Skopje, 29 January 2024 (MIA) — Another attempt to hold the Macedonian Writers Association's emergency session to elect its new leadership has failed because of low attendance.

On Nov. 25, current assembly speaker Kristina Nikolovska had adjourned the session for Jan. 27 as the attending MWA members did not constitute a quorum to elect her successor and the successor of MWA president Hristo Petreski.

Months earlier, eight of the nine members of the MWA management board had resigned and a large part of the MWA membership subsequently called for Petreski's and Nikolovska's ouster.

On Oct. 16 and 17, dozens of members — including Vlada Uroshevikj, Olivera Nikolova, Cane Andreevski, Gordana Mihailova Boshnakoska, Mitko Madzhunkov, Sande Stojchevski, Zoran Anchevski, Ljubinka Doneva, Dimitrie Duracovski, Vesna Acevska, Branko Cvetkoski, Slave Gjorgjo Dimoski, Bratislav Tashkovski, Gordana Jovikj-Stojkovska, Goce Ristovski, Borche Panov, Sonja Stojmenska-Elzeser, Liljana Pandeva, Sasho Ognenoski, Olivera Kjorveziroska, Vesna Mojsova-Chepishevska, Violeta Tancheva-Zlateva, Elizabeta Jonchikj, Zoran Jakimovski, Lidija Dimkovska, Ana Martinoska, Biljana Crvenkovska, Vladimir Jankovski, Igor Angjelkov, Snezhana Mladenovska Angjelkov, Suzana V. Spasovska, Dime Ratajkoski, Igor Stanojoski, Aleksandra Jurukovska, Snezhana Stojchevska, Marija Girevska, Rumena Buzharovska, Julijana Velichkovska, Irena Jurcheva, Slavica Gadzhova-Sviderska, Mersiha Ismailoska, Dragana Evtimova, Frosina Parmakovska, Milena Ristova-Mihailovska, Zhivko Grozdanoski, Petar Andonovski, Davor Stojanovski, Ana Bunteska, Ivan Antonovski, Mihajlo Sviderski, Smile Naumoski Brsjak, Nikola Ilijovski, Bozhin Pavlovski, Kica Kolbe, Ferid Muhikj, Gligor Stojkovski, Nikola Madzhirov, Milosh Lindro, Pasko Kuzman, Anastasija Gjurchinova, Jovica Ivanovski, Vancho Polazareski, Vlade Dimovski, Vlado Janevski, Dejan Trajkovski, Ljupcho Siljanovski, Naum Popeski, Mirjana Stojanovska, Marina Mijakovska, Budimka Popovska, Ana Pejchinova, Marta Markoska, Vele Smilevski, Rade Siljan, Paskal Gilevski, Blazhe Minevski, Risto Vasilevski, Stojan Tarapuza, Slavcho Koviloski, Vinka Sazdova, Blazhe Kitanov, Zhivko Noveski, Zoran Pejkovski, Jovan Damjanovski, Daniela Andonovska-Trajkovska, Vesna Mundishevska-Veljanovska, Milica Dimitrijovska Radevska, Ivan Trposki, and Gordana Stojanovska — all signed a public letter demanding that Nikolovska announce a call for candidates for new MWA president and assembly speaker.

Following the call, Blazhe Minevski, Zhivko Grozdanoski, Goce Ristovski and Mirche Neshovski applied to replace Petreski as MWA president. Ivan Antonovski and Stefan Markovski submitted their bids for assembly speaker.

After the failed Nov. 25 session to elect the new leadership, however, MWA members in a press release blamed Nikolovska and Petreski for the failure to reach a quorum and for their "attempt to completely destroy the Macedonian Writers Association established in 1947."

According to the release, Nikolovska refused to have the MWA voters' list reviewed to remove deceased members' names ahead of the vote. She was also blamed to have prevented MWA members living abroad from voting at the emergency session without accepting or offering a solution about their expected absence affecting the quorum.

Attendees said Nikolovska had also never responded to MWA members living outside Skopje whether their travel expenses would be covered, thereby demotivating them to attend the session and vote. Also, they added, more than half of the membership had not been notified about the emergency session despite the assembly speaker's duty to inform them through any means of communication.

They said Nikolovska and Petreski had squandered their legitimacy and should no longer take any financial and legal actions on behalf of the membership. "Kristina Nikolovska and Hristo Petreski do not mean well for the MWA, Macedonian literature, Macedonian culture and the Macedonian state," the MWA members said in their release.

In response, Petreski sent his own press release calling the members sore losers for failing to muster a quorum. Previously, he had submitted an "irrevocable" resignation, then withdrew it, then resigned again. One of the former board members, Branko Cvetkoski, had blamed Petreski for "violations of the association's statute" and "privatizing and manipulating the management board's teamwork and collective decision-making capacity."

At the moment, the only candidate who remains in the race to replace Petreski is Neshovski. Minevski, Grozdanoski, Ristovski, Antonovski and Markovski have all withdrawn their bids in the meantime. Some of them cited as reasons the rift among the membership and allegations of abuse of office, such as forging signatures.

Minevski, in particular, cited the MWA's no-longer-current voters list; the lack of communication between the current MWA leadership and members; the lack of online voting options for members unable to attend in person; and the still unpaid travel expenses for out-of-town attendees of the Nov. 25 emergency session.

He said that the MWA was on the brink of collapse for the first time in its 77 years. mr/