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Macedonian Prime Minister Steps Down, but Tensions Over Vote Linger Macedonian Prime Minister Steps Down, but Tensions Over Vote Linger
(about 1 hour later)
SKOPJE, Macedonia — Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of Macedonia submitted his resignation to Parliament on Friday, clearing the way for elections as the country tries to recover from a wiretapping scandal that paralyzed the Balkan nation.SKOPJE, Macedonia — Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of Macedonia submitted his resignation to Parliament on Friday, clearing the way for elections as the country tries to recover from a wiretapping scandal that paralyzed the Balkan nation.
The resignation came after the arrival here in the capital of Johannes Hahn, the European Union commissioner for enlargement negotiations who helped mediate an agreement in July among the country’s four largest parties. That deal called for the prime minister to step down by Friday.The resignation came after the arrival here in the capital of Johannes Hahn, the European Union commissioner for enlargement negotiations who helped mediate an agreement in July among the country’s four largest parties. That deal called for the prime minister to step down by Friday.
Mr. Gruevski’s departure comes with strings attached: It is tied to an agreement on elections, which must take place in the next 100 days, and he could return to power in case of a victory by his party, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party. Mr. Gruevski’s departure comes with strings attached: It is tied to an agreement on elections, which must take place in the next 100 days, and polls suggest that he is well-placed to return to power.
Still, it is at least a temporary end to nearly 10 years of government under Mr. Gruevski, and to the scandal-inspired gridlock that not only stalled legislation in Parliament but also hurt the economy and investments. Some issues are still in dispute despite the accord, most notably the election date of April 24, and Mr. Hahn’s presence is intended to ensure that all sides accept any changes and keep the country on track. Both the opposition and the government have raised the specter of voting fraud; in a country with a population of about two million, there were 1.8 million people on the official list of voters.
Still, the developments on Friday represented at least a temporary end to nearly 10 years of government under Mr. Gruevski and to the scandal-inspired gridlock that not only stalled legislation in Parliament but also hurt the economy and investments.
“We signed an agreement last summer designed to end the political crisis we faced, and this resignation honors that obligation,” Mr. Gruevski said in an announcement late Thursday. “I can’t stress enough how important it is for these problems to be surpassed and the ‘hostage situation’ to finally end.”“We signed an agreement last summer designed to end the political crisis we faced, and this resignation honors that obligation,” Mr. Gruevski said in an announcement late Thursday. “I can’t stress enough how important it is for these problems to be surpassed and the ‘hostage situation’ to finally end.”
Ilija Dimovski, a member of the governing party’s executive committee, said that Emil Dimitriev, the party’s general secretary, would serve as prime minister until elections are held. Ilija Dimovski, a member of the executive committee for the governing Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party, said that Emil Dimitriev, the party’s general secretary, would serve as prime minister until elections are held.
The agreement called for elections to be held on April 24, but that date has not been confirmed and the opposition is hoping to push back voting.The agreement called for elections to be held on April 24, but that date has not been confirmed and the opposition is hoping to push back voting.
“This is not the end of Gruevski,” said Zoran Zaev, leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, the largest opposition party. “This is just the beginning of the end.”“This is not the end of Gruevski,” said Zoran Zaev, leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, the largest opposition party. “This is just the beginning of the end.”
Mr. Zaev and other members of the opposition have said the vote should be delayed because there was not enough time to ensure that elections in late April would be fair and democratic, as outlined in the agreement reached with the governing party.Mr. Zaev and other members of the opposition have said the vote should be delayed because there was not enough time to ensure that elections in late April would be fair and democratic, as outlined in the agreement reached with the governing party.
Mr. Zaev said he expected Mr. Gruevski and several other top officials to face criminal charges in connection with the illegal wiretaps, which secretly recorded senior officials discussing plans to rig elections, control judges, punish opponents, arrange suspicious business deals and cover up killings.Mr. Zaev said he expected Mr. Gruevski and several other top officials to face criminal charges in connection with the illegal wiretaps, which secretly recorded senior officials discussing plans to rig elections, control judges, punish opponents, arrange suspicious business deals and cover up killings.
The July agreement called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the wiretaps, which also recorded conversations from journalists, clerics, activists and foreign diplomats. The July agreement called for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the wiretaps, which also recorded conversations from journalists, clerics, activists and foreign diplomats, and they revealed various forms of fraud in the country’s electoral system.
The agreement sought to end a crisis that began in February, when Mr. Zaev revealed that his party had copies of more than 670,000 secretly recorded conversations involving more than 20,000 phone numbers.The agreement sought to end a crisis that began in February, when Mr. Zaev revealed that his party had copies of more than 670,000 secretly recorded conversations involving more than 20,000 phone numbers.
The opposition said that the recordings had been ordered by senior government officials, and that they had obtained them from unidentified workers at the Interior Ministry who wanted to expose the project.The opposition said that the recordings had been ordered by senior government officials, and that they had obtained them from unidentified workers at the Interior Ministry who wanted to expose the project.