On Saturday, VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM traded accusations over the 2025 Kocani and 2021 Tetovo modular hospital fires.
According to the ruling party, when SDSM leader Venko Filipce was Minister of Health, his institution allowed 16 COVID modular hospitals to be constructed even though they didn’t meet the minimum technical conditions and their use for healthcare activity was not allowed.
“The hospitals were built without compliance with construction laws. The person in charge of technical specifications was appointed precisely by Filipce”, VMRO-DPMNE said.
On the other hand, SDSM, regarding the Kocani fire, stated that Dejan Saltirovski, who’d headed the Stip Internal Affairs Sector during the tragedy, was directly responsible.
SDSM said the authorities needed to say whether there was an order for an action control process stating that the nightclub’s doors needed to be closed, which was in contradiction with procedures.
According to SDSM, there is footage from security cameras showing Saltirovski outside the facility at the key period, but police didn’t enter on time.
“Why is the Prosecutor’s Office not filing charges? Is Saltirovski being protected due to close links to the top of government? No current official of VMRO-DPMNE has been covered by the investigation into the fire”, the opposition party also said.
On Sunday, PM Hristijan Mickoski rejected the accusations that Saltirovski was being protected and that VMRO-DPMNE was close to Prosecutor-General Kocevski.