Counter-spin: VMRO-DPMNE Cannot Win Two-Thirds of MPs

By Тео Блажевски On Dec 26, 2019 0

Х. Мицкоски. Фото принтскрин

Any mention of or reference to two-thirds of the MPs for VMRO-DPMNE and then for them to take a “step backwards in relation to the Prespa Agreement”, which, of course, does not mean “returning the previous name of our country”, is pure spin. The spin is aimed only at mobilizing the uninformed voters blindly believing in the unenforceable mantras by the opposition political elite

Author: Teofil Blaževski

In an interview for the “Sloboden Pečat”/“Slobodna TV” web TV show, VMRO-DPMNE’s President Hristjan Mickoski uttered the following spin:

Spin: What we have said many times in the past, including myself – if we have two-thirds of the number of MPs in the Macedonian Parliament, it is the only way to take a step backwards regarding the Prespa Agreement. YES, if that is your question, yes, I confirm it…

(the journalist’s question was whether the country would be in a situation to change the Prespa Agreement if VMRO-DPMNE won 2/3 of the MPs)

[Source: СлободнаТВ/СП/Youtube – Мицкоски – date: 23 December 2019]

Counter-spin: What the leader of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE said – that they would take action to change the Prespa Agreement, not to annul it, as it was incorrectly reported by most media in the country – is undoubtedly a pure spin, i.e. distortion of the truth.

The essence of this spin is not that they really think this and wish for it, but that it is simply impossible. Not because of the complexity of procedures in the country and abroad, not because of the practice showing that once-changed realities hardly, or almost never return to their previous state so quickly. The inability of VMRO-DPMNE to do so stems from the simple fact that it is impossible to win two-thirds of the MPs, (and if we are allowed to exaggerate) even if SDSM decides to boycott the elections!

This is shown by the mood of the electorate in all the regular and early parliamentary elections in the country from 1991 to the last ones, in 2016, but also in the presidential elections.

The most radical situation this country had on parliamentary elections was when Ljubco Georgievski’s VMRO-DPMNE, together with Petar Gošev’s Democratic Party, decided to boycott the second round of the 1994 parliamentary elections and did not enter the Parliament at all. SDSM and their coalition partners united in the Alliance for Macedonia won 87 seats in the Parliament with a total of 329,000 votes, but with a majority voting system and a turnout of 57.7%.

In 2014, when Nikola Gruevski, the former prime minister and his autocratic regime were the strongest, with 66.8% turnout and with the help of voters with illegally obtained IDs, with counters still counting votes even after the black plastic bags containing the paper ballots were sealed, mass misuse of the media for political purposes, etc., VMRO-DPMNE won 61 MPs, with over 481,000 votes, about two hundred thousand more than SDSM!

The 2016 elections show that VMRO-DPMNE, although a winning party that could not form a government then, won 51 seats with 454,000 votes!

These numbers show that, at the same turnout as in 2016, VMRO-DPMNE needs to win about 730,000 votes to get 80 seats in the Parliament.

The biggest score achieved by the parties in RN Macedonia in various historical periods, when far more people lived in this country than today, is just over 500,000 votes in a first-past-the post electoral system when electing the president. Therefore, the possibility of one party or coalition winning 81 seats (although theoretically possible) in reality it is currently impossible.

Hence, any mention of or reference to VMRO-DPMNE winning two-thirds of the MPs and then for them to take a “step backwards in relation to the Prespa Agreement”, which, of course, does not mean “returning the previous name of our country”, is pure spin. The spin is aimed only at mobilizing the uninformed voters blindly believing in the unenforceable mantras by the opposition political elite.

All comments and remarks regarding this and other Vistinomer articles, correction and clarification requests as well as suggestions for fact-checking politicians’ statements and political parties’ promises can be submitted by using this form

This article was created within the framework of the Project to increase the accountability of the politicians and political parties Truthmeter implemented by Metamorphosis. The article is made possible by the generous support of the US non-profit foundation National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The content is the responsibility of its author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Metamorphosis, the National Endowment for Democracy or their partners.