“Early elections can be scheduled for the end of May or the beginning of June at the earliest, mostly because there is no time to check the electoral roll. The option of moving the election date to September is also on the table,” the ambassador of an EU member country told BIRN under condition of anonymity. The same diplomat said spending more time to adopt reforms that guarantee free and fair elections and the participation of the opposition is more important than sticking to the ruling VMRO DPMNE party’s April 24 timetable. The EU-brokered deal reached last summer “is a process that should lead to fair and inclusive elections, not to sticking to predefined [election] dates,” he added. “Many deadlines [in the agreement] were breached. If the ruling party insists that the polls go in their favour, they should agree to a new election date,” the ambassador continued.
Macedonia’s ruling parties last month unilaterally pushed ahead with elections on April 24, despite concern that the opposition Social Democrats may boycott the polls because promised reforms remain unfulfilled.
Last Friday, EU Ambassador Aivo Orav and US Ambassador Jess Baily said in Skopje that the EU and US would issue an assessment by February 20 at the latest on the implementation of the so-called Przino commitments and on whether conditions are in place for credible elections on April 24.
Full Article: Macedonia Election Date Still on Table :: Balkan Insight.
