The ruling SDSM and DUI parties will run together in the local elections. The agreement was reached in a meeting between Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.
The two ruling coalition partners agreed that both parties should co-operate in the autumn local elections, with mutual support in some municipalities since the first round, while in others in the second round.
“I had an excellent meeting with the coalition partner and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti. We agreed that SDSM and DUI should participate together in the local elections “, said the leader of the Social Democrats Zoran Zaev. The Prime Minister emphasized that the common goal of SDSM and DUI is to include as many parties from the ruling coalition in the pre-election cooperation.
“Following are the procedures for selecting the best candidates, they will be personalities who dare and who are prepared to give the best result for the citizens in every city, in every village, in every neighborhood,” he said. Zaev.
Opposition reacts to pre-election coalition
The chairman of the Alliance for Albanians, Ziadin Sela, commented on the pre-election coalition announced between DUI and SDSM for the local elections, saying that DUI leader Ahmeti is apparently afraid of the opposition ASH, as he refused ASH’s challenge to run in the local elections without coalitions and without calculating the votes of Macedonian parties.
“Finally, Ali Ahmeti did not accept the challenge to go face to face in the local elections. We on the one hand and he with the Albanian parties on the other. Apparently he is afraid “, said the president of ASH Ziadin Sela.
Disagreement also over the date of the elections
Opposition parties have stated they will not run in the by-elections on October 17. According to them, the constitutional deadlines regulate the date of the elections in accordance with the last mandate. VMRO-DPMNE estimates that any date other than October 17, violates the Constitution.
“Local elections are not scheduled based on the wishes of any leader, be he prime minister. Local elections are held in accordance with the dates provided by law and the Constitution. This deadline is October 17, every other date is a violation of the Constitution “, declared Antonio Milososki, MP of VMRO-DPMNE.
The Albanian opposition is ready for elections on any date in October, but says that after the request for postponement of the elections, there is a fear of the euphoria of the census.
“They demand the postponement of the elections given the euphoria that the registration has among Albanians and this euphoria will go in the direction of the opposition. The registration, whether in the diaspora or in the country, is embodied in the fact that change must happen to Albanians and that euphoria that occurs in the registration will be reflected in the local elections “- says Skender Rexhepi, MP of ASH-AAA.
For DUI any election date is acceptable. Integrators will not interfere in negotiations between political parties.
Bujar Osmani,
“We as DUI have no dilemmas in the success of these elections and for us the date of the elections is a little important. “We leave it to other parties to agree on the date of the elections, whenever it agrees we will support them,” said Bujar Osmani from DUI.
The “Left” party also estimates that the date when the local elections should be held is October 17 and any other date can be an element of evaluation in the Constitutional Court.
SDSM is ready to accept any date for the local elections, including October 17, as requested by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.
“We proposed October 31, if they are held on October 17, the campaign coincides with the census, and that is not good, we have to postpone the census until the end of September, after which the campaign can start. But if the opposition says date 17 and all other parties agree, we will agree too. “Next weekend is 24 and 31, these are the options for October”, says the Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.
DW
