SkopjeDiem Macedonia in English
On Friday, DUI leader Ali Ahmeti told 24 TV that if the former Economy Minister from his party, Kreshnik Bekteshi, was charged in the Kocani fire case, DUI would take to the streets, stay there, and demand even early parliamentary elections.
“If Ali Ahmeti takes to the streets, there is no going back. We will support also the demands and protests of families of the children killed in the Kocani fire that are demanding unselective justice as well. That process can end only in early parliamentary elections. The package must include also vetting of all officials since independence, including judges and public prosecutors. Let the privatisation process be investigated, let the origin of assets be examined. If the Albanian language is touched, DUI will boycott the local elections, which cannot succeed without DUI, after which the country will be in a political crisis that will have to end in elections”, the DUI leader stressed.
In response, however, the Government said that Ahmeti shouldn’t hide behind a nationalist rhetoric.
“Hiding behind nationalism represents a severe and clueless abuse by the politically retired and defeated boxer that’s continued to dream about the era when [ex-PM Zoran] Zaev, that is, SDSM was his partner, while the country was suffering. Only DUI can come up with such political schizophrenia. Just like it became a green party while sinking in corruption polluted by oil and mazut, just like it was swearing by ethnic values while committing crime and forming gambling houses. This is expected behaviour by DUI”, it pointed out, refuting “this rhetoric of threats and ultimatums”.
SDSM hasn’t supported Ahmeti’s stands either, stressing that parties shouldn’t exploit the Kocani tragedy. Despite its constant criticism of the investigation, Venko Filipce’s party said it would wait for it to end before it took any political action.
“All parties have the responsibility not to allow the Kocani tragedy to be exploited politically. The victims don’t deserve that. The families of those killed don’t deserve that. Until the investigation ends, any politically motivated activities over the Kocani tragedy will be instigating new discord among citizens, add fuel for interparty accusations, but will not lead to true justice and not solve anything. SDSM’s ready for any elections. The party is in good shape”, it pointed out.
