Conditions for Holding Macedonia Elections 'Not in Place' - EU, US

United States and European Union envoys to Macedonia have cast doubt on whether an early general election could be held in the country on April 24, 2016, as planned.

In a joint statement to interim Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev, US Ambassador Jess Baily and EU delegation head Ambassador Aivo Orav have said that "the findings of all relevant experts indicate that at this stage the necessary conditions for organizing credible elections on 24 April are currently not in place."

The two have underlined the lack of agreement on media reforms and "initial report of pressure and intimidation of voters," both issues described as "very much regrettable".

They have noted, however, that "some progress have been achieved."

"We understand the party leaders have mentioned June 5 as a possible alternative," they go on, urging leaders to take all needed steps to put their country "back onto the Euro-Atlantic path".

The EU brokered an agreement among the main ruling VMRO-DPMNE party and other political forces that a snap vote should be held in 2016, instead of 2018, following months of a political crisis raging in the country.

Macedonian agency MIA, however, quotes Ambassador Baily as telling journalists on Monday that the final decision is in the hands of the Macedonian Parliament.

Neither of the two major parties in Macedonia - the ruling conservatives and opposition socialists - support the idea.

Opposition leader Zoran Zaev, whose SDSM party had said it would boycott the April 24 vote, insists an election should not be held before September.

Zaev is quoted by daily Utrinski vesnik as arguing it is impossible to clean the voter lists of "dead souls" by June, which is SDSM's prerequisite to taking part in the elections.

For its part, VMRO-DPMNE maintains there is no reason to postpone the vote.

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