Skopje, 27 December 2023 (MIA) - VMRO-DPMNE says it will not yet reveal its candidates for caretaker Minister of Interior and caretaker Minister of Labor and Social Policy, as well as the additional deputy ministers. At a press briefing on Wednesday, the leader of the party, Hristijan Mickoski, did neither reveal candidates for president, noting that the party will officially announce the name of its candidate at a convention on March 2.

According to him, the caretaker government will be approved, but VMRO-DPMNE will abstain from voting on Talat Xhaferi, incumbent Parliament Speaker, who is proposed by DUI as caretaker Prime Minister. Mickoski said VMRO-DPMNE did not appreciate Speaker Xhaferi's work in Parliament. 

The party has not made a final decision yet on whether it will withdraw its members from the State Election Commission (SEC) if a proposal for a SEC member from the opposition parties of ethnic Albanians is not approved.

Mickoski told reporters that a poll was conducted for the party's needs in November, based on which around 900,000 voters would go to the polls. The current coalition led by VMRO-DPMNE would win 51 to 54 parliamentary seats in the 2024 elections, while SDSM, the current coalition led by SDSM would win between 26 and 29 parliamentary seats. If SDSM is in coalition with DUI, the Alliance for Albanians and DPA they would get 41 to 43 parliamentary seats. Levica would win six, and Maksim Dimitrevski's Znam party would also win six parliamentary seats, while the European Alliance for Change would get 10-11. As regards DUI, he said the party would win just over ten parliamentary seats and it will be very unpleasantly surprised.

According to Mickoski, how the parliamentary elections will take place depends a lot on the elections on April 24, i.e. which presidential candidate will win. But it is also very important what happens in the months leading up to the election. He said he expects a dirty campaign.