Tavari: If I don't win the elections, I'm out of politics

Arben Taravari , Northern Macedonia's candidate for president by opposition coalition V LEN, says it has the top priority of accelerating the country's European integration.

“If I win in the elections, the first issue I would ask from the mandate to form the new government, following the elections, on May 8th, would be to speed up constitutional changes -- for the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in its prembula, which is conditional on membership talks”, Taravari says in an interview for Radio Free Europe.

He says that Brussels would require guarantees that there will be no new conditions for Northern Macedonia on its path to integration into the European Union.

As another priority for Taravari is also the removal of northern Macedonia from the “Open Balkans initiative”.

Taravari, V coalition candidate LEN, in which opposition parties of northern Macedonia have joined, considers the career, as he says, of the “clean political”, without scandals and relatives, is a priority to his direct opponent Bujar Osman of the Democratic Union for Integration.

Radio Free Europe: Mr. Taravari, why should citizens vote for you, what is your advantage over the other candidates and your direct opponent, Bujar Osman of DUI?

Arben Taravari: We are seven candidates, of whom five candidates are Macedonians and two are Albanians. Competition, frankly, in the Albanian bloc will be between me and Mr. Bujar Osmani. I hope citizens understand who they would trust to lead the country in the next five years. Citizens always analyse the first program of a candidate, what he can offer for the next five years, what his programming goals are. The second is the credibility of candidates. I don't think I have scandals and I've been in politics for seven to eight years, even as mayor of the Gostivar municipality and as minister of health. On the other hand, we have a candidate who has visited all ministries, also in the government of [Nicola] Gruevski, you know how it ended, then there's been a case at Special Public Prosecutor (PSP), case c. Patient.

Radio Free Europe: How will Northern Macedonia continue negotiations with the EU if constitutional changes remain? What is your position in this context?

Arben Taravari: It is already the position of the European Union and the European Commission that to start negotiations, Northern Macedonia must make constitutional changes. And that's an undisputed fact. I also said in June 2022, when the European Proposal for the Agreement between Macedonia and Bulgaria was passed, all those negotiations were nontransparent and not inclusive. However, since it has been accepted and passed to the Parliament, it is a fact that if we want to start negotiations, and as far as I can see no one says there is another option, we will have to make constitutional changes and continue the European path of Northern Macedonia because there is no other solution. If there were other options, then well, we could talk.

Radio Free Europe: Largest Opposition V Party MRO- The DPMNE, in the pre-election programme, has advocated the removal of “balanizers”, a mechanism for representation of ethnic communities in institutions. What is your position, would you support it?

Arben Taravari: “Balanizer” started to be implemented in 2006, exactly from VMRO- DPMNE. See, representation of ethnic communities in institutions set up before 2002 was scandalous, and is now somewhat even. However, “balancing” is misused, unfortunately not only by Macedonians, but also by Albanians, it happens to be misused even by citizens. If we can find another mechanism that will take into account representation of ethnic communities, but even the credit system means those who are capable, when choosing a Macedonian, let the Macedonian be the most capable, if we choose an Albanian, let him be the best Albanian. In our country ethnic representation is not an obstacle, as far as party representation is killing the system, especially the administration. We are open to discuss everything, but there must be a mechanism that will eliminate party influence and I am interested in it.

Radio Free Europe: How did you interpret the charges of Russian influence in northern Macedonia?

Arben Taravari: I wouldn't say Russian influence, because I don't know about Russian influence, I don't have any proof. But, I know it has a huge Serbian impact on northern Macedonia, that is clear, especially through the “Balkan Open”, Serbia's influence is huge in Macedonian society, I'm speaking in general. Given that Serbia has very good relations with Russia it is very close, perhaps the closest country from the Western Balkans to Russia if it has Russian influence then I think the Russian influence is going through Serbia. And that Serbian influence in Macedonia is great, that is an undisputed fact, and that I have said very often. This harms not only Macedonians or only Albanians, but the state in general.

Radio Free Europe: So who do you think is the promotor of Serbian influence?

Arben Taravari: I often say that the only period when Serbian influence was least in the country was the period 1998-2002, when Lubco Georgievski [former prime minister] and Arben Xhaferi [former DPA chairman] were in power. I think that this 22-23-year-old government of Mr. Ahmeti, probably not directly, perhaps naively or unknowingly, but has allowed such a large Serbian influence in northern Macedonia.

Radio Free Europe: What are the dangers of North Macedonia's security from potential Russian influence, or, as you say, Serbian?

Arben Taravari: We are already a NATO member, and this is a good prevention, a good prevention for the country. You see more and more politicians cannot get certain certificates, especially those working in state security structures, who are under NATO control. There is no better control than NATO in reducing Russian influence in the country. So we must continue to be NATO members, but we must try to be members of the European Union as well. The more we try towards the European Union, the less the impact will be, let's say, from structures that do not think the country well.

Radio Free Europe: How do you assess the ongoing fight against corruption?

Arben Taravari: Look, it's enough to analyze how we're listed by international institutions according to the perception of corruption. We are among the worst in the Western Balkans. Why Corruption? It's the rule of law failure. Just analyze the citizens' trust in the judicial system... is two, three, four, eight percent, which is disturbing, really. What should be done? Reforms must start zealously. How can reforms be made? Just with political rotation, only with power changing.

Radio Free Europe: How would you improve the situation in this area if you were elected president?

Arben Taravari: Transparency is the best way to restore confidence in system institutions. But even the president's influence, you know, can affect only through the judicial system, where he chooses certain members of the organs that are in the judicial system. Professional, reliable people and those with high moral capacities should be delegated by the president.

Radio Free Europe: In public appearances, your former partner Zijadin Sela has named you the VMRO-DPMNE “kukulli” and that you work on its orders. Why claim your connection to VMRO- DPMNE?

Arben Taravari: Mr. Sela and I have been together for ten years. I don't want to say anything bad about it because we've been together for 10 years. He can say anything... we know each other very well. Not publicly, but also privately, I didn't say anything bad, that's my character. With people I've been working with for a long time, and if our roads change, I still have some respect for it. Time is the best test of many things. I've never been anyone's puppet in my life. I haven't allowed myself to be Mr. Sela's doll, so I can't be the doll of VMRO- DPMNE or any other party. Despite his opinion, the time will tell who thought best and the citizen will tell who was right in our case when we broke up.

Radio Free Europe: Did you get any information about who left the bullet in front of your door?

Arben Taravari: I haven't got any information yet. Unfortunately, I have not been called by anyone, nor police structure nor judicial institutions, at least to know what happened and how it happened. I changed the cameras in my house and I put in the most quality camera they show right now and at night when there's no light to see any movement in the house. I hope at least the system institutions will inform me of what happened.

I've only done this job so that I can do good to help my children and grandchildren live better tomorrow in this place where we live. I can say that my political career is toward the end... I always said ten years in politics. I've been in politics for eight years. I hope in 2-3 years I leave behind a good team that will continue and be proud of, because they will be better than me.

Radio Free Europe: You say it's enough ten years in politics... that if you don't win the presidential election you'll be attracted to political life?

Arben Taravari: Of course, of course. If we don't get these choices, I think that's how it should be. That's how it's all over the Western world, so it's in all developed democracies. If you lose the election, at least in front of the party authorities... even though there were certain developments in our country, I was not allowed to pass at least one choice. And I said, I ask for faith from all of you. A couple of election cycles by May 8th, if we don't win on May 8th, I'm here to resign, and there won't be any strength to stop me from resigning if even united we didn't win. And that's how we win.

Radio Free Europe: When you say if we lose the election, do you mind presidential or parliamentary elections?

Arben Taravari: Both presidential and parliamentary, of course. Presidential elections will be indications for parliamentary elections. So I hope we win without a problem.

Radio Free Europe: Otherwise, would you resign?

Arben Taravari: That's what's gonna happen.

Radio Free Europe: What will be the first three steps you will take if the next scenario occurs, so if you win the elections for president of North Macedonia?

Arben Taravari: If I win elections, the first thing I would do would be to go to Brussels and ask European politicians to give us guarantees that there will be no other conditions for the country to continue the European path. The second, who will be the next mandate, I would call, because it should be given the mandate to form Government, I would ask it to give me a dynamic for constitutional changes so we can start negotiations as soon as Bucharest 2008 does not repeat. And the third thing, I would ask the political parties and the Government to leave the “Open Balkans initiative”, because there is no one left but our country and Serbia.