Skopje, 13 April 2024 (MIA) - SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski said Saturday there was never a meeting in the presidential villa over the constitutional changes, as claimed by VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski at yesterday's rally in Tetovo.

Mickoski claimed that Kovachevski, President Stevo Pendarovski, Deputy PM Artan Grubi and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti had forged a plan over the Criminal Code amendments in order to secure a majority for adoption of the constitutional amendments.

"Neither was there a meeting in the villa that focused on any amendments to laws, nor were those amendments used as a way to vote for the constitutional changes. I resentfully reject these insinuations," Kovachevski told reporters at a joint press conference with Member of European Parliament (MEP) Andreas Schieder.

He said that an entirely new Criminal Code is being drafted by experts within the Ministry of Justice.

"If you remember, the VMRO-DPMNE MPs did not oppose the Criminal Code amendments. They secured the quorum for their adoption, most of them were even overjoyed by the changes. Let me remind you that the changes were adopted for the sake of alignment with the European legislation related to confiscation of unlawfully acquired assets and for the purpose of harmonization of provisions with laws in 90 percent of EU and Council of Europe members regarding blanket indictments and endless detentions," said Kovachevski.

According to him, the election campaign has been decent, without any personal insults.

"I think we have a democratic campaign with only one stain, the one relating to the claims by a journalist over possible abuse on the part of the national broadcaster, for which we presented certain evidence. Institutions should look into these evidence and check their validity," said Kovachevski.

Photo: MIA