CIVIL’s Monitoring Team reports that reports have arrived from the observers on the ground, as well as from several citizens for gross violation of the election silence and for pressure and threats in Kocani.

A leader of a political party and MP of the same party together with a team of an online portal violate the election silence, exert pressure and threaten the Roma in Kocani, is said in the field report.

The leader of the political party at one point in front of the police station in the city nervously addressed the citizens from Roma nationality with the words: “take a good look at me, no one is afraid of you”, after several Roma told him that he cannot force them to vote for him.

Otherwise, the MP and the team from the online portal today in a same car headed to the Roma neighbourhood in Kocani, where they recorded the citizens in front of their homes. The headquarters of a political party actually is the home of one of the persons who were involved in the event, who requested from the MP and the journalist not to be recorded in front of his home.

The editor of that portal in a live broadcast threatened that from Ohrid he would go directly to Kocani to settle scores with the Roma.

“Let’s see who’s going to kill who, either they us or we you. I am going there with around 15 people to see who they are. If necessary, we will use fists to settle scores. We are not afraid of anyone”, said the editor of the portal.

After having boasted that with 15 strong people he was going to Kocani, after almost one hour a video appeared where together with the team from the online portal was also the leader of the political party and the MP.

CIVIL appeals to all political parties to calm down their passions and not to violate the election silence, not to make threats and exert pressure just a few hours before the voting. CIVIL demands from the responsible authorities to react and to protect the citizens and to allow them to freely exercise their right to vote.

CIVIL Communication Team