Macedonia PM Leaves Opposition Charges Hanging

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski declined on Monday to comment directly on the latest press conference of the opposition Social Democrats SDSM on Sunday, where five recordings were presented involving discussions between state officials, judges and a pro-government news editor on appointments of judges as well as court cases and prosecutors' work.

"I already had a press conference and predicted that in the period that follows there would be these kinds of materials," Gruevski said.

"I had four meetings with [Social Democrat leader] Zoran Zaev when he informed me that he had taped materials from foreign services that he would publish if I didn't agree to form a technical government [including the Social Democrats]," Gruevski added, noting that he had "nothing more to add right now, but would have concrete comments in the near future".

Last week, the opposition accused Prime Minister Gruevski and the secret police chief, Saso Mijalkov, of eavesdropping on more than 20,000 people, and released what it said was the first batch of recordings in support of its allegations.

The opposition said it would continue publishing more recordings that would unmask the real nature of Gruevski's regime.

The first of the five audio recordings published on Sunday contained a conversation between what is alleged to be Police Minister Gordana Jankuloska and the former Justice Minister, Mihajlo Manevski.

In the conversation, Jankuloska urges Manevski to resolve a request by Lina Petrovska, a member of the Judicial Council, the body that appoints judges, by influencing a Supreme Court verdict involving her brother.

Like Gruevski, Manevski has since declined to comment or respond to the materials published by the SDSM.  "I have no...