Gjorcev in the White House, Siljanovska in the White Palace

The director of the Skopje landfill Drisla, Goran Angelov, is among the nine candidates for president of the state from the VMRO-DPMNE. He is a former mayor of Vinica in two terms, and due to his success and efficiency he was appointed president of the Association of Local Self-Government Units (ZELS). He directly participated in the initiation of the decentralization process and is an attorney at law.

Same conditions for all

Three professors, current MP, former mayor, mechanical engineer, doctors of agricultural and political science and one pharmaceutical technician passed the verification committee in VMRO-DPMNE and got a chance to win the confidence of approximately 530 delegates at the convention in Struga scheduled for February 16. As of today, they have ten days to present their programme and vision to the local organizations of VMRO-DPMNE.
“We, as a party of all, will provide equal access to municipal committees in order to present their ideas and plans. All candidates will have identical treatment and equal opportunities to be elected according to the principles of democracy. The transparency and democracy of the process are aimed at selecting a candidate who will represent the majority opinion of the citizens and will work in accordance with the Constitution and laws,” said Vlado Misajlovski, VMRO-DPMNE Vice President.
Besides Angelov, Nikita Sekutkovski (doctor of mathematical sciences and full-time professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics in Skopje), Gjorgji Manaskov (mechanical engineer and president of the Economic Chamber of Energy of Macedonia), Vasko Kostov ( pharmacy technician at the pharmacy Zegin), Vlatko Gjorcev (MP and member of the VMRO-DPMNE Executive Committee), Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (professor at the Faculty of Law in Skopje and member of the Institute for Legal and Political Sciences), Ilija Dimovski (retired professor at the Faculty of Forestry in Skopje), Filip Petrovski (Doctor of Political Science and former director of the National Archives) and Saso Kutlesovski (Doctor of Agricultural Sciences). One nomination was rejected because it was sent after the public call was closed Thursday midnight.
“Some of the candidates applied in person, and some sent their nominations by mail,” the party said.
Although all candidates will start from scratch, the role of ‘favorite candidate’ is given to Professor Siljanovska, and right behind her is Vlatko Gjorcev, who is currently in the United States because he was invited to attend the traditional breakfast in Washington with the US President. Yesterday he met with Sarah Sanders, Donald Trump’s spokesperson.
It is important for Macedonia to have open doors in Washington. Every friendship and meeting are an opportunity to declare Macedonian arguments. Macedonia must build strong alliances, thus improving the positions”, Gjorcev wrote under a photo with the spokesperson.
The new leader of the Union of Young Forces, Jovan Jauleski, immediately and openly stood behind Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova’s nomination. According to him, the professor is a synonym for the defense of the Constitution and the constitutional order.

SDSM: You will lose

Asked whether Silyanovska was a favorite of the leadership in the White Palace, VMRO-DPMNE gave a negative response.
“We do not have a favorite, we will support that candidate who will win in Struga. The only goal of all registered candidates should be Macedonia, that is, bringing all citizens together with their programme and their ideas. That is the purpose of the convention. The best candidate needs to be supported by everyone, we need to be united, and get to the elections that way,” Misajlovski emphasizes.
SDSM reacted to the nominations and said that any VMRO-DPMNE presidential candidate would be defeated in the presidential election.
“Macedonia today takes its chair in NATO. It is a great success for the citizens and a strong defeat for the pawn Mickoski, for his destructivity and for his anti-Western bosses. Citizens deserve a real president, who will protect the interests of the country, the citizens and will work for progress and future in NATO and the EU,” said SDSM with great confidence.

Mickoski and Webber: Macedonia is at the bottom

VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, attending the two-day meeting of the European People’s Party in Brussels, met on Thursday with the head of the EPP parliamentary group in the European Parliament, and their candidate for European Commission President, Manfred Weber.
“We discussed the European agenda of the region, I introduced him with the current developments in Macedonia. I expressed concern about the extent of corruption that is on the rise. Macedonia is literally at the bottom of the ranking in Europe in the fight against corruption. The state is the protector of corruption that is produced from the ranks of the government. What we need is sincere commitment to respect the state of law, rule of law and law enforcement. We must restore safety, and the government must provide a fight against crime,” Mickoski complained.

Vajgl: Mickoski will collaborate

Macedonia Rapporteur in the European Parliament, Ivo Vajgl said Tuesday after a meeting with VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski he received assured that the opposition would be constructive in the EU accession reform process, MIA reports from Brussels.
“I highlighted the fact that the EP’s main interest and also mine as Macedonia Rapporteur is for the country to continue on the EU path, so that the Union keeps its promise regarding the start of accession negotiations this June, with Mickoski saying that VMRO would cooperate with the Government on the reforms and the legislation related to the EU membership, acting as a trusting partner,” said MEP Vajgl.
Mickoski reconfirmed VMRO-DPMNE’s criticism of the Prespa Agreement, but Vajgl does not believe that the opposition party would bring the deal into jeopardy if it came to power.
“He was critical of it, but what is important is for things to move forward and the agreement to be implemented. VMRO-DPMNE is critical of the Prespa Agreement and the Government, but I believe that the opposition’s role is to be a corrective of the authorities and constructive when it comes to national interests,” added Vajgl.
He said the situation regarding the Prespa Agreement in Greece was more critical.
“Taking into consideration the slim majority in Greece, there is a threat of a standstill, but I do not believe this will materialize. Greek politicians are aware that the Prespa Agreement means consolidation of political circumstances in the region, which is of enormous interest for the West,” noted Vajgl.
In addition, Mickoski voiced concern over the coming presidential elections, urging for strong presence of international observers.
“I do not see a reason why the elections would not be fair, but I believe that the Government and the State Election Commission must do everything to administer credible elections that reflect a democratic and tolerant environment,” underlined the EP Macedonia Rapporteur.

Goran Adamovski