NEWS OF THE DAY: SDSM for elections before a possible second coronavirus peak, for VMRO-DPMNE there are other priorities
The two biggest parties in the country remain further with opposing views about the elections. According to the ruling SDSM, the first opportunity for elections needs to be used, for them to be held as soon as possible, as soon as conditions are created, after the state of
emergency ends and before a possible second peak of coronavirus, because the country needs credible institutions that will make bold, but also responsible decisions. For VMRO-DPMNE, health and economic stability are a priority.
The mutual accusation continued yesterday. SDSM leader Zoran Zaev stated that Mickoski is afraid, that he knows that he will lose at the elections and that, as he said, his destructive policies will be punished. Mickoski responded that for Zaev power and a seat are most important, and not the health of the citizens.
And while the disagreements continue, Minister of Health Venko Filipce is decisive: Regardless of when the elections will be held, they must be conducted according to a strict protocol for protection of the health of the citizens, which will be developed by the Commission for Infectious Diseases. At the same time, no organization will be allowed that may threaten the successful management of the health crisis.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY: Dimitrov: Early in June we expect to receive a draft negotiating framework with the EU
Early in June we expect to receive the draft negotiating framework, and depending on the coronavirus crisis, for it to be approved in a period of several months and to start with the
first real step in the negotiations – the first intergovernmental session, stated Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov.
He stressed that he is in an online contact with representatives of the European Commission, including also EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Oliver Verhelyi, who are working on the draft negotiating framework.
WITHOUT FILTER – video column with Xhabir Deralla
“As long as there are media that are financed with black money from anti-Western centers of power, and it is tolerated in the public and also by the institutions, when there is impunity, fear and uncertainty will rule in society…”, says Xhabir Deralla in today’s video column – Elections in June!
STATE OF EMERGENCY:
The Ministry of Health announced that today the Institute for Public Health has registered 21 recovered patients as follows by cities: Skopje-8, Kumanovo-6, Stip-1, Prilep-2, Tetovo-1, Veles-1, Kocani-1 and Makedonski Brod-1. In the “September 8” Hospital in Skopje a 59-uear-old patient from Tetovo has died, who had been in a serious condition for 15 days and on a ventilator machine.
In the past 24 hours a total of 185 tests have been carried out, and eight new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed: Skopje-3, Bitola-1 and Veles-4.
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In the “September 8” City General Hospital in Skopje, three hours ago, a 37-year-old patient who had been admitted three weeks ago in a serious condition, has been taken off a ventilator machine. The patient is breathing on his own and his condition is now stable, stated for MIA the Director of the public health institution, Hristijan Kostov.
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The Center for Public Health in Skopje, together with the Institute for Public Health is making a plan for screening of people who are considered to be in risk groups, such as health workers, employees in kindergartens, employees in nursing homes, members of the police,
drivers in the Public Transportation Enterprise and taxi drivers, employees in public services (counter workers), patients before hospitalization, announced the Minister of Health.
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A total of 25 people across the country have disobeyed the ban on movement. Of them, 17 have been detained, while appropriate measures will follow for the rest.
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The Bitola Public Prosecutor’s Office submitted to the Bitola Basic Court proposals for issuing criminal orders for a total of 11 people, due to not complying to the health regulations during an epidemic.
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Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office Skopje has proposed fines of up to 2.000 euros for 37 people each for disobeying the curfew.
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For dancing folk dance during the curfew, the Gevegelia Basic Prosecutor’s Office has demanded a 30.000 euro fine for 30 dancers from Prilep and 13.000 euros for people who had disobeying the ban on movement by walking or driving during the curfew.
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The two green markets in Kumanovo have started working today, informed the public enterprise “Pazarista”, which are located on the “Treta MUB” and “Oktomvriska Revolucija” Boulevard, and will work Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.
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The tourist and hospitality chamber informs that it has performed a research on the situation the hospitality sector is facing in recent period from the beginning of the health and economic crisis, as well as on the measures that the Government is taking for mitigating the consequences in the sector.
FLASH NEWS:
Director of the Health Insurance Fund Den Doncev has resigned and submitted his resignation to the Government.
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The Criminal Court in Skopje did not accept the proposal of the first defendant in the “Racket” case, Bojan Jovanovski – Boki 13, for Goran Nikolovski, former Director of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence, to be questioned in addition to the evidentiary procedure.
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For the measure on financial assistance for payment of salaries for April and May in the amount of 14.500 denars, for which applying started on May 1, so far 12.380 applications have been received by the Public Revenue Office.
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Fatmir Bytyqi, Advisor to the Prime Minister, says that the provision of services from the administration to the citizens and businesses will at no point be questioned, regardless of the measures for the pandemic, which, among else, anticipate for the administration to use last year’s vacation until the end of this month, and for employees in this sector with children up to 10 years to be released from work.
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The National Bank has revised the projection for the economic growth for this year. The new projection is a decline in the economic activity by 3.5 percent for this year and recovery next year, for when the National Bank projects a growth of 4.7 percent, with a return to the mid-term forecasts of 4 percent for 2022.
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The President of the Inspection Council, Magdalena Filipovska Grashkoska, today at a press conference informed that in the period from April 27 to May 3, the inspection authorities have conducted 3.086 inspections, stressing that the government measures for protection and
prevention against the spread of the coronavirus are in general being respected. Any disobeying and irregularity, she emphasized, will be sanctioned without exception.
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At the meeting that Prime Minister Oliver Spasovski had today with German Ambassador Thomas Gerberich, who is ending his mandate in our country, our country’s historic steps in the democratic processes, good-neighbourly relations, NATO membership and the open European perspectives with the decision of the EU for start of the negotiations of the Republic of North Macedonia with the EU, were welcomed.
Angela Petrovska
Translated by: N. Cvetkovska
