Following the story of a citizen journalist from Veles, about the political party Macedonian United Reform Option –Workers’ Party, which is paying citizens of Veles 150 denars for a signature for supporting the party, CIVIL Media contacted the President of the Party, Goran Zafirovski.

Zafirovski said in the telephone conversation that the signatures were already collected, and that they were necessary for the re-registration of the Party.

In regards to CIVIL’s question about the handing out of money to citizens, Zafirovski first said that this did not happen, and later, when we told him that there is even a video recording, he changed his statement and said that “that is an isolated case, if someone had asked for money for a taxi”.

In the video that was sent to us by a citizen journalist who wanted to remain anonymous, one of the organizers for collecting signatures can be heard how he is giving money to the citizen journalist, saying that it is just a symbolic amount and motivates him to bring more people, “Brother, sister, mother, father, relative and friends, bring someone you have, 150 denars for every one of them”

CIVIL Media finds out from the recordings that precisely the President of the Party, Goran Zafirovski, is the person who is giving the money.

Through the conversation with Zafirovski, we also learn that in addition to Veles, it is very likely that the same thing has also happened in Kumanovo.

As to the question where the finances of the party come from and the funds that they are giving to the “supporters”, Zafirovski says that they are – donations from the party membership.

The question is how big is the membership that donates in order to get additional support from citizens, so that the party can re-register?!

Маја Ivanovska