Sekerinska: Opposition wants elections, but not this year

All the opposition wants is for us to hold elections, but not this year, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska said today in response to a reporter’s question following an event at the General Mihailo Apostolski Military Academy, where she addressed the 2018/2019 class of military cadets.

“They want to avoid expedited elections and avoid facing the facts. If there are no solutions to the problems citizens expect us to solve, then elections might be the only solution,” Minister Sekerinska said.

Asked if there would be an interim government, Shekerinska said they would abide by the Constitution, which states that in the event of snap elections, there would be sixty days between Parliament’s decision to hold elections and the polls themselves.

Minister Sekerinska said more details would follow after Government holds a session on Monday afternoon to discuss the proposal of introducing changes and additions to the Constitution.

“Our goal is for this process to succeed,” Sekerinska said. “We’ve been working hard, and we’ve shown by making specific choices that Macedonia’s interests are our priority. We hope, expect, and ask for this to be the case for all political parties and all delegates chosen to represent the citizens.”

She noted that Macedonian democracy, according to OSCE/ODIHR reports and European Commission 2015 and 2016 reports, was challenged due to state capture until late 2016.

“The parliamentary elections in 2016 and the local elections in 2017,” Sekerinska said, “finally returned people’s faith in the election process.

“There’s no mention of state capture now, and there’s no mention of putting voters under pressure and ‘pulling people by their ears.'”

She added there had been no demands for elections in 2006, 2008, or in 2011.

“Demands,” Minister Sekerinska noted, “were made when a group of people chose to make decisions on behalf of citizens instead of representing them and when they chose to capture the state and its institutions. And this wasn’t just the opposition’s opinion – all international and domestic observers said it.”