SDSM’s party leader, Zoran Zaev in an interview given for the Croation National Television (HRT) said that he doesn’t believe it will come to clashes and bloodshed in the country and if it was meant to happen it would have happened earlier.
-The fear exists and we all fear from that thing, but I’m assured it will not come to that. If it had to happen it would have happened earlier. With much patience, dedication and carefulness, through negotiations on the green table we came to this…At the moment, my political opponent, who is supported by the president of the state is alluding to divisions, federalizations, to the destruction of the Unitarian character of the country. If you attack the citizens that constitute more than 20% of Macedonia, they will defend themselves and the divisions will occur. If you join people together, if you are one, then the state will be stronger. Our concept is “One society for all.” No, Macedonia belongs to all citizens that live in Macedonia. That is why our current role is to have patience, cautiousness, and deliberation in everything we do – said Zaev in his interview.
When asked whether he has betrayed the national interests with the acceptance of the requests of the Albanian parties, SDSM’s leader said that for the president of the state it was problematic because it wrote “a debate to be opened about the state symbols, the national emblem, the flag and the hymn” and “the formulation where armies from the past which were killing the civil population can be condemned.”
-They are asking for a debate (the Albanian parties), they weren’t asking for decisions, nor were pointing at how. As participants in our joint society in which we all live, they want to express they own opinions. If we are a democratic country, we shouldn’t be afraid of a debate. There is a formulation where all armies from the past which were killing civilians to be condemned. There is nothing bad in that. Some would allude to Serbian armies, some say those were German, Italian or Bulgarian, during the times of the fascism or the Second Balkan War. But the condemnation of armies that were killings civilians is not something bad.Therefore, the excuse they have that someone has bad intentions towards Macedonia is without any grounds – said Zaev
