Skopje, 9 February 2024 (MIA) — In a Sitel TV appearance Friday, Democratic Movement leader Izet Mexhiti said the Alliance for Albanians leader Arben Taravari had made an autonomous decision to support the Albanian opposition, for which he received backing by the party's membership.

"It is obvious things will be dynamic in the Albanian bloc," Mexhiti said, predicting that the ethnic Albanian opposition bloc, the European Alliance for Change, would get more votes than the ruling coalition partner DUI in the upcoming parliamentary election. "The dilemma is just what the difference [in votes] will be," Mexhiti said.

He reiterated that Taravari was one of the candidates they would endorse as their candidate for President, but they were talking to other candidates as well.

Asked about Self-Determination party leader and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Mexhiti said he had a lot of support among Macedonian Albanians.

Kurti, Mexhiti added, had been supporting the Albanian opposition bloc in the country for a long time and the European Alliance for Change candidate lists would include Self-Determination supporters.

"I belong to the Democratic Movement, Bilall [Kasami] to Besa, Taravari to AA, but we will have a list together as the European Alliance for Change. De jure [Kurti] is not present here because no Self-Determination party has been formed in the Republic of Macedonia, but de facto he is present here, through his representatives, influence, supporters," Mexhiti said.

He said Bekim Qoku, who is Kurti's advisor for North Macedonia, would be one of the European Alliance for Change candidates for Members of Parliament. mr/