The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) announced that it expresses its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the tragedy in Kocani and shares the grief with all citizens affected by this accident.

Here is the full statement from DUI:

"Regarding the decision of the Public Prosecutor's Office to detain former Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi and other representatives of the previous government for 30 days, DUI would like to clarify several key aspects to the public:

First, the concept of "chain errors" that led to the tragedy does not exist in the terminology of the criminal code.

Each license for such facilities is renewed annually, taking into account the specific conditions for that year.

Therefore, it is incorrect to claim that there is continuous liability without interruption over the years.

Second, and most importantly, on the night of the tragedy, the club was operating without any license: it had not had a legitimate license for a year, and even the forged one had already expired.

This implies that the main responsibility lies with those who were supposed to prevent the operation of an unlicensed nightclub that fateful night.

A thorough and impartial investigation is needed to determine how an unlicensed facility could operate and endanger the lives of hundreds of young people.

Third, it should be noted that the licenses issued in the past were for cabaret, which has specific criteria and restrictions on the number of people allowed.

A nightclub is a completely different category, and the presence of over 650 young people in such a space is beyond any safety standard, which, in turn, clearly points to conscious or unconscious negligence over the past year on the part of numerous current state bodies.

DUI expresses its concern about the government's unacceptable supremacy over the prosecution, which has undermined trust in the investigative process.

The fact that out of the 35 detained individuals, only 1 or 2 are current officials raises doubts about selective justice.

We demand that legal processes be fair, transparent and based on the law, without being influenced by terminology that does not exist - legal terminology and the criminal code.

In this time of mourning, DUI does not want to engage in accusations, but rather aims to explain to citizens that this process is unfounded, politically motivated and selective, which may further complicate and worsen the situation.

We stand with the citizens and the affected families, demanding justice and transparency in the investigation of this tragedy, the party statement reads.