VMRO-DPMNE has evidence that a senior official of the SDSM and a minister of the DUI agreed eight months ago in Budapest to amend the Criminal Code with ex-prime minister Nikola Gruevski, in order to save him from criminal prosecution, to contribute to the divisions of VMRO- DPMNE can influence the approval of the constitutional amendments, MP and member of the Executive Committee of VMRO-DPMNE Antonijo Miloshoski said yesterday.

His press conference followed yesterday after party leader Hristijan Mickoski in an interview with the German newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" accused former party leader Gruevski, now an asylum seeker in Hungary, of being in secret communication with the government, which Gruevski expressly denied on Facebook and asked evidence of such charge.
This direct duel between Mickoski and Gruevski updates the question of whether a split in the largest Macedonian opposition party is possible as one of the last options for some of the MPs of VMRO-DPMNE to vote for the Bulgarians to be written into the Constitution, which is a condition for Macedonia to continue the accessible negotiations with the European Union. Mickoski himself said this about FAC, that the Government believes that it can divide VMRO-DPMNE, but that, according to him, will not work.

Rangjelovic: Mickoski could be the biggest political victim

According to analysts, Mickoski himself could be the biggest political victim in the whole process we are witnessing. Political scientist Ivo Rangjelovic says that Mickoski's statement about the Government's secret agreement with Gruevski only confirms expectations and repeats the history of political bargaining in Macedonia.

– There are two conclusions in the context of current developments. One is that all parties are aware of the certainty that the Constitution will be changed, be it before or after the elections, and are now dissociating themselves from responsibility, shifting the blame to someone else. And the second, just as valid, is that this is the package (or amen) of the international community to resolve the crisis over constitutional amendments after all rational means have been exhausted. Under such circumstances, Mickoski carries the greatest risk of being a political victim of bargaining over the Constitution. On the one hand, the Government will realize its goal - changing the Constitution and opening negotiations with the EU, on the other hand, the main figures of the former leadership of VMRO-DPMNE, who were convicted, will now be free. Or in a simple translation, Macedonian work - says Rangjelovic for "Sloboden Pechat".

When asked how all this will be reflected on the ground and what to expect if some of the VMRO-DPMNE MPs break away from the unity of the party and vote for the Constitution, Rangjelovic is not confident that the public will actually act despite the stormy reactions that will follow.

- The only change on the political level can be expected through the melting of votes towards the Left party, which I think would benefit the most from this development of events - says Rangjelovic.

Milososki: We have documentation about the secret negotiations in Budapest

MP Milososki yesterday only slightly expanded Mickoski's explanation about the secret negotiations in Budapest, without specifying more details, as well as indicating what kind of evidence they have. According to him, a high-ranking SDSM official and a DUI minister in Budapest made the agreement on the amendments to the Criminal Code already eight months ago, and people from smaller parties who want a split in the opposition also participated in the meetings.

- We highlight what we claim because we have serious clues and documentation about the negotiations that representatives of the government, DUI and SDSM had with former Prime Minister Gruevski in Budapest and through written communication here in Macedonia - said Miloshoski, when asked for a comment on the position of Gruevski, who, on the other hand, previously wrote that the amendments to the CC do not cover all the crimes for which he is being prosecuted, so his persecution continues, which he values ​​as proof that he did not bargain with the authorities.

Milososki emphasizes that, intentionally or accidentally, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti said in an interview these days that VMRO-DPMNE headed by Mickoski neither negotiated changes to the Criminal Code, nor agreed to change the Constitution.

- With this action, the goal of the SDSM and the DUI is to amnesty two former prime ministers, and on the other hand, they are changing laws that would create personal benefit and protection for the current officials of the SDSM and the DUI. The second goal is to use Gruevski for fragmentation in VMRO-DPMNE and thereby facilitate the constitutional amendments. We are telling SDSM and DUI and their clients not to underestimate VMRO-DPMNE, not to underestimate the people. The party is united, the parliamentary group is united and VMRO-DPMNE will under no circumstances vote for constitutional amendments under Bulgarian dictation, and these political negotiations with amnesties in the Central Committee will not save the current officials from responsibility - Miloshoski said.

When asked by a journalist whether it is still possible for a deputy from VMRO-DPMNE to change his mind, Miloshoski said that there is not a single different opinion because the parliamentary group follows the attitude of the people who are against constitutional amendments and therefore they will not allow personal negotiations related to courts. cases, criminal codes, amnesties and the like. When asked how the new situation with ex-leader Gruevski can affect the party, Milososki answered that VMRO-DPMNE has survived much greater turbulence.

- This is because the idea and principles of the party are stronger than any person, current or former, who had a certain high role in the party. That's why I appreciate that VMRO-DPMNE will win even in this, I would call it, small turbulence in the next elections with a large number of MPs - said Miloshoski.

When asked if they would return the punishments to the Central Committee if they won power, Miloshoski answered that even after the legal changes there were still enough good members on the basis of which someone who worked and acted illegally could be prosecuted for corruption.

Mickoski and Gruevski in a fierce duel

Mickoski said in an interview with "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" that they did everything for Macedonia's European perspective, but Bulgaria constantly makes new demands. Their proposal is to postpone the application of the constitutional amendments, that is, for the Bulgarians to enter the Constitution when Macedonia enters the EU, otherwise "there will be no changes to the Constitution".

- To is making constitutional changes, the government is preparing dirty deals - said the leader of VMRO-DPMNE.

On this Gruevski called Mickoski to publicly say with which of his moves, statements, articles or anything he tried to divide the party, as well as to provide evidence that he accepted a dirty game with the government, which he should implement with the help of supporters in the party.
Then Mickoski, also via Facebook, replied to Gruevski that he regrets that Gruevski decided to make a public parody and serve to defocus the government's crime and that he understands it, but does not justify it. Mickoski also wrote that he has no intention of using public correspondence to be part of the scenario of creating discord in the party, in favor of the government.
By the way, at the beginning of this month, Kumanovo mayor Maksim Dimitrievski wrote about DUI ministers going to talks with Gruevski in Budapest, who indicated Artan Grubi as the contact person in those talks. Grubi denied all this and said that he had never been to Budapest in his life. President Stevo Pendarovski, on the other hand, recently stated that he was convinced to pardon Gruevski and clarified that "he was consulted about this possibility seven or eight months ago on an informal level by some actors on the political scene", a proposal that he decisively refused.