This cannot be tolerated anymore! In spite of all abuses and crimes indicated in the wiretapped conversations revealed by the opposition; despite all human rights organizations’ reports on abuses, state capture, confined media, electoral fraud and structural violence conducted for years – the ruling parties got the opportunity to participate in the process and negotiations for overcoming the political crisis in the Republic of Macedonia.

The consent to comply with the recommendations arising from the Reinhard Priebe’s Report and the OSCE/ODIHR’s recommendations, was confirmed by the signatures of the leaders of the four major parties on the agreement for overcoming the political crisis on June 2 and July 15. The agreement was also signed by the leader of VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski, who still occupies the prime minister’s position in the country.

However, Macedonia is still waiting for revisions of the Electoral Code, reforms of the State Elections Commission and its bodies, and a series of other reforms that are essential in order to obtain minimal conditions for free elections, scheduled for April 24, 2016.

In spite of all that, we are witnessing a slow negotiation process and an obstruction of the negotiations. Although negotiations are taking place behind closed doors, the continued campaign cannot be hidden from the eyes of the citizens. The same day when Nikola Gruevski has signed the first agreement for overcoming the political crisis of June 2, he intensified his campaign by abusing public resources and by aggressive manipulation of the public opinion through the media that he keeps under his control.

None of the deadlines for amending the Electoral Code have been met, neither those on other urgent reforms.

CIVIL – Center for Freedom demands urgent continuation of the negotiations that will produce results right now, today! Given the time lost, we demand postponement of the elections for a month, but without any further delay of the resignation of Gruevski, since delays in the implementation of the political agreement along with the abuses and campaigns, are a consequence of violations conducted by him.

The state is, nevertheless, not functioning, because all institutions are part of the aggressive political campaign, and nothing else.

Therefore, if the campaign is not stopped and if the political agreement is not implemented consistently, without streetwise tricks, the government must resign immediately, and the Special Prosecutor’s Office must speed up its work. The elections must be implemented by a provisional government, which will implement the necessary reforms in a consistent and transparent manner and with respect for the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Macedonia.