Macedonia's ruling party has offered a parliamentary inquiry into the wiretapping scandal, another concession that Reuters reports is aimed at saving Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski from growing public anger.
The move followed the resignation of the interior minister and intelligence chief and mounting diplomatic pressure from the West to end the crisis, which has already sparked clashes between police and protesters.
Gruevski's government is helpless due to the opposition's accusations that it carried out mass wiretapping of citizens, politicians and institutions, as SDSM leader Zoran Zaev pointed out to the media.
Earlier today, Zaev assessed that the resignations of the ministers were just a step towards the end of the reign of Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
"Everything we said has been confirmed. This is proof of the wiretapping, and proof of the authenticity of the conversation. This is proof of the content of the conversation, which confirms all the illegalities and criminality of Gruevski and the top government," said Zaev, Deutsche Welle radio reports.
However, the SDSM leader indicated that now is not the time for triumphalism.
"The resignations of Gordana Jankuloska, Mileto Janakijeski and Saša Mijalkov are not our ultimate goal. This is just a step towards the end of Nikola Gruevski," he said.
EP: Gruevski to resign
The Vice-President of the European Parliament, Count Aleksandar Lamsdorf, called on the Prime Minister of Macedonia, Nikola Gruevski, to resign and thereby contribute to solving the crisis.
Earlier, the Macedonian Minister of Interior Gordana Jankulovska, Minister of Transport and Communications Mile Janakijeski and the head of the intelligence service Sašo Mijalkov submitted their resignations, which they informed Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski about in writing.
The spokesman of the Macedonian government told the AFP agency that Gruevski accepted their resignations.
At the same time, the ambassadors of Italy, France, Germany, the USA, Britain and the EU in Macedonia spoke with the leader of the opposition SDSM, Zoran Zaev, and invited the opposition to return to the parliament, stating that it is the main institution for solving the political crisis in the country.
In an official statement, as reported by the Macedonian media, Count Lamsdorf stated that the outbreak of violence in Macedonia sends very disturbing images.
"Gruevski must step down as an obstacle on the way to the reduction of inter-ethnic tensions that have flared up again, as well as to new elections that will be held in proper democratic conditions," he said, adding that the region "is once again on the brink of civil war." .
This, he pointed out, is a situation that, according to the Ohrid Agreement, should never have happened.
"The Federal Government of the Federal Republic of Germany must finally take a clear stance in support of a sustainable solution in Macedonia. Foreign Minister Steinmeier has had a different approach to the Balkans for too long," said Count Lamsdorf.
If Germany and Europe keep their heads in the sand for too long, the waves of refugees from the Balkans in EU cities will only increase, he emphasized.
Jankulovska: Time to retire
In her resignation submitted to the Prime Minister, Jankulovska wrote that she believes that in these difficult days for Macedonia, for the sake of unblocking the political crisis, it is time to step down from the position of Minister of Internal Affairs, convinced that this will contribute to overcoming the current situation in the country.
In his irrevocable resignation, Janakijeski told the Prime Minister that he believes that his resignation will contribute to the political stabilization of Macedonia on its way to the EU and NATO.
The Macedonian agency MIA previously reported that Gruevski submitted a proposal to the Assembly for the election of two new members of the government - instead of Jankulovska, he proposed Mitko Čvakov for the new Minister of Internal Affairs, and instead of Janasijevski, Vlad Misajlovski.
Čakov is the current director of the Public Safety Bureau, and Misajlovski is the director of the Public Enterprise for State Roads.
The President of the Assembly, Janko Veljanovski, scheduled the new session of the Assembly for 13.00:XNUMX p.m.
Mijalkov: I will always be there for Macedonia
By the way, in his written resignation, the head of the secret service and a close associate of Gruevski, Saša Mijalkov emphasized that he will continue to work in accordance with his principles and convictions.
"I will always be there for Macedonia and our people," Mijalkov said.
In Mijalkov's resignation, which the MIA agency publishes in its entirety, it is stated that he carried out the function entrusted to him patriotically and responsibly, above all in the interest of the country and citizens and always boldly and decisively approaching every task.
Expressing his full support for the current Prime Minister Gruevski, to whom he has resigned, Mijalkov said that he believes that this move of his will help overcome the political crisis imposed by the opposition with its non-statistical attitude.
He is aware, he says, that the truth and the argument, as he said, are on our side and that all this will become even clearer over time.
At the same time, anti-government protests continued in Skopje, in which citizens demand responsibility for covering up the murder of the young man Martin Neškoski at the celebratory VMRO-DPMNE rally two years ago in Skopje.
EU and US ambassadors with Zaev
The ambassadors of Italy, France, Germany, the USA, Britain and the EU in Macedonia spoke with Zoran Zaev and invited the opposition to return to the parliament, stating that it is the main institution for solving the political crisis in the country.
"We have made it clear that we expect responsible actions from the opposition as well. We call on the opposition to help solve the political impasse. We support the right to peaceful public protests," German Ambassador Kristina Althojzer said after the meeting on behalf of all colleagues, MIA reported.
Since mid-February, the opposition SDSM of Zorana Zaev has been disclosing "media bombs", illegally recorded conversations, mostly between Jankuloska and Mijalkov, in connection with many disputed cases.
The Macedonian public was most shaken by the truth about Neškoski's murder, which the police tried to cover up with the story that the policeman who beat the young man was at a meeting of the ruling party in private.
The shifts and resignations followed three days after the police action in Kumanovo in which 22 people died - 14 terrorists and eight policemen.
As Macedonian officials announced, most terrorists came to Macedonia from Kosovo, and among them there are a number of those who have long been known to the police, and some for whom international warrants have been issued.
The detained terrorists, 37 of them, were ordered to be detained for up to 30 days.
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