Macedonia MPs to Call for 'Name' Referendum

A formal call for a referendum in Macedonia, backed by the MPs from the ruling majority, but also possibly by some opposition MPs, is to be formally handed on Monday to the speaker of parliament, Talat Xhaferi, who is expected to put it to vote at a plenary session.

A senior government official told BIRN on Sunday that the majority will leave room for a possible last-minute agreement with the main opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE party, so that they can jointly call on the voters to join in the referendum, thereby boosting its chances of success.

"However, that opportunity will most probably expire tomorrow [Tuesday] as we have no intention of postponing it [the referendum] even further," the official said, on condition of anonymity.

During the last two weeks, the government of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the main opposition party, led by Hristijan Mickovski, ironed out some of their key differences regarding the plebiscite, whose success is key for Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic path.

As a result, parliament last week, after several weeks of an opposition blockade, finally appointed the members of the electoral commission that will be tasked with carrying out the referendum.

But the opposition still disputes the announced referendum question, which will most likely be: "Do you support EU and NATO membership by accepting the deal with Greece?"

The opposition insists that the question should be simpler and that the the "name" agreement with Greece should not be linked with the country's EU and NATO membership bids.

"The question must be understandable, simple… it should state, 'Do you support or oppose the agreement with Greece which envisages a name change,'" VMRO DPMNE vice-president Aleksandar...