Life in Macedonia is becoming ever more interesting, as the days of the pre-election campaign for the local elections scheduled for October 15, 2017 pass by, in a rather bewildered, mystical and grotesquely stupid sense, with a daily dose of unrefined (not so) naïve humor.
The interesting thing is in the everyday non-sense that is made up by the participants in this campaign. To make up all sorts of nonsense – sounds meaningless, just like the campaign, meaningless, with tiny but unsuccessful attempts to present the candidates successfully, and with many “successful” “cultural arts programs” at the rallies.
For example, last night in the village of Batinci, SDSD started the rally with ultra-turbo folk music. As far as I know, there is no consuming alcohol there, otherwise the rally would have ended in the style of an extra cheerful wedding where everyone is invited, except for the bride and groom. I don’t know whether they managed to present the program, the mood at the gathering did not seem like one for a political presentation, it looked more like a “Serbian market”, without Serbs.
Nothing new with VMRO-DPMNE, they are learning Albanian, collectively. Though it will be difficult to persuade the voters to learn it too.
The candidates of Besa, DUI and the Alliance for Albanians are caught up with the announced construction of the building on Bit-Pazar market, which is to start soon. They are all in favor of the construction, it’s just that some want the construction to start now, before the elections, while others later, after the elections. No one is asking those selling on the Bit-Pazar market, they will be paying for space in the new market.
Bilall Kasami, aka Bili (as they fondly like to call him), adores to be photographed, and we have learned that his poses are inspired by the main character Polat Alemdar of the Turkish mega series “The Valley of the Wolves”. It somewhat suits him, all he needs to do is to perfect a deadly stare and to kill off all of his opponents. On a picture.
“There (in Shutka, Guadalajara street), God forbid you should have anything to do with a woman, there the women are more dangerous than the men. They come out with sticks and axes to fight! – says Amdi Bajram, who obviously has traumas from violent women, because in the past he experienced this on his own skin. All right, it’s not his first time, ever since we’ve known him, the parliament for him has been an arena for complaints about various types of violence that have been committed against him, including from women.
If you hadn’t known, SDSM has their own candidate for mayor of the municipality of Aracinovo. More specifically, candidate – Milikije Halimi. The candidate is characterized by a pleasant appearance, and you think that finally Aracinovo, before the City of Skopje, has a chance of having a woman – dame for a mayor. That is until you hear her. Not that her “rich” vocabulary in English and Macedonian differs much from the vocabulary of an average person selling on a green market, but still you can understand her, if you repeat it to yourself a million times – she’s okay, she has been chosen, “the bride” that was chosen by Prime Minister Zaev, and when Zaev chooses, it means that it is the best possible choice. For the Albanians. The ones that Zaev knows.
Somehow these elections and everything else revolve again around Zaev. He is wonderful, he manages to attend all rallies, yesterday he was in Cair, together with DUI’s candidate for mayor of the Municipality of Cair. And with Bujar Osmani. A cheerful bunch, how should I call them, an association of mutual respect and support. And the thousands of voters of Aracinovo did not like this at all, who are largely responsible for the “victory” of SDSM at the parliamentary elections last year. They cursed his Ajvar (traditional dish made of red peppers and other vegetables) – “May Zaev’s Ajvar spoil for Bayram”. Not even the Albanian are what we thought they were.
And Koce is competing with Shilegov. Or, Shilegov with Koce. I just cannot conclude…
And, let me also not forget that in these elections candidates from four political parties from the Albanian bloc have been proposed for mayors of the Municipality of Cair. Ali Ahmeti is still calling on voters to join their votes and to all vote for the same, for DUI. How pitiful…But that is why SDSM will help him.
And finally, I’m not sure how this campaign and election spectacle is going to end, nor how the voters will decide. Whether to vote for themselves, or for candidates that will to some extent adhere to what they have promised, if the parties let them, or for friends and friends of friends, and in the end for us to sing along together:
Because politics go hand in hand with friendships.
We will read again tomorrow, with new views and events from our constant – life in an election context.
Diana Tahiri
