Page 12 - bne IntelliNews weekly newspaper – Russians lose showdown at EBRD AM

Southeast Europe
May 12, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 12
Signs of a breakthrough in Macedonia as SDSM offers guarantees to Ivanov
bne IntelliNews
The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) said on May 11 it is ready to submit guar- antees to President Gjorge Ivanov it will preserve the unitary character of the country, in a sign that a possibly violent crisis in the Southeast European country can be avoided.
The SDSM’s offer addresses the obstacle raised by Ivanov, who has so far avoided giving a mandate to SDSM leader Zoran Zaev to form a government, even though he has a majority in the parliament.
It is still possible that Ivanov, who is close to the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, will not be satisfied with the guarantees, but both the president and VMRO-DPMNE are under heavy pressure from the international community to agree to a handover of power to the SDSM.
Ivanov reiterated on May 10 that Zaev should provide guarantees that he would preserve the unitary character of Macedonia if he wants to be given a mandate to form a government. Ivanov made the statement after he received a second letter from Macedonia’s newly elected parliamen- tary speaker, Talat Xhaferi, informing him about the new majority in the parliament.
“Citizens and the international community are openly acquainted with the programme of the new reform government that will guarantee the unity of Macedonia, and will work according to the con- stitution and towards Euro-Atlantic integration,” the SDSM said in a statement on May 11.
The party did not give details on what kind of guarantees will be provided.
The guarantees will be prepared together with two of the three ethnic Albanian parties that are sup- porting the SDSM – the Democratic Union for Inte- gration (DUI) and Besa. The Alliance for Albanians, which is also part of the new majority in the parlia- ment, will not participate in providing guarantees, Radio Slobodna Evropa reported on May 11.
“The SDSM leader should provide guarantees be- cause he will be given a mandate – we have noth- ing to do with it,” an official from the Alliance for Albanians was quoted as saying.
Ivanov’s refusal to give a mandate to Zaev has plunged the country, which has been without a government since the December 11 snap election, into a deeper crisis that threatens the stability of this ethnically volatile nation.
Ivanov claims that Zaev’s support for the platform drawn up by the Albanian parties – the so-called “Tirana platform” that seeks greater rights for ethnic Albanians – is dangerous for Macedonia and could lead to the federalisation of the former Yugoslav state.
The news that Zaev was planning to make con- cessions to the ethnic Albanian parties sparked mass protests in Macedonia. On the evening that Xhaferi was elected, angry demonstrators forced their way into the parliament and attacked several opposition MPs.
As signs emerge that Ivanov could be wavering, Zaev has commented on some of his plans should he become prime minister.