Pendarovski Denies Macedonia Opposition Leadership Ambitions

After the former leader of Macedonian Social Democrats, SDSM, Branko Crvenkovski, urged Pendarovski to assume the party leadership from Zoran Zaev, the former presidential runner said he wished to distance himself from tensions inside the party ahead of its post-election congress on Saturday.

“Because I am not part of the party bodies and structures, I wish to stay distanced from all events within the SDSM until the May 11 congress. I ask that my name stays out of any internal-party calculations,” Pendarovski said in a brief statement.

He also said he had not been approached either by Crvenkovski or by current leader Zoran Zaev to discuss his possible future political engagement.

In the April presidential elections, Pendarovski came second as the candidate of the Social Democrats. However, he is not formally a member of the SDSM.

On Wednesday, the former opposition leader suggested that Pendarovski should take over as party leader from Zaev.

Crvenkovski said that following its defeat in April's early general and presidential elections, the party needed a new leader to consolidate the fight against Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski who has held power since 2006.

His remarks caused a stir, coming days before the party’s extraordinary congress, when a vote of support will be sought for Zaev and the party's vice-president, Radmila Sekerinska.

Zaev has meanwhile denied that the party is quarreling over his leadership. “I was assured by Pendarovski that he is not thinking about any engagement in the party, least of all as party president,” he said. “He remains together with the party leadership waging a battle against this government,” Zaev told Deutsche Welle.

Since losing the general...