Mickoski accuses SDSM and Levica of blocking the diaspora’s electronic vote: Our goal is for them to return to the homeland one day

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that SDSM, together with the Levica party, had submitted 13,000 amendments with the aim of preventing compatriots in the diaspora from voting because, according to him, they fear they do not enjoy the support of our diaspora, TV21 reports.

Speaking about clashes with the opposition over amendments to the Electoral Code, Mickoski stressed that this sends a strong message to our citizens living abroad.

He also underlined that electronic voting would also reduce the costs of organizing diaspora voting in elections.

“Nevertheless, our red line is the diaspora vote, because the diaspora should feel connected to its homeland. Our goal as a government is to bring that diaspora back home one day. That means, if you cut off this channel as well and they do not feel that they belong to their homeland, what incentive will they have to return home when they are rejected by the very community that is their natural environment? That is our goal. And in the end, we come to the economic incentives and motives. We are now spending millions of euros to send people from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions as observers and to manage the diaspora voting process, which is not successful,” said Mickoski.