Macedonia Opposition Torn Over Referendum Campaign Cash

Macedonia's main opposition VMRO DPMNE party is in a dilemma over whether to tap into the 1.3 million euros that parliament has set aside for campaigning for the September 30 "name" referendum. It has until the end of Monday to officially make up its mind.

A deadline issued by parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi last Thursday told the country's 120 legislators to notify him within three working days about whether they will take part in the campaign - and which option they will represent.

Under the so-called "name" deal with Greece, signed this summer, Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia, while Greece agreed to lift its long-standing veto on Macedonia's NATO and EU integration.

But for the deal on this ancient dispute to be fully implemented, Macedonians must show they support it in a referendum due on September 30.

VMRO DPMNE, which holds 40 of the 120 seats in parliament, has strongly opposed the name agreement, calling it a national defeat.

But so far it has avoided clarifying whether it will call on its supporters to vote against the deal, campaign for a boycott, or just stand aside.

On Sunday, VMRO DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickovski again failed to clarify the party's standpoint.

However, he said his party wished to redirect the funds it was entitled to get from parliament to finance a school renovation in the town of Tetovo, which he called a "more important" project.

"I use this occasion to appeal to the government, and to the other parties as well, to redirect these funds for reconstruction and building of a high school in Tetovo," Mickovski said on Sunday.

This contrasted with what several VMRO DPMNE MPs have already done, however. On Friday and over...

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