Macedonia President Spurns TV Debate With Rivals

President Ivanov, who is seeking another five-year term, is the only one of the four presidential hopefuls who has not yet replied to a call to take part in a debate organized by the US-backed National Democratic Institute, NDI.

“Three candidates have said 'Yes' and we are still waiting for President’s Ivanov’s office to come back to us,” NDI's senior director in Macedonia, Chris Henshaw, told Balkan Insight.

The NDI is fighting an uphill battle in Macedonia, trying to change the practice whereby candidates rarely take part in televised debates ahead of the polls.

The President's office on Monday did not respond to Balkan Insight’s request for a comment on the issue. But Henshaw says that even without Ivanov, they will try to get the debate going.

“If three [candidates] are willing to do it, and we certainly hope all four will do it, there is still a discussion to be had. We are determined to try and find a way,” Henshaw said.

Henshaw said Macedonian politicians ought to accept televised face-to-face debating during elections as a normal part of democratic life.

“If you get involved in politics, you need to accept certain concepts like the need to talk to the people and accept debates. The media should accept this as well,” he said.

The practice of no-shows at TV debates with the opposition began with current Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski when his VMRO DPMNE party took power in 2006.

The opposition has called for face-to-face debates over the years, but Gruevski and his party usually respond that there is no need for a TV debate because VMRO DPMNE presents its achievements and policies to the people every day.

During the 2009 presidential elections, the VMRO DPMNE...