SKOPJE, 20. APR. 2016 – Opposition Social Democrats have conditioned participation in planned crisis talks in Vienna on postponement of the elections and scrapping the President’s pardon of politicians. Macedonia’s opposition Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev said he will not travel to Vienna for EU-brokered talks with the ruling party unless President Gjorge Ivanov withdraws his decision to stop criminal investigations against politicians and unless the June 5 elections – on which the ruling party insists – are called off. Zaev also said that the “normal functioning of the Special Prosecution” – the body formed last autumn to investigate high-level crime – “must be secured in order for confidence in the law and the rule of law to be restored.” In an attempt to salvage the EU crisis agreement from last year, the EU on Monday confirmed plans to invite Macedonia’s four main party leaders to fresh talks in Vienna, adding later that the aim was to get Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic perspectives back on track. The talks will probably include the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn, and the EU and US ambassadors to Macedonia, Aivo Orav and Jess Baily. While the ruling VMRO DPMNE party led by Nikola Gruevski accepted the EU offer, the Social Democrats sought time to consult with members of the civic “Protestiram” [“I Protest”] movement. Zaev added that he supported the protesters’ demands for the formation of a technical government, saying that “it is not important what we will call it [the new government] as long as it fulfills the three reform priorities” set by EU and US. Those are cleaning up of the electoral roll, media reforms to ensure unbiased reporting during elections and establishing mechanisms to prevent political party pressure against voters and misuse of state assets by the ruling parties. The crisis in Macedonia took a turn for the worse last week when President Ivanov dramatically pardoned 56 politicians and their associates facing criminal investigation. The Speaker of Parliament, Trajko Veljanovski, then confirmed the June 5 election date, which has been pushed by the ruling VMRO DPMNE party without the consent of the opposition. The two decisions outraged opposition supporters and prompted protests in the capital, Skopje, and in other towns, including Bitola, Strumica, Veles, Kumanovo and Stip. Protests in Skopje saw up to 20,000 people on the streets. More protests have been announced. In parallel with the protests, government supporters united in a movement called Citizens for Macedonian Protection, GDOM, announced a rally for Thursday in front of the parliament, raising fears of violence between the two groups, which will gather next to each other.
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