Macedonia & Greece: Name Issue

[Tomche Makedonche]

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/old-electoral-roll-problems-plague-macedonia-referendum-08-15-2018

Old Electoral Roll Problems Plague Macedonia Referendum

Despite the change in power and many previous check-ups of the electoral roll to remove fictive voters, Macedonia’s list of voter remains marred by old problems, civil associations warn as the country prepares for the September 30 “name” referendum

Fictive voters registered at fake addresses, voters registered at more than one address and those who are unjustly removed from the electoral roll. These are just some of the many flaws that civic associations say are still contained in the voters list ahead of the historic referendum.

The NGO Civil-Center for Freedom, which is as the forefront of Macedonia’s election monitoring processes, reported of dozens of citizens who approached them in the past few days, complaining of variety of problems, including reappearance of fake voter at their addresses.

“In one case, a citizen wrote to us saying that he immediately contacted the Electoral Commission, DIK, to report several ‘uninvited guests’ at his address”, Civil wrote in a press release, saying that these problems are still not properly addressed.

“The DIK, as in the previous election processes, told him to call the Interior Ministry, MVR. The MVR, on the other hand, are referring them back to the State Election Commission, and this goes on. The voters are hearing the same story: someone else is always responsible”.

The controversy surrounding the electoral roll, which, same as at previous elections, contains around 1.8 million voters, is all but new.

The OSCE, which has monitored Macedonian elections in the past, has described it as unusually large for a country of just over 2 million people, according to the latest headcount carried out in 2002 which is now largely outdated.

Before the change in power in 2017, the now ruling Social Democrats were harshly accusing the now opposition VMRO DPMNE party of deliberately bloating the electoral roll in order to rig past elections.

But after several check-ups of the roll conducted in 2015 and 2016 in order to assure fair voting, the roll still has roughly the same number of voters, which according to Xhabir Deralla, the head of Civil, points to lack of will to truly address the problems.

“A non-purified electoral roll like this can certainly have a negative impact on future election processes, as well as on the forthcoming referendum. Just look at the number of voters –more that 1.8 million. The estimates of relevant experts are that Macedonia has not more than 1.6 million residents, including the new-born”, Deralla said.

But the recently appointed head of the Electoral Commission, Oliver Derkovski insisted that the number of 1.8 million is real.

“Yes, in several occasions in the past I have been claiming that the number is real and that the entire confusion was created, probably out of some political reasons. However, our work is to leave politics aside because this is a statistical operation” Derkovski told Radio Free Europe on Sunday.

Derkovski was appointed earlier this month after the main political parties, in a hurry for the referendum, decided to use the old model of appointing electoral commission members at a proposition of the parties.

This model means that while the ruling Social Democrats have the right to propose more members of the commission, the opposition proposes its head.

In September 30, Macedonians are to vote at a historic “name” referendum which if successful will remove the biggest obstacle for joining NATO and EU.

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

For the deal to be fully implemented, Macedonians must show they support it at the plebiscite.

[Carlin]

https://www.24.mk/dimitrov-nikoj-nema-da-ja-deli-i-rasparchuva-makedonija-naprotiv-zemjava-konechno-kje-se-zacvrsti

Димитров: Никој нема да ја дели и распарчува Македонија, напротив земјава конечно ќе се зацврсти

„Со Договорот со Грција, Македонија се зацврстува на светската мапа како држава. Никој нема да не дели и распарчува, напротив земјава станува полноправна членка на НАТО и почнува преговори со ЕУ“, изјави шефот на македонската дипломатија, Никола Димитров во интервју за ТВ 24.

Димитров најави дека владата ќе води информативна кампања за референдумот, но не знаеше колку пари ќе бидат потрошени. На опозициската ВМРО-ДПМНЕ и порача да делуваат поодговорно, бидејќи овде не се работи за дневна политика, туку за иднината на Македонија.

Погледнете го комплетното интервју на министерот Никола Димитров за ТВ 24

[Tomche Makedonche]

https://www.24.mk/dimitrov-nikoj-nem...je-se-zacvrsti

Димитров: Никој нема да ја дели и распарчува Македонија, напротив земјава конечно ќе се зацврсти

„Со Договорот со Грција, Македонија се зацврстува на светската мапа како држава. Никој нема да не дели и распарчува, напротив земјава станува полноправна членка на НАТО и почнува преговори со ЕУ“, изјави шефот на македонската дипломатија, Никола Димитров во интервју за ТВ 24.

Димитров најави дека владата ќе води информативна кампања за референдумот, но не знаеше колку пари ќе бидат потрошени. На опозициската ВМРО-ДПМНЕ и порача да делуваат поодговорно, бидејќи овде не се работи за дневна политика, туку за иднината на Македонија.

Погледнете го комплетното интервју на министерот Никола Димитров за ТВ 24

Or in other words, what he is implying is if we don't accept the agreement, there's no guarantee that the country will continue to exist as it is afterwards... Fucken treasonous piece of shit.

[Carlin]

Да беше против референдумот, Мицкоски до сега ќе се изјаснеше

Мицкоски несвесно потврдува една вистина, дека неискажаното честопати е погласно од искажаното.

Напишано од Софија Куновска

Договорот со Република Бугарија е лош. Договорот со Република Грција исто така има голем број недостатоци. Оваа влада не беше највешт преговарач, иако Димитров честопати се обидуваше да ги поправа грешките на Заев. Настрана фактот што државата е донесена „во ќош“ како резултат на владеењето на Груевски и неговата влада повеќе од деценија. Тие штети се непоправливи. Раководена од сегашната влада, пак, Република Македонија тоне во скандали, неефикасност на администрацијата, лоши сервисни услуги на јавните претпријатија, срамна кадровска политика, како и финансиска неизвесност. Државата е одамна „на колена“.

Но наспроти сѐ, референдумското прашање е прашање што секој од нас мора искрено да си го постави и да донесе зрела одлука. Одлуката, сосема извесно, нема да нè направи среќни, но прашањето треба прецизно да си го поставиме. Дали треба да си дадеме последна шанса? Колку и да не ни се допаѓа, изборот е дали на метастазираната Македонија ќе ѝ дозволиме да се лечи. Протоколите не се ни малку пријатни и подразбираат хемотерапии, зрачења и хируршки зафати, а во крајна нужда можеби и масло од канабис, варова вода и што ли не. А што е наспроти тоа, секој може сам да претпостави.

Многумина, меѓу кои и Мицкоски, сè уште калкулираат и во некакви обиди за пазар го подготвуваат ставот кој отприлика би гласел дека референдумот е многу поголемо и позначајно прашање од партиските политика на оваа или онаа опција и мора да се биде на висина на задачата. Но, Мицкоски несвесно потврдува една вистина, дека неискажаното честопати е погласно од искажаното.

Во случајов едно е сосем јасно: да беше против референдумот, Мицкоски до сега ќе се изјаснеше!

(ФБ статус на авторот)

URL:

https://plusinfo.mk/%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D0%B1%D0%B5%D1%88%D0%B5-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2-%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%84%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B4%D1%83%D0%BC%D0%BE%D1%82-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA/

[Niko777]

There was a funny meme I forgot where I saw it but it was like this:

VMRO-DPMNE's position concerning the name over the years

2010: Referendum
2011: Referendum
2012: Referendum
2013: Referendum
2014: Referendum
2015: Referendum
2016: Referendum
2017: Referendum
2018: We have yet to make a decision

[Carlin]

Only 2500 voters of the diaspora will participate in the referendum

https://nezavisen.mk/en/news/2018/08/82165/

A small number of migrant workers who live abroad have registered their name in order to vote in the September 30th referendum regarding the issue of the country’s name.

Yesterday, the country’s State Election Commission received 2437 demands from migrant workers who live abroad.

This shows that their number is very small and that the diaspora is not very interested on voting in the referendum.

The largest number of migrant workers who have demanded to vote live in Bern with 256 demands, Ljubjana with 213, London with 127, Toronto with 136, Vienna with 108, Canberra with 99, etc.

The diaspora will vote on September 29th in embassies and other diplomatic centers.

In the last meeting that it held, the government approved the decision to allocate 80 million denars for the referendum campaign, which will be organized by the parliament and government.

On September 30th, citizens in Macedonia will decide if they are in favour of the country’s accession in the NATO and EU by accepting the country’s new name, “North Macedonia”, which came out of the Prespa agreement signed between Skopje and Athens.

[Tomche Makedonche]

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-opposition-decides-whether-to-join-referendum-campaign-08-24-2018

Macedonia Opposition Torn Over Referendum Campaign Cash

Macedonia’s main opposition party remains undecided about whether to participate in the historic referendum on September 30 – and tap into the funds allocated for campaigns

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 the weekend, they applied for the cash, saying they intended to use it to campaign for a boycott.

Most prominent among them was Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki.

“Such an option was announced … Why not use some of this money, because what the government will present about the agreement [during the campaign] won’t correspond with reality?” VMRO DPMNE spokesperson Naum Stoilkovski said on Friday, concerning Milososki’s move.

On Friday, Speaker Xhaferi clarified that individual MPs, parliamentary groups or coalitions have equal rights to apply for their share of the money, regardless of whether they will back the referendum question, campaign against it, or call for a boycott.

After calculating how much money should go on each option, parliament, as the official proposer of the referendum, will buy advertisement space from broadcasters, dedicated to the campaign.

According to the state Electoral Commission, all other non-parliamentary parties or groups that wish to lead their own campaigns will have to do so under much higher commercial prices for advertisements.

The government, led by the Social Democrats, which signed the name deal, has launched its own campaign in support of the referendum already.

But government spokesperson Mile Bosnjakovski insisted that most of it will be run through social media and government activities, so the campaign price tag will be insignificant and won’t exceed a few thousand euros

[Carlin]

One month to go. Latest numbers.

URL:

https://www.24.mk/anketa-za-makedonija-golema-poddrshka-za-eu-i-nato-pred-referendumot

Анкета за Македонија: Голема поддршка за ЕУ и НАТО пред референдумот

29.08.2018

Се зголемува поддршката на граѓаните за земјата да стане членка на ЕУ и Нато, ова го покажува анкетата на Меѓународниот републикански институт ИРИ, спроведеноа во периодот од 28 јуни до 15 јули годинава, преку лични интервјуа спроведуивани на 1.100 испитаници.

На прашањето, колку граѓаните го поддржуваат предлогот земјава да стане член на ЕУ и НАТО како Северена Република Македонија, како практично е највено дека ќе гласи и референумдското прашање, повеќе од половината односно 57 отсто се изјасниле дека даваат поддршка, со тоа што 37 проценти рекле дека целосно го поддржуваат договорот додека, 20 проценти дека донекаде го поддржуваат. Негативо за ова прашање се изјасниле 38 проценти, односно 28 отсто целосно го одбиваат, а 10 отсто донекаде го одбиваат, договорот.

По однос на прашањето како ќе гласаат на референдумот 49 отсто се изјасниле дека ќе гласаат „за“, додека 22 отсто дека ќе гласаат „против“, и 16 отсто дека нема да гласаат.

Дополнително 25 отсто од испитаниците сметаат дека сега е вистинско време да се реши прашањето со Грција, додека 17 отсто сметаатд ека тоа треба да се решава во иднина, н високи 44 отсто сметаат дека ова прашање требало да се реши многу порано.

Изминатите месеци се зголемила поддршката за влез на земјава во ЕУ и НАТО, па така сега 83 отсто од испитаниците даваат поддршка за влез во ЕУ, додека во март минатата година била 72 отсто. За влез во НАТО поддршка сега даваат 77 проценти а во март лани била 71 отсто.

Во однос на прашањето за која партија би гласале граѓаните ако денеска се одржат избори, 21 отсто од испитаниците се изјасниле дека ќе гласаат за СДСМ, а 18 отсто за ВМРО-ДПМНЕ. Со тоа што во однос на август минатата година, кај СДСМ има благо зголемување, а кај ВМРО ДПМНЕ намалување на поддрката. ДУИ останува со истата поддржка од 7 отсто, како и минатата година. Додека пак процентот на неопределени е 19, и е намален од лани кога изнесувал 22 отсто.

Анкетата покажува дека граѓанија најмногу се загрижени за економијата, невработеноста, сиромаштијата, нискиот животен стандард, плати и пензии. Но очекувањата се дека во следните години состојбата ќе се промени на подобро.

Анкетата дополнително укажува дека испитаниците сметаат дека владата предводена од СДСМ е подобра од таа на ВМРО ДПМНЕ само во однос на надворешната полтика, додека во однос на владеење на право, борба против корупоцијата, организиран криминал, е иста како испитаниците сметаат дека оваа влада е иста како и претходната.

Рејтингот на премиерот Зоран Заев е зголемен. Односно од ланските 10, сега изнесува 16 отсто од испитаниците се изјасниле дека им е омилен политчар. Христијан Мицковски има рејтинг од 2 отсто, додека пак пад на рејтингот има Никола Груевски, од ланските 16 отсто, сега наклонестот кон него покажале 7 отсто од испитаниците, а пад на рејтингот има и претседателот Горѓе Иванов.

[Carlin]

Macedonia Is Getting a New Name (Sort Of)

by KEN JENNINGS, August 27, 2018

URL:

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/macedonia-is-getting-a-new-name-sort-of

Two months ago at Lake Prespa, on the northern Greek border, Macedonian prime minister Zoran Zaev emerged from talks with Greece and announced an agreement to change his country's name to "North Macedonia." National name changes are rare, but this was the second one to hit headlines in just a couple of months. And that little added "North" looks innocent enough, but this name change is more fraught than most.

Greece is very protective of Alexander the Great's brand.

The nation of Macedonia was the "Socialist Republic of Macedonia," the southernmost of the six constituent republics of Yugoslavia, from 1945 to 1991. Yugoslavia's Marshal Tito may have chosen the name to antagonize Greece, which takes a very proprietary attitude to the name "Macedonia." To Greeks, you see, Macedonia is a historical region in northern Greece, the ancient home of Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great.

Macedonia is being blackballed over its name.

Ancient Macedon did indeed extend north into what is today the southern third of the Kingdom of Macedonia. But Greece viewed Macedonia's name as cultural appropriation, especially when right-wingers in Macedonia renamed the Skopje airport after Alexander the Great. Greece insisted that the United Nations officially refer to Macedonia as the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or FYROM, and has vetoed their neighbors' entrance into NATO and the EU for the past decade.

The "North" name change could still go south.

Greece and Macedonia have been quietly negotiating the name squabble for years, discussing options like "Upper Macedonia," "New Macedonia," and "Ilinden Macedonia" (named for a 1903 uprising against the Ottomans). As an olive branch, Skopje even took the aforementioned "Alexander the Great" signage off its airport earlier this year. But the "North Macedonia" compromise that finally got hammered out is still controversial in both nations. Angry nationalists protested it in Greece ("Macedonia is Greek!" marchers shouted) and the name must still be approved by voters in Macedonia.

All is quiet on the "Western" front.

Polls show that Macedonia is likely to vote in favor of the new name on September 30, which would officially put North Macedonia on the roll call of nations. It will join other directional countries like East Timor, South Africa, and South Sudan. (Strictly speaking, North and South Korea don't count here, since their official names are "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" and "Republic of Korea," respectively.) But West Germany went away in 1990, Western Samoa changed its name to "Samoa" in 1997, and Western Sahara's independence is disputed—so until Kanye West becomes a sovereign state, "West" is the one compass direction missing from the world map.

[Risto the Great]

In English form the actual Institute:

https://www.iri.org/resource/macedonia-poll-high-levels-support-eu-nato-ahead-referendum

Skopje, Macedonia—A new nationwide poll of Macedonia by the International Republican Institute’s (IRI) Center for Insights in Survey Research reveals increasing levels of optimism and support for joining the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ahead of the September 30 referendum.

The survey indicates that a majority of Macedonians favor resolving the name dispute with Greece. A combined 57 percent “completely support” (37 percent) or “somewhat support” (20 percent) the proposal for Macedonia to join the EU and NATO under the new name “Republic of North Macedonia.” The same proportion (57 percent) believe that the benefits of accession justify the acceptance of the new name. Half of the respondents (49 percent) intend to vote in favor of resolving the name dispute, compared to 22 percent who intend to vote against the proposed change.

“As Macedonia approaches this important referendum, the support for a compromise solution on the name dispute that opens the door to EU and NATO membership indicates a strong preference for transatlantic institutions,” said Paul McCarthy, IRI Acting Regional Director for Europe.

Support for EU and NATO membership has continued to rise since March 2017. Support for Macedonia becoming a member of the EU rose to 83 percent—a six-point increase from August 2017 and an eleven-point increase from March 2017. Support for NATO also remains strong at 77 percent.

The poll reflects a continued trend of increased optimism and perceptions of national stability. Thirty-seven percent of respondents think the country is moving in the right direction—a 10-point increase from August 2017 and a 23-point increase from March 2017. Perceptions of stability are also high: The number of respondents who think Macedonia is more stable today than a year ago (37 percent) surpasses those who believe the opposite (25 percent) for the first time in almost nine years.

Methodology

This survey was conducted on behalf of the Center for Insights in Survey Research by GfK Skopje market research firm. Data was collected from June 28 to July 15, 2018, through face-to-face interviews by trained professionals. The sample consisted of 1,100 respondents aged 18 and over and the response rate was 69 percent.

This poll was conducted with support from the United States Agency for International Development.

Oh, by the way ....

IRI is a 501(c)(3) and receives funding through grants from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy, a number of European foundations and aid agencies and other Western countries, and the United Nations.

[vicsinad]

In English form the actual Institute:

https://www.iri.org/resource/macedonia-poll-high-levels-support-eu-nato-ahead-referendum

Oh, by the way ....

IRI is a 501(c)(3) and receives funding through grants from the U.S. State Department, U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy, a number of European foundations and aid agencies and other Western countries, and the United Nations.

There's a lot of US Republican politicians on their Board of Directors and IRI has been previously accused of helping organizing pro-conservative forces in countries like Poland. Obviously, SDS socialist-liberal platform is not something Marco Rubio (Republican senator from Florida) who sits on IRI's board is passionate about. Perhaps IRI wants to see Macedonia in NATO. It's the only reason why I would see them working with SDS here. The article says the Center for Insights in Survey Research by GfK Skopje market research firm commissioned them to do it. I don't know anything about them and if they work closely with SDS or the government.

I think what's most important is that it's a survey of just over 1,000 people and that the survey was conducted nearly two months ago before the Boycott movement really spread on social media. Would be interesting to see where they did this survey (if they were confined to Skopje or not) and who they had on the ground doing the survey, being that it was in-person interviews, and how things would've changed in the last two months. I'm suspecting they would change a bit if they were to conduct the survey now, but not too drastically.

71% are going to vote in the referendum and about 3/4 of those will vote yes. There's also a healthy proportion that still don't know what they're going to do. For the boycott to succeed, they need to get all the no votes to boycott and all the "I don't know" to boycott. Then, you're still at about a 49% turnout.

Seems like an unrealistic dream there. Even if the referendum fails and SDS can't/doesn't fix the referendum, on October 1st Zaev and Dimitrov will begin to push through the agreement, probably in parliament, by buying DPNE votes or by exchanging amnesty for yes votes from certain DPNE parliamentarians.

[Tomche Makedonche]

Perhaps IRI wants to see Macedonia in NATO

I'd say that's all any US interest in the agreement and plebiscite primarily amounts to right now.

[Tomche Makedonche]

https://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albanian-president-calls-albanian-to-vote-for-name-deal-08-30-2018

Meta Urges Macedonia Albanians to Vote 'Yes' to Deal

Albanian President Ilir Meta has appealed to Albanians in Macedonia to vote for the historic 'name' deal between Macedonia and Greece.

Albanian President Ilir Meta has said that a positive result in the upcoming referendum on the Greece-Macedonia "name" deal would be “victory of all political forces” and called on Macedonia's large Albanian community to support it.

“I believe and at the same time appeal to all Albanians in Macedonia to participate in the referendum on September 30 and to vote for the agreement, which will open a new chapter not only for the integration of Macedonia but for the future in this country, too,” Meta said on Wednesday in interview with Albania Daily News.

He added that a positive result in the September referendum would be “victory of all political forces” that support EU and NATO integration.

Meta recalled that Albanians, who make up about 25 per cent of Macedonia's population, according to the 2002 census, have an important roleto play in Macedonia's process of internal transformation and Euro-Atlantic integration.

The referendum on September 30 will ask voters if they back Macedonia's accession to NATO and the EU by accepting the agreement with Greece that was signed in June.

Under the deal's terms, Macedonia agreed to change its name to Republic of North Macedonia, while Greece agreed to lift its veto on Macedonia's NATO and EU integration.

For the deal to be fully implemented, Macedonians must show they support it in a referendum.

Macedonia's president and main opposition VMRO DPMNE party have denounced the deal as treasonous, putting the success of the referendum in doubt.

[Tomche Makedonche]

As usual, racial slurs have been edited and noted in italic

http://www.ekathimerini.com/232132/article/ekathimerini/news/greek-defense-minister-accuses-fyrom-officials-of-undermining-relations

Greek defense minister accuses Macedonian officials of undermining relations

Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos on Thursday accused officials from the Republic of Macedonia of undermining progress between the two Balkan neighbors, who signed a deal in June to settle a decades-old name dispute.

“With their provocative comments against Greece, Macedonian officials including the prime minister himself and the foreign minister, are torpedoing any effort to find a solution,” Kammenos, who also heads Greece's nationalist junior coalition partner Independent Greeks (ANEL), said on the sidelines of an informal meeting of European defense ministers in Vienna.

His comments came in response to an address by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday where he said that his country’s citizens are “Macedonian” and speak the “Macedonian” language.

“The reference to a 'Macedonian' nation is in violation of any agreement,” Kammenos said in response on Thursday.

The Greek government wants to distinguish between the concept of Macedonian citizenship of Northern Macedonia and the ethnic undertones that the government in Skopje wants to highlight.

In the meantime, a recent poll conducted in Macedonia showed that more than half of respondents agree that the Balkan nation should join NATO and the European Union under the name “Republic of North Macedonia,” as part of the name deal signed with Greece.

The name deal is being put to a public referendum in Macedonia next month.

[Amphipolis]

Hello, I was banned for a couple of months, so here’s some basic news from Greece on things you may have misunderstood.

Believe it or not, the Greek Government does NOT support the Prespa Agreement. The Agreement is only supported by the Tsipras Party.

The Agreement is also NOT supported by any other alternative Parliamentary majority, so at the moment it doesn’t seem possible to pass in Greece in any way. This is because all parties with a moderate or mixed view on the name dispute are not willing to take the electoral cost or be accused of treason. This includes New Democracy, Socialists and the Communist Party.

The Agreement caused the dissolution of the newly created coalition of Socialists and the River Party. The River Party which is a small Party is actually the only Opposition Party that openly supports the Agreement.