Skopje, 7 April 2024 (MIA) - Participating in campaign activities in the Municipality of Centar on Sunday, SDSM leader and the party’s list principal in the first electoral district, Dimitar Kovachevski said the country has no alternative to the European Union.

According to Kovachevski, that’s why they are not giving up on the ultimate goal - “for Macedonia to become a country with a higher standard of living, rule of law and fight against corruption.”

“The ‘Coalition for a European Future’ shares these values, we have a very concrete plan on how to achieve this. President Stevo Pendarovski also has a very clear vision, great determination, as do I, for our country to be an EU member state,” Kovachevski said.

Asked why he isn’t present at the rallies of the SDSM-endorsed presidential candidate, Kovachevski said Pendarovski has very clear support from the citizens expressed through the 22.000 signatures submitted to the State Election Commission, as opposed to VMRO-DPMNE's Siljanovska-Davkova who, he said, submitted her candidacy with 40 signatures of VMRO-DPMNE's MPs.

“Pendarovski is a candidate of the citizens, endorsed by the ‘Coalition for a European Future’, and I believe it’s best for him to present his program in front of the citizens, because, at the end of the day, Pendarovski will be a president of all citizens, and not an extended arm of one political party, as is the case with Siljanovska-Davkova,” the SDSM leader said.

Asked about the so-called “non-paper” of the parties of the ethnic Albanians regarding the adoption of the constitutional amendments, Kovachevski said there were talks of such a document two months ago, but he can’t say if it has been signed or not because he isn’t involved.

“In terms of the constitutional amendments, if someone has a clear position and if someone has taken responsibility over the need to take such a step and open chapters and finally become an EU member states, then that’s me. I am glad that I took responsibility and had the courage to submit the constitutional amendments to Parliament, unlike other politicians from the opposition who have never had any courage to do anything,” Kovachevski said.

If the coalition he leads wins in the parliamentary elections on May 8, Kovachevski said he would immediately initiate judiciary reforms that would also require constitutional amendments.

“These will be the second constitutional amendments that I will submit to Parliament immediately after receiving the mandate [to form government],” Kovachevski added.

Photo: MIA