SDSM president Zoran Zaev held talks on Wednesday with Stefan Schennach, head of a delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) that is paying a pre-electoral visit to Macedonia.
The interlocutors discussed the current political crisis in Macedonia following the breakdown to meet conditions for fair and democratic elections and the decision made by President Gjorge Ivanov to pardon 56 individuals, SDSM said in a press release.
“The three key conditions for democratic elections haven’t been met, which is quite obvious to the public at home and abroad. The electoral roll hasn’t been edited, media reforms haven’t been implemented and there is no separation from the party and the state. The Przino Agreement, which is not respected by the government, was further undermined by the shameful decision of the ‘acting’ president, Ivanov, to pardon individuals, which has prompted the citizens to take to the streets to express their dissatisfaction. The situation can be solved with Ivanov withdrawing his illegal decision and by organizing fair and well-administered elections in which a credible government will be elected, Zaev said at the meeting,” SDSM informed.
According to the press release, it was concluded that further deepening of the political crisis could contribute to instability in the country. Zaev noted that SDSM was supporting nonviolent and peaceful civil protests and urged key preconditions for fair elections to be met and all political stakeholders in the country to be part of well-administered elections ‘in the interest of Macedonia’.
In addition to representatives of the political parties running in the elections, the PACE delegation will also meet the chairman and members of the State Election Commission, the Public Prosecutor, as well as with members of the diplomatic community and representatives of international organizations, civil society and the media.