SDSM accuses the authorities of failing to publish any document, report or analysis concerning the water in Gostivar, even after six weeks. According to the party, the statements made so far are nothing more than lies and propaganda.

“Who is causing panic? Mickoski and Klekovski are the ones spreading panic, because they have not published the document for six weeks and have issued contradictory statements. At first, they spoke of bans; then they said the water could be used as technical water; afterward, they claimed it contained new bacteria and viruses, only to later assure the public that the water was safe to drink. Finally, they announced that the report would be published on August 20, but the full document was never published,” SDSM said.

The party says that this approach by Mickoski and Klekovski is fueling uncertainty and undermining citizens’ trust. SDSM is asking what is being concealed from residents, stressing that 22 days have passed with contaminated water and that around 5,000 people have fallen ill. “Why do citizens still not have access to a complete document? Why has the full report not been published? Data on the safety of the water must be made public through a complete report containing all the results and the signatures of the officials responsible,” SDSM said.

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One month after an epidemic was declared in Gostivar, attributed to contamination of the drinking water, the Public Health Institute (PHI) forwarded a package of measures to the public utility company “Komunalec” to improve safety in the water supply system.

Among the institute’s demands is verification of the professional qualifications of personnel working at critical points in the supply and distribution system, as well as their basic knowledge of water safety.

According to the recommendations, employees who manage water supply facilities and maintain the water distribution network must receive appropriate training on an ongoing basis. Meanwhile, staff working in the first protection zone must undergo regular health and hygiene checks.

PHI is calling on “Komunalec” to continuously monitor chlorine levels from the source to the final consumer. The institute also suggests installing an automated system for the continuous measurement, monitoring and recording of indicators related to disinfection.

According to PHI, residual free chlorine measurements should be carried out systematically at multiple points across the network, at different times and during varying levels of consumption. Where technical conditions allow, the installation of an alarm to signal deviations from the specified parameters is also recommended.

After the state of crisis in the territory of Gostivar Municipality ends, the residual free chlorine level in the distribution network should be maintained within the range of 0.2–0.5 mg/L, in accordance with the system’s characteristics and the regulations in force.

The company must also determine the causes of fluctuations in chlorine levels. This process should take into account the time water remains in the network, branches with no circulation, areas with low consumption, changes in flow and the possibility of water mixing from different parts of the system.

Another demand from PHI is that the chlorination station, as well as the conditions for the storage and use of gaseous chlorine, be brought fully into line with legal and safety standards. This includes ventilation, equipment to prevent the spread of gas in the event of an accident, protective equipment, and systems for detecting and dealing with leaks.

The recommendations call for increased field inspections by municipal inspectors, particularly during periods when water consumption is high. Illegal connections, leaks and other factors that could undermine the stability of the water supply should also be a focus.

PHI is calling on the competent authorities to regularly oversee the entire supply line, from the source to consumers, with particular attention to protected areas.

The institute also recommends a technical assessment of the condition, operation and capacity of the filtration station. If the station meets the technical and sanitary requirements, it should be returned to service in accordance with the planned technology, accompanied by an appropriate operational and monitoring plan.

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Macedonia’s opposition SDSM has accused Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and his party, VMRO-DPMNE, of holding a celebration a day earlier in Gostivar, where more than 5,000 residents were poisoned.

“What were they celebrating? The poisoning? The fact that water contaminated with feces was used for 22 days? Or the five weeks without the water quality analysis report? Mickoski has neither morals nor shame. He said Gostivar would not be forgotten, while everyone went on vacation at the height of the poisoning and the epidemic. Nevertheless, the ‘scientific and educational’ excursion could not be postponed. That is this government’s attitude toward its citizens,” SDSM said.

According to the opposition party, they celebrated in the place where people ended up hospitalized and posed for photographs where, it claims, the test results are being kept hidden.

“They promised they would not forget it, but they forgot as soon as travel packages became available. Gostivar will not be forgotten before the elections—that is what Mickoski is saying. But Gostivar does not forget, and neither do its citizens,” SDSM emphasized.

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LSDM says it has repeatedly warned for days about water contamination in various parts of Macedonia, accusing Mickoski’s government and his organized criminal group of concealing the data.

According to the party, Mickoski has approved Gostivar’s drinking water for use again, while no documentary evidence regarding its quality has yet been made public.

LSDM’s response states that Klekovski, who “was also away on an excursion,” has still not issued an announcement, although he had previously said that the initial results would be ready around August 20. The party asks why, instead of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health, a police officer is raising a toast and talking about the water’s “taste.”

LSDM claims that the institutions in Gostivar have shown complete negligence. According to the party, tests had detected fecal contamination in the water, but residents had not been warned and had consumed poisoned water for days. The statement also says that the hospital itself had been poisoned.

“First, one ‘police officer,’ Minister Toshkovski, hyperchlorinated the water, and then another, Angelov, approved it for use again with a toast,” LSDM said. The party added that since the crisis began, no expert has come forward, no document containing test results has been published, and no institution or responsible person has guaranteed the accuracy of the data.

LSDM also accuses the Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Savevski, of being “completely away on an excursion,” without giving any sign or response. According to the party, five weeks have passed and there is still no one being held responsible for the situation in Gostivar.

“After citizens have spent many years becoming familiar with fake news and fabricated scandals, they are now facing a new form of campaigning: open mockery,” LSDM said. The party stated that water test results have not been published in more than 50 locations across Macedonia, while two more cases involving toxic substances in water have been recorded in the past three days alone—in Demir Kapija and in mineral water in Krivogashtani.

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SDSM says that five weeks have passed since the citizens of Gostivar had clean water for consumption.

According to the party, the situation remains unresolved, and no one has yet been held responsible for the health crisis, as a result of which around 5,000 citizens were poisoned.

SDSM also claims that the distribution of bottled water is not functioning properly, as it is not being provided to residents of rural areas located far from the distribution points. The party accuses Mickoski’s government of hiding during the first days of the crisis, delaying its response and then attempting to downplay the scale of the problem.

“The pattern is always the same: first the situation is concealed, then it becomes public, and in the end citizens are left without safe water,” SDSM said. According to the party, when a government repeatedly provides false information on fundamental issues such as water, air and health, its statements no longer enjoy anyone’s trust. “The word of Mickoski and OBRM-PDUKM no longer has any meaning,” the reaction said.

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SDSM has issued a statement responding to various remarks by government officials regarding water quality in Gostivar. According to the party, Klekovski said the water is expected to be safe to drink by the end of the week, while Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski stated that “new bacteria” had been detected in the water.

“Everyone is presenting their own version of events, while citizens have been left confused and do not know what to do. More than 4,000 people have been poisoned in Gostivar, yet Mickoski’s government has still not published a single document concerning the water. Why has no document been published? There are no documents, analyses, signatures or approvals,” SDSM said in its response.

The opposition party asked how citizens could be expected to have confidence when there is no official report, no name of the person who signed it and no indication of the authority that approved the water for technical use. According to SDSM, statements by Mickoski and Klekovski are not credible because they “lie a lot.”

SDSM also claims that the results were concealed, leading to more than 4,000 infections and an outbreak of a jaundice epidemic in Gostivar. The statement also criticizes the police minister’s involvement in the water supply and hyperchlorination issue, arguing that he lacks the necessary knowledge or expertise in this field.

“Which institution guarantees that citizens have clean water for technical use? On behalf of the citizens of Macedonia and Gostivar, we demand that the reports on Gostivar’s water be published today. Citizens are asking for only one simple thing: clean water and the name of the person who guarantees that it is clean,” SDSM stated./Telegrafi/

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North Macedonia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that early this morning, July 30, 2025, between 02:00 and 04:00, officers from the Tetovo Sector for Internal Affairs – Gostivar Police Department carried out an inspection operation at two venues within the jurisdiction of the Gostivar Police Department.

At around 02:00, in the village of Chegrane, M.H., 50, from the village of Forino in the Municipality of Gostivar, was arrested. According to reports, upon seeing law enforcement officers outside the venue, he locked the main door and warned those inside to flee. However, thanks to the police’s swift intervention, an attempt by several foreign nationals to escape through the rear exit was thwarted. At the same time, at another venue within the Gallate Police Unit’s jurisdiction, A.A., 53, from Gostivar, was arrested after a quantity of marijuana was found on him during the inspection.

During inspections at the two locations, it was established that 15 foreign women aged between 19 and 40, from Serbia, Albania and Colombia, were unlawfully using their tourist stay for purposes contrary to those permitted. Of these, 11 were found at the venue in the village of Chegrane, while the other four were found at the venue within the Gallate Police Unit’s jurisdiction.

All the foreign nationals were taken to the police station and, once the case has been fully clarified, they will be processed in accordance with the applicable legal provisions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

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Ardijan Pinjolli, a 38-year-old from Kërçova and a former police officer, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment by the Basic Court of Gostivar in connection with the sensational theft committed at a jewelry shop in the city in October of last year.

According to the indictment, Pinjolli had turned his official vehicle, a “Chevrolet Spark,” into a logistical vehicle for the robbers’ group. He is suspected of turning off the police radio communication device and clearing the way for two other cars, a “BMW X5” and a “Sharan,” with masked individuals inside.

The event shocked the public in October last year. Late in the evening, several armed and masked individuals blocked the road in front of the gold sales point, making off with 18 kilograms of precious metal. The loot’s value is estimated at around 1.8 million euros.

Just two weeks after this serious robbery, Pinjolli and a group of his colleagues from the Kërçova police station were arrested. Earlier, the court had found another police officer from the same city guilty, who had admitted the crime and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Pinjolli’s defense insists that evidence proving his innocence was not taken into consideration during the judicial process. Along the same lines, the Ombudsman Institution has also expressed reservations, stressing that it has found a series of elements that cast doubt on the respect of the right to a fair and orderly trial.

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Interior Minister Pançe Toshkovski said today that, in peacetime, water supply systems should not be guarded by either the Army or the Police. According to him, the municipal institutions responsible for these systems must exercise the duties and powers assigned to them by law.

During a press conference at the Crisis Management Center in Skopje, Toshkovski provided the latest information on the water situation in Gostivar’s water supply system. He emphasized that the water may be used only for technical purposes and not for consumption or food preparation.

Asked by journalists whether security at the water supply system should be strengthened through more frequent police patrols or the deployment of the Army, as proposed by the opposition, the minister opposed involving the armed forces, particularly during peacetime.

“Do I personally think the Army should secure water supply systems? No, I do not. That is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Defense or the Army, at least not in peacetime. Every institution responsible for maintaining water supply systems must exercise all the legal powers set out in the regulations,” Toshkovski said.

The minister also called on the opposition not to “inflame the atmosphere” among citizens, but to focus its actions on issues that serve their interests.

“I would recommend that the opposition, instead of creating hysteria and trying to undermine everything that is evident to citizens, focus on the well-being of citizens,” he said.

Speaking about the Police’s involvement, Toshkovski confirmed that officers are on the ground, but clarified that guarding water supply networks is not among their responsibilities.

“Should the Police be on the ground? Yes, and they are. But should the Police secure water supply networks throughout the country? No. That is the responsibility of other institutions,” the minister emphasized.

According to Toshkovski, the current situation is also the result of a long period of underinvestment, as well as the failure of those who have led the institutions to resolve citizens’ problems.

“That is a fact. This is why we are in the situation we are in today. But there will always be challenges, and we must find the most appropriate way to respond at the highest professional level,” he said.

Regarding the investigation into the Gostivar water case and the possibility that it could be expanded to include other suspects, Toshkovski said that work is continuing in accordance with the Prosecutor’s Office’s instructions.

“When there are new developments that we can make public, we will inform the citizens,” Toshkovski said.

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The situation in Gostivar is gradually returning to normal, while water from the public supply network may be used for technical purposes, the Municipality of Gostivar announced.

The Municipality expressed gratitude to local and central institutions, organizations, friends and all parties involved, praising their readiness and strong commitment.

According to the announcement, crisis management teams at the local and central levels are operating efficiently and in accordance with the plan to address the situation. The responsible authorities are implementing all necessary measures with the aim of fully normalizing the situation and creating safe conditions for residents.

As announced today, tap water in Gostivar is suitable for technical use. At the same time, experts and the relevant teams are working intensively to ensure the supply of drinking water as soon as possible.

The Municipality of Gostivar said it would keep residents regularly and transparently informed of any new developments, as well as recommendations from the relevant institutions.

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