VMRO-DPMNE to collect 150,000 signatures for referendum on canceling agreement with Bulgaria
Skopje, 5 September 2022 (MIA) – VMRO-DPMNE is to start a procedure for a citizens' initiative to collect signatures for a mandatory referendum. The referendum question, according to the party leader Hristijan Mickoski, will refer to the Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria that Zaev concluded with Borissov, as "the source and beginning of all problems for Macedonia and the basis on which Bulgaria then based its maximalist demands and positions”.
“That is why we propose that the referendum question should read, and as such it was adopted and confirmed today by the party’s Executive Committee: Are you in favor of abandoning the validity of the Law on Ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria published in the Official Gazette No: 12 /2018 on January 18, 2018?,” Mickoski said after the party’s Executive Committee session, which has adopted the referendum question.
Next week, he stressed, we will collect at least 100 qualified signatures, after which such an initiative will be submitted to the Parliament.
“I’ll be the first signatory to this initiative, the party’s Executive Committee, the MPs, after which I expect the Parliament to legitimize and approve the initiative in a short period of time, so that deadlines for collecting 150,000 signatures for a mandatory referendum will begin, I repeat a mandatory referendum,” said the VMRO-DPMNE leader, adding that the party will call for a vote to end the validity of the “harmful contract”.
According to him, the termination of the agreement will mean termination of demands to change textbooks, dispute language, history, culture, etc.
Mickoski stressed that VMRO-DPMNE supports the country’s integration in the European Union without any doubts, but doesn’t support assimilation, change of historical facts, giving up on the distinctiveness of the language and identity.
The opposition leader noted that the Executive Board’s session follows wide consultations over the past month. He had consulted experts and professors of constitutional law, coalition partners, MPs, and jointly reached a solution that has been unanimously approved by the Executive Committee.
Mickoski expects the ruling party to allow the people to state their opinion and put an end to Bulgaria’s blackmailing and pressure.
He said that if Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi deems the initiative as disorderly, the party will take other steps. However, Mickoski pointed out, he expects seriousness and responsibility from the ruling party. He stressed that a referendum question has been formulated that meets and fulfills all the criteria.
As regards why the question-phrasing is complex instead of simply reading - Are you in favor of canceling the Friendship Treaty with Bulgaria, the VMRO-DPMNE leader said care was taken over who holds what powers and the question not to be an excuse for Talat Xhaferi that it is not within the competence of the Parliament.
Asked what will happen if the referendum fails and whether VMRO-DPMNE will change its mind about the constitutional amendments, Mickoski said he was certain that there are pro-European politicians in the Government who will call on the people to go to the referendum so that "we will all go together and vote for a real European Macedonia and Macedonia in the EU, not for Macedonia under blackmail and blockades."
