Deralla: CIVIL as an organization is in the procedure of accrediting for the referendum process. Hence, regardless of the individual determinations of the people who are in the core of CIVIL, we as an organization have a general position that regards only the fulfillment of the obligations of the sate towards the citizens. Namely, to provide them conditions for unhindered voting.

We as an organization are always for the people to use all the opportunities and rights and to participate in an important political and social process, and this means that we as an organization will be calling on the people to vote. We will not be suggesting to anyone how to vote. Whether to vote for or against, but will rather encourage the people to give their vote. Hence, to go and vote. That is important because democracy is practiced in this manner. Democracy is not just several officials in power, but democracy means that it is understood by all citizens of a country, and that is why we consider that they should massively go to vote. That is something for which I will be constantly encouraging them, on the ground.

Furthermore, we demand from the institutions to allow maximum respect for the human right to vote, and thus provide conditions, that is, to sanction all expressions of hate speech, all attempts to hinder people from voting.

We expect for the media to help the citizens make an informed choice. And not to be a target of their political propaganda activities or a target of fake news. Regarding the contents of a propaganda character, certainly that everyone has the right to carry out a campaign and a propaganda, but it is very important for them to be clearly marked and clearly separated from informative contents. Informative contents should should have abundant information on the human right to vote. Informative contents should also have abundant information on what the benefits of this agreement would be. But also with information on what exactly this agreement means.

There is certain, I would say, justifiable criticism regarding how the referendum question is formulated. Although it is not entirely manipulative, but criticisms that it can be somewhat unclear are justifiable, that is, that there might be an aspect that misleads the trace of the real goal.

It is now too late to talk about that, but it is important for all the mistakes that have been made until now to be corrected with honest, visible and educational activity of all stakeholders involved in this process, starting with the State Election Commission and up to the political parties, Government, European Union that has joined the campaign, and of course the non-governmental organizations.

In the domain of our project, “I vote, therefore I am!”, the title itself says that we are calling on the citizens to vote. And how they will vote depends on their will. However, we also strongly oppose any tendency for the citizens to feel intimidated to go out to vote, or to be manipulated with fake news and hate speech for the purpose of voting one way or another.

Text editing: Маја Ivanovska
Camera: Аtanas Petrovski
Editing: Аrian Mehmeti
Photo: Dehran Muratov

Translation: Natasa Cvetkovska