The mutual accusations between the government and the opposition regarding who would vote for the constitutional amendments and who is for and who is against membership in the European Union, continued this weekend. The ruling DUI and SDSM claim that sMPs from the majority, as well as MPs from the opposition, will be in favor of the constitutional amendments when the process enters the Parliament, while the opposition VMRO-DPMNE maintains the position that they will not vote on changes to the Constitution and calls for early parliamentary elections.

DUI yesterday called on the opposition to join, as they announced, the efforts for a European North Macedonia and continuation of the integration path as the only alternative for our country.

- The European dream and aspiration of our citizens depends on the deputies in the Parliament and their courage to make a decision for the next generations, not for the next elections. Courage and decisiveness in decision-making is rewarded by the citizens, but also by our Euro-American friends. We call for a general social European front and the formation of an alliance for European North Macedonia, they said in a statement from DUI.

They are worried, as they state, by the unambiguous statements of the leaders of the opposition against European integration and the refusal of help from international partners, but they are convinced that "MPs and citizens do not share the isolationist and anti-European attitudes of their leaders, but will decide courageously and meritorious for continuing the European path".

- In VMRO-DPMNE there are European powers that do not identify with the views of their current leaders and do not want to repeat the same mistakes when they stood on the wrong side. Today's narrative, thinking and actions of the opposition, unfortunately, is the same as the one 6-7 years ago, which isolated the opposition internationally, but still then opposition MPs found strength and courage and dared the challenge, and today, North Macedonia is a member of NATO and is negotiating for membership in the European Union, according to DUI.

The First Vice Prime Minister and the member of the Central Council of the Democratic Union for Integration, Artan Grubi, yesterday before the beginning of the session of the Central Presidency of the party in Mala Recica, stated that "he knows that there are deputies of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE who would support the constitutional amendments".

- There is no deputy in the DUI, nor an Albanian or anyone else in the progressive parliamentary majority who conditions the constitutional amendments for European North Macedonia. I think the address is somewhere else, and that is at the headquarters of VMRO-DPMNE. As of today, we are starting efforts to secure the parliamentary majority as we did in the previous case with the Prespa Agreement. I am convinced that we will succeed even now, because we have contacts with the opposition and we see the mood. It's one thing what their leaders who are not MPs say, it's another thing what they who are MPs say, Grubi, before the beginning of the session of the Central Presidency of the party.

The member of the SDSM and spokesperson of the party, Darko Kaevski yesterday emphasized that all members of the ruling majority and a large number of members of the opposition will be in favor of the constitutional changes when the process enters the Parliament.

- I believe that when the process enters the Parliament, you will be assured that all deputies from the ruling majority, including a large number of deputies from the opposition, will be in favor, with arguments and views on the constitutional amendments, because they are important for the European progress of the country, important all because we promised the citizens that the EU is our decade-long aspiration and we, as politicians of this generation, are obliged to make it happen, said Kaevski,answering a journalist's question at a press conference.

Regarding the opposition leader's statement Hristijan Mickoski that this Parliament has no mandate to change the Constitution and that he will bear all the pressures, Kaevski said that "Mickoski and VMRO-DPMNE is trying through spins and false announcements to divert the pressure it has from its supporters in VMRO-DPMNE."

- From his supporters in VMRO-DPMNE who are convinced that the European path is the only path for this country and that the constitutional changes must take place and hence such tendencies and such comments, said Kaevski. 

The opposition VMRO-DPMNE, on the other hand, came out yesterday with a question to the Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski whether it is true that he asked the deputies of the SDSM to come out with a joint position and a document that will be signed by each of them individually that they will unconditionally vote for the constitutional amendments and entry of Bulgarians into the Constitution, however they are formulated.

-Also, they had planned to publish the document yesterday (Friday), which would deny our statements, but this did not happen due to the express disagreement of the already mentioned MPs. Kovachevski is trying in vain with pressures to change the opinion of all those who are against such constitutional amendments because even in his own party there is no confidence in implementing such a process, the spokesperson of VMRO-DPMNE, Marija Miteva, pointed out at a press conference yesterday.

She said that "Kovachevski called a group coordination with the MPs" at which, as he indicated, he wanted to convince them that this is the only way for SDS to survive for another month in power and that only in this way he will be able to convince the Albanian parties to give maximum support for the survival of the government.

- This was discussed at the meeting a few days ago in the central headquarters of SDSM, which had a tense and unpleasant character, at which he emphasized that if MPs from SDS who are against the constitutional amendments go public, it could make the Albanian coalition partners accept the idea of VMRO-DPMNE for early parliamentary elections this year, Miteva said.

As Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski pointed out recently in an interview for MIA, a working group for constitutional amendments has been established within the Ministry of Justice, in which experts in constitutional law will participate, and experts from the opposition parties will also be called in, just as they were called in the first day from the start of the negotiations in the first phase of the screening.

-Unfortunately, they refused it then, but I think that the opposition also has democratic capacity, there are people who believe in the European future of the country. It is not enough to just declaratively support a certain goal, but it is necessary to act with steps, with decisions, with determination and ensure a European future for all our citizens from the present and future generations, Kovacevski said.

Taken from MIA.