates in the six electoral districts. Activities for the campaign for the presidential elections are ongoing, which will last for another five days.

The SDSM-led coalition 'For a European Future’ launches its parliamentary election campaign with the event 'No Backing Down from the Future' in Skopje, with rallies also planned in Demir Kapija and Gevgelija. Presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski will also continue with the planned activities. VMRO-DPMNE led coalition 'Your Macedonia' will traditionally kick off their campaign with a rally in Ohrid, where the presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska Davkova will also be presented.

'European Front' coalition announced campaigning for parliamentary elections as well as the presentation of presidential candidate Bujar Osmani, along with a central rally in Kumanovo. ZNAM Movement presidential candidate Maksim Dimitrievski is set to hold a rally in Kumanovo. At the Worth It coalition HQ near Skanderbeg Square in Skopje, a press conference has been announced with presidential candidate Arben Taravari and the list principals and MP candidates in all election districts.

Levica presidential candidate Biljana Vankovska continues her campaign to introduce election platform today in Veles. Joining her at the rally will be the Levica leader and list principal in the first election district, Dimitar Apasiev, and list principal in the third election district, Borislav Krmov.

Activities are also announced for the other participants in the elections with MP candidate lists, such as the 'Brave for Macedonia' coalition composed of GROM, PCER, and INTEGRA, as well as the parties Makedonska Era Treta Suverenost, Democrats, Avaja, Tvoja, Rodina, and United Macedonia…

By signing the Code for Fair and Democratic Elections on Wednesday, the representatives of the political parties pledge they will respect the code of ethics and will not use hate speech during the election campaign.

“The Code is a confirmation of the democratic development for our society that we are all committed to the principles of democracy. By signing the Code, the signatories sent a message they’d respect all the rules, laws and regulations and they’d respect the rule of law and legal state in the process of organizing the elections,” State Election Commission President Aleksandar Dashtevski said.

Speaking to members of the media after the signing, political party officials highlighted the imbalance in the distribution of state funds for political marketing between the big and small political parties and coalitions. Maksim Dimitrievski of the Movement Znam - For Our Macedonia said that in the midst of the presidential campaign, many MP candidates are directly involved speakers seeking support for the presidential candidates. He called on the State Election Commission to re-examine it.

“The large political factors will be given EUR nine million in taxpayers’ money, whereas the small political parties will receive EUR 8,000 each. Well, let the citizens come to a conclusion. Amid the presidential campaign, many MP candidates are directly involved by seeking support for the presidential candidates. This should be re-examined by the Commission,” stated Dimitrievski.

Pointing out the state financing of political campaigns, Stevcho Jakimovski, representative of the Brave for Macedonia coalition, said the idea of the state financing of election campaigns is to encourage political pluralism rather than to finance only the largest ruling and opposition parties.

Jakimovski noted he didn’t sign the Code.

Representatives of the two largest Macedonian political blocs, the SDSM-led coalition and the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition, vowed they will conduct a fair and positive campaign and commit to respecting the ethical standards and rules.

Officials of Nova Alternativa, the European Citizen’s Movement and Tvoja party signed the Code, while the document wasn’t signed by representatives of Democrats party, Desna and the Worker’s Party.

Yesterday's presentations by the presidential candidates were marked by a focus on messages concerning Euro-integration, constitutional amendments, and criticisms exchanged among the candidates and parties.

President Stevo Pendarovski, who is running for a second term, said in a Telma TV appearance that there was a new political realism in the relations between North Macedonia and the European Union and that the country had blocked itself on the road to the EU.

"Unfortunately, we have been blocked and we know why. The main opposition party said no way would they vote for it under Bulgarian dictation, etc.," President Pendarovski said.

"If this is the new realism, then we have been self-blocked. Let's then make the most of this ambitiously announced Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, in which there are far more funds available, until the opposition realizes that without changing the Constitution there is no membership in the EU. Until that happens, let's at least use a lot of these funds intended for the countries that are self-blocked, like us."

He said "Bulgarian dictations" and "only as Bulgarians will we enter the EU" could be rally buzzwords but "this is just a political mantra to fool people until you come to power."

Commenting on VMRO-DPMNE's position on amending the Constitution, Pendarovski said they were blocking the EU integration process only to score political points.

According to the President, EU membership should be a non-partisan issue, given that it was the country's strategic goal, much like NATO membership.

Siljanovska-Davkova spoke about her opponent Stevo Pendarovski and what he had said in 2019 about the country's EU membership and the Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria.

"Everything he claimed that would happen soon [...] didn't. Not only did we not take a step forward, we took a step back," she said at the Sveti Nikole rally, adding that the country was now "negotiating with our neighbor to start negotiations; an unprecedented phenomenon."

GROM presidential candidate Stevcho Jakimovski in Struga on Wednesday said politicians should stop toying with Macedonians and shortchanging them. According to him, Macedonian voters should not vote for people ready to betray them by opening the Constitution and then changing it so the President is elected in Parliament "as a result of blackmail and political bargaining."

European Front coalition presidential candidate Bujar Osmani told a Kichevo election rally that his opponents offered isolation whereas he was focused on EU membership. He said the European Front guaranteed integration into the European Union in just five years, a partnership with the United States of America, vetting of high officials, and equal opportunities for members of all communities. "Macedonia needs and should elect a leader, a father of the nation, with integrity, credibility and character, who will walk proudly in Macedonia together with the citizens. After Ilinden and ASNOM, the time has come for a new electoral uprising by the citizens, for the citizens," ZNAM Movement presidential candidate Maksim Dimitrievski told a Butel election rally.

The campaign for parliamentary elections is set to conclude on May 6. Activities for this campaign will also take place on April 23, which marks the election silence day for the presidential elections. The first round of the presidential elections is scheduled for April 24, followed by the presidential run-off and the parliamentary elections on May 8.

Photo: MIA