The parties participating in the negotiations over the media, today have no idea what the future holds after last nights failed last attempt to reform the media.
Only information from “Netpress” reported that negotiations will continue again today, implicating that the process over the media may not be dead in the water just yet.
Meanwhile SDSM, say that this information is pure speculation and they have no knowledge of what today may bring.
VMRO-DPMNE are adamant that the law proposed by the Belgian facilitator Peter Vanhoutte is not adaptable in Macedonian terms, while SDSM does not want to give in without reforms in the Media Agency.
The ruling party said that this will not affect the scheduled date for elections.
“In the law, it states that elections will be held on April 24. I do not know what can change in a few days, especially when the law takes effect”, Ivo Kotevski Director of Communications of VMRO-DPMNE told “Meta”.
Belgian mediator Peter Vanhoutte yesterday confirmed that the parties signatory to the Przhino Agreement could not reach an agreement on the matter of media regulation.
We’ve had intensive negotiations for two days and all I can confirm now is that a deal has not been reached”, said Mr Vanhouttte
When asked who is to blame for the breakdown of the talks over the media, Vanhoutte said that all four parties attended the negotiations, therefore they should all share the responsibility for the failure to come to an agreement.
The Belgian facilitator added that the failure of the parties to reach agreement on the media will affect the assessment from the ambassadors of the European Union and the United States, which shall be announced tomorrow on whether there are conditions for holding early parliamentary elections on April 24.
On his Twitter account, Vanhoutte wrote: “No agreement on the media reached. No further negotiations are scheduled, unless parties request it. We remain available for further discussion.”
No #agreement on media reached. No further negotiations scheduled, unless parties request it. We remain available for further discussion.
— Peter Vanhoutte (@peter_vanhoutte) February 18, 2016
This morning Vanhoutte tweeted again, saying: “Democracy requires compromise, requires reasonable people , requires common sense, requires competent politicians, requires serving the people!”
Remember #Democracy pic.twitter.com/O8mNGtu6Sr
— Peter Vanhoutte (@peter_vanhoutte) February 19, 2016
