September 1 (SeeNews) - Macedonia's main party leaders agreed late on Wednesday to hold early elections on December 11 in yet another attempt to resolve a 19-month political crisis that has been burdening the economy.
A new caretaker government will be created on September 2 to organise the elections, Zoran Zaev, the leader of the main opposition party, SDSM, said in a statement.
The European Commission welcomed the decision.
"We call on all political parties to strictly observe a credible electoral process, to allow all citizens a free choice and, after the elections, to build a government that tackles crucial reforms and works for the interests of all citizens," High Representative Federica Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn said in a joint statement. "In the same vein, all political forces must urgently reenergize their efforts to implement the rest of the political agreement, including the Urgent Reform Priorities."
Macedonia missed two scheduled election dates earlier this year - in April and in June - as its political leaders failed to agree on key issues that should guarantee free and fair polls to end the stalemate.
In July, Macedonia's four main parties - ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE, SDSM, and ethnic-Albanian DUI and DPA - reached a crucial consent on key issues, like the cleaning of the voters list and improving media freedom. The agreement, which included also a reaffirmed support to the special prosecutor and a strengthened focus on the inclusiveness of the process on reforms and their implementation, came one year after the first EU/U.S.-brokered Przino deal, which later stalled, deepening Macedonia’s political stalemate.
The political crisis in Macedonia started in January 2015, when Zaev accused the coalition government of VMRO-DPMNE and DUI of corruption, wiretapping illegally more than 20,000 people and covering-up a murder. It deepened in April 2016, when president Gjorge Ivanov surprisingly halted investigations against 56 officials suspected of being involved in the wire-tapping scandal, triggering continuing mass street protests. In June, Ivanov revoked all controversial pardons after strong pressure from the country's western partners.