Gjorcev registered, VMRO-DPMNE keeps its public call open


What has been said since the beginning of the year, has received its official confirmation yesterday. MP Vlatko Gjorcev said he would run for the party announcement for the party’s presidential candidate. He made this announcement from the press hall in the Parliament, which was quite unusual, and not in the party headquarters or someplace else.

“There are moments in life when one needs to use all his knowledge, experience, all his actions and everything he has done in life – and invest it in the country and the people. We cannot afford any more years like these past two years. Macedonia regresses, and this is not good. For these reasons, I announce that I will be running for president. I have experience, motivation, knowledge, honesty, loyalty, I know the whole country by heart, I have been everywhere, and in the next three months I will visit every village, town and place in order to get the support and to break skepticism,” said MP Gjorcev.

There must be balance in power

He stressed that this absolutist government must have some balance, and we will have it through the president of the country. He told citizens that they would be convinced that the psychosis for a sure victory of the government would disperse and that this will be seen after the first round.

“I am not interested in who will be my opponent from SDSM, that is SDSM’s concern, because they will face at least 500,000 dissatisfied and disappointed citizens. It will be a ticket for victory in the second round, a psychological turn will occur. My party colleagues and I will read together where we have won: Skopje, Bitola, Prilep, Stip, Eastern Macedonia, Western Macedonia, everywhere… The people will take back their country because they play on their own turf,” concluded Gjorcev without answering whether the party stands behind his decision.

Gjorcev, who turned 40 in August and thus fulfilled the legal minimum age for running for president, has been in an informal campaign for three weeks now. On Sunday, he was in Berovo, Rankovce, Mozdoiak and Ratevo, where he attended the traditional carnival. The day before, for the orthodox Epiphany, he visited Bitola, Resen and Prilep. On Christmas Eve Gjorcev was in front of the Church of St. Clement of Ohrid with his wife and four children, and then made a Christmas tour to Tetovo, Gostivar, Mavrovo, Bigorski, Veles, Udovo, Valandovo and Strumica. In some of the visits, party leader Hristijan Mickoski kept him company.

He has been an MP from the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE since 2006. For a brief period last year, after the arrival of Hristijan Mickoski at the helm of the party, he was the coordinator of the parliamentary group. During the reign of Nikola Gruevski with VMRO-DPMNE and the country, he was mainly the bearer of the electoral lists, but was never appointed to a managerial position. The public met him during a high school protest in 1997 when he was one of the most active demonstrators. He was one of the few lawmakers who reacted during the events of April 27, 2017, when the then-opposition leaders were saved, and received public praise from the current government, as well as foreign diplomats.

Servant of Gruevski and Mickoski

But that’s why yesterday, just as the ruling party learned that Gjorcev will run for president, SDSM rushed to tell him that he was the first to publicly announce that he wants to stand side by side with Mickoski against the EU and NATO and to take the anti-Western steps previously made by Gruevski, as well as Ivanov.

“Gjorcev has been part of VMRO-DPMNE for more than twenty years. For more than 20 years, Gjorcev has silenced all of his party’s criminal and destructive policies. For years he was silent about Gruevski’s crimes, he is silent today for the anti-state and anti-Western behavior of his boss, Mickoski. Macedonia and its citizens do not need another anti-western puppet of Gruevski and Mickoski, they do not need another party servant who, instead of the country’s interests, will sow hatred and divisions to defend the crimes and misconduct of VMRO-DPMNE” , said SDSM.

Gjorcev is the second registered candidate on the public call announced by VMRO-DPMNE. According to Nezavisen Vesnik/Independent Newspaper’s sources, a complaint was sent by a party sympathizer a few days ago, who has not been exposed to the public, and who is not given any real chance of being the opposition’s favorite candidate in the presidential election. The public call will be open until the end of the month, which is why the party does not consider the choice as already made, that is, that Gjorcev will definitely be their candidate for the elections on April 21 and May 5.

“Gjorcev is one of the registered candidates. The public call will last until January 31, so all those who believe that they fulfill the conditions can apply to it,” said VMRO-DPMNE.

There are ongoing speculations with the names of Gordana Siljanovska, Trajko Slaveski, Antonio Milososki etc. The party is conducting internal surveys and ratings, but time is running out, so the interested in the presidential post will have to make their moves quickly. As soon as next Friday, the 15-day deadline for the registered candidates will begin to present their programmes to the municipal committees of VMRO-DPMNE. The winner will be elected at the party convention on February 16.

Goran Adamovski