On Monday, answering a journalist’s question during a visit to 8 Septemvri (8 September) City General Hospital, PM Hristijan Mickoski described as contradictory comments by SDSM leader Venko Filipce, who had said the government’s work was disastrous.
“Well, OK, Venko Filipce is the leader of the party that’s still the largest opposition one in Macedonia. It’s normal for him to assess the government that way because he thinks that, that way, he will get support among his voters and citizens. He assesses the government’s work in almost 16 months, it will be 16 months since its election in December, but, on the other hand, he never voices a stand on his term as SDSM leader over the same period.
Considering he says regarding the latter that that period is too short for assessing his work, how is he then finding it fitting to assess the government over its work in that same period? I think the statements are cacophonic and contradictory. I don’t think it’s the right message SDSM should be sending, but, OK, that’s a matter for them”, he underlined.
Also, the VMRO-DPMNE leader dismissed as absolutely untrue reports by certain portals about an alleged coalition with the outgoing Struga Mayor, US-blacklisted Ramiz Merko.
“I don’t negotiate with people on the US blacklist”, he stressed, adding that his assumption was that the portals behind that were ones funded by one centre “that is now disappointed because Ramiz Merko doesn’t support DUI in the second round”.
Speculations about Merko had intensified after he’d publicly said he wouldn’t support the DUI-led coalition’s Struga mayoral candidate, Arsim Dalipi. That resulted in speculations that he was trying to get closer to VMRO-DPMNE and VLEN.
Furthermore, answering another journalist’s question also stated that the ruling coalition was stable, that differences with VLEN had been ironed out, and that he’d met that party’s co-leader, Bilall Kasami (who’s running for another term as Tetovo Mayor).
“I met Bilall Kasami. We talked. And I think he’s already started to send those true statements that should befit a Mayor of a multiethnic Tetovo”, the PM stressed.