Ohrid, 27 April 2024 (MIA) – SDSM’s presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski held a meeting with citizens in Ohrid on Saturday as part of the campaign ahead of the second round of presidential elections. He spoke about the concept he supports and sought their trust for the country's European future, contrasting it with the opposition's regressive policies, which, according to him, will lead the country into isolation.

He seized the opportunity to remind of the anniversary of the events in the Macedonian Parliament, and the attack seven years ago in which, as he said, we were assaulted by the same people who claim to lead the state...

"In no European parliament in the last three centuries has there been a recorded violent attack aimed at disrupting the peaceful transfer of power to those who have earned the trust of the citizens... That is one of the primary distinctions this coalition makes from them. After losing elections, they resort to organizing perpetrators to physically assault colleagues to prevent them from relinquishing power. This is their characteristic, especially as seven years have passed since that event, and they have shown no willingness to apologize,” Pendarovski noted.

In contrast, as he stated, their presidential candidate now announces amnesty for those individuals, asserting that they were defenders of the Constitution, the state, and the highest state institution, while the rest were labeled as violent attackers.

Pendarovski stated that these individuals from the opposition who are seeking mandates are the same people with the same ideas, intending to govern in the same manner as they did before seven years ago.

"For the first time, there were seven presidential candidates, with only me aiming to secure votes from all ethnic communities. The others sought support exclusively from their own ethnic groups. Those who withdrew collectively received around 330,000 votes... I'm not suggesting they will automatically support me, but I believe a significant number of them are closely aligned and endorse the concept I advocate for,” he said.

He reminded that his concept is for a Macedonia where everyone is equal, without deliberate and artificially created divisions.

“Choosing number 1 is the recipe for the country's success; everything else is a recipe for prolonged agony, for a return to the regime when one person, one family, one party decided the fate of 1.8 million people,” Pendarovski stated.

Earlier, Pendarovski met with citizens in Peshtani, where he also discussed the events of April 27 and the amnesty offered by his opponent for those who stormed the Parliament.

"I understand saying they were wrong, those individuals by name and surname, and suggesting that their punishments are too severe, or in the name of some national reconciliation, forgiving them part of their sentence, letting them go home, whatever. But none of that is happening, only amnesty is being announced. In my opinion, this is a clear indicator that if they come to power they will rule in this manner," Pendarovski said in Peshtani.

Photo: MIA