Skopje, 23 June 2024 (MIA) - Addressing the government election session in Parliament on Sunday, VMRO-DPMNE MP Nikola Micevski called on his colleagues from the Turkish parties to join the ruling majority in order to work together to improve the situation in the country. 

Micevski said the "throwing down of the gauntlet" comes after Beycan Ilyaz from the European Front coalition expressed concern that the new government composition does not include a single representative from the Turkish community. 

According to Micevski, the VMRO-DPMNE-led government can offer the Turkish parties one deputy ministerial post.

"I invite you to join the VMRO-DPMNE-led government and the coalition and this parliamentary majority, so that we can all work together to improve the situation in the country. At the moment, we can offer one deputy ministerial position. Join the government and let's work together on the challenges you talked about now," Micevski pointed out, adding that the Democratic Party of Turks has itself chosen to be part of the European Front.

Ilyaz thanked for the invitation, noting that the decision to join the European Front has been a party decision.

"You know very well that before the elections we held talks with all parties, guided by the principles and instructions given by our party bodies. That is why we are part of the European Front. The concern is that not only in the new VMRO-DPMNE government, but also in the previous governments, especially the past eight years, we did not have a representative in the government," Ilyaz said. 

He said that at a time when the country is striving for a better future and important decisions are ahead, society should take more care of minority communities.  

"Announcements about changing the Constitution whereby non-majority communities will be treated as minorities are against the spirit of the Framework Agreement and can seriously disrupt coexistence and civil equality. Instead of these announcements, I expect constitutional amendments to be put on the agenda as soon as possible to open the path to our European future," said Ilyaz.

Sali Murat of the European Front addressed the session earlier, noting that VMRO-DPMNE's government program was not fully aligned with the Constitution and the Framework Agreement.  

"In each chapter there is certain vagueness, non-objectivity and unrealistic commitments. The PM-designate is placed in the role of a provider of some rights, you interfere with the equality of citizens, especially in relation to the Turkish community. If the program is summarized, you pay very little attention to maintaining interethnic relations, tolerance and respect for the Framework Agreement, which is a compromise and affirmation of the freedoms and rights of non-integrated and marginalized groups, and among them is precisely the Turkish community," said Murat.

Halil Snopche from the 'Worth It' coalition reminded Murat and Ilyaz that in the previous mandate, as an Albanian, he called for officialization of both the Turkish and Romani languages.

"We are a multinational country, the new government will have to invest a lot in general emancipation to eliminate all differences, we don't have to be identical to be equal, it has to invest in this part, for people to realize the equality between different things," Snopche said. 

Photo: print screen