Even though VLEN and DUI have continued to trade accusations, their respective Brvenica candidates have jointly travelled abroad to meet diaspora members in order to secure votes for, as it is pointed out, the Albanian candidate.
DUI-endorsed Enver Pajaziti, who failed to enter the second round, together with VLEN’s Haqim Ramadani, who will face VMRO-DPMNE’s Jovica Ilievski in the second round, have gone together to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where they’ve met Brvenica expatriates.
“I’m very happy that we are acting in a united manner, with the common goal of renewing our Municipality”, Pajaziti said in a social media post.
Ramadani, on his part, sent an open message to expatriates.
“Kicevo and all other municipalities where there is an Albanian majority will always be run only by Albanians. We have nothing against other peoples, we have nothing against the Macedonian and other peoples that live there. However, everyone should know who’s boss in their own land”, he stressed.
VLEN’s candidate in the Tetovo mayoral race, Bilall Kasami, who’s running for another term, said several days after the first round, in an interview, that there would be support for DUI’s Fatmir Dehari in the Kicevo mayoral race and that VLEN expected DUI support for its candidates in Brvenica and Dolneni.
The Tetovo-based Association of Fighters in the National Liberation and Anti- fascist Struggle of Macedonia has criticised ethnic Albanian party leaders’ calls, saying they contribute to ethnic intolerance and discord, in addition to focusing on endangering the country’s territorial integrity.
Though VLEN has backtracked regarding the Dehari matter and though Kasami cited the party’s press-release on Friday, the ethnic unification for voting issue is still present, as shown in the case of Caska, where VLEN didn’t have a candidate in the race, which was won by DUI, which was celebrated as a historic achievement of ethnic Albanians, Kanal 5 reported on Saturday.
Regarding the diaspora visit, on Sunday, VMRO-DPMNE leader and PM Hristijan Mickoski criticised those talking about ethnic divisions. He stated that Ramadani had made a big mistake.
“He has made a big mistake primarily in terms of mayoral candidates from that same coalition, VLEN, he is endorsed by. Imagine what will now be happening in Tetovo, Debar, Struga, and several other municipalities. So far, there’s been no move by a politician has been more selfish in Macedonia’s newer history. Entering, thinking only about himself and his short-sighted interests while disregarding all others fighting for a mayoral term in the second round”, he emphasised.
However, Both Mickoski and Ilievski consider Brvenica residents will reject calls to vote along ethnic lines.
Regarding the calls for early elections, the PM stated that his stand remained, that is, that though such a process was not necessary, opposition leaders should be careful when it came to what they wished for because it might come true.
When it comes to the issue of coalitions or support in the second round, SDSM leader Venko Filipce stated the same day that a decision on that would have been made by Wednesday. In that regard, he stressed that the country’s multiethnic character and good interethnic relations had to remain a priority.