Forty-nine representatives of the European People’s Party (EPP) signed a declaration condemning the attempt for undemocratic takeover in Macedonia.
“We express our concern about the latest developments on the political situation in Macedonia, especially for the irresponsible behavior of the opposition,” reads the declaration, whose author is EPP President in the Council of Europe, Spaniard Pedro Agramunt.
EPP representatives emphasize that they support Macedonia’s integration into the European Union and NATO, but added that the Euro-Atlantic integration of the country are the joint responsibility of both the Government and the opposition.
“We emphasize that the Macedonian parliamentary elections were free and fair, as stated in the reports of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,” reads the declaration.
The signatories of the declaration condemn threats of SDSM leader Zoran Zaev towards Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, as well as the involvement of foreign secret services in the illegal tapping of telephone conversations of the highest political representatives of Macedonia.
“Only political arguments and programs based on the votes of citizens are a democratic way to win the elections. We demand renewal of political dialogue and responsible behavior of the opposition; return of opposition MPs in the Assembly, to fully exploit their parliamentary mandates; free and independent trials conducted in accordance with the highest standards, as well as transparent process,” reads the declaration, calling the opposition to respect the democratic rules of the political system.
