Macedonia's Ruling Party Tries to Foil Rival Coalition

Macedonia's ruling party is attempting to prevent the formation of a third political bloc that aspires to the same kind of voters by tempting its members with coalition offers.

VMRO DPMNE has sent generous coalition offers to at least two small rightwing parties, the VMRO - People's Party and MORO - Workers Party, BIRN has found out from informed sources.

"These offers were truly generous and included ministerial and other leading directorial posts for our party members," a source close to the leadership of VMRO - People's Party told BIRN on Wednesday.

After a period of silence, VMRO - People's Party on Wednesday denied receiving an offer from the ruling party, however, and insisted it was one step away from officially joining the "Coalition for Change and Justice", which currently comprises four smaller centre-right parties.

"We agreed to continue talks [with the Coalition for Change and Justice] on Thursday and have scheduled a joint meeting ... All other information that was published about offers from VMRO DPMNE is speculation," Slobodan Bliznakovski, of the party's executive council, said.

The opposition centre-right alliance currently unites FRODEM, the party of VMRO DPMNE dissident Jove Kekenovski, United for Macedonia, OM, led by former VMRO DPMNE official and ex-police minister Ljube Boskoski, MORO - Worker's Party, and the Democratic Alliance, DS, which is led by a former VMRO DPMNE coalition partner Pavle Trajanov.

Trajanov on Wednesday told Telma TV that the ruling party was indeed attempting to break up their alliance and that MORO - Workers Party had also received an offer to change sides.

"The head of MORO - Workers Party said ... that he was summoned by [VMRO DPMNE Prime Minister] Emil...