Gostivar water crisis: LSDM accuses government of withholding safety reports

The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (LSDM) has accused Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Shaban Klekovski, Director of the Institute of Public Health, of causing public panic by failing to release a full, official, and signed report regarding water quality in Gostivar.

According to the opposition, six weeks have passed since the water crisis began, during which approximately 5,000 people reportedly fell ill. LSDM claims that contradictory statements were issued over the past month, ranging from water bans to claims that the water was safe for technical use, and later reports of new bacteria and viruses, before finally concluding the water was potable. The party is demanding the publication of all laboratory analyses, samples, dates, and the identities of the officials who signed off on the water's safety.

In a broader critique, LSDM and the Alliance for Albanians have also criticized the government's management of the West Nile virus epidemic, noting that North Macedonia has the highest incidence rate of the virus in Europe. They argue that the administration's delayed responses to both the Gostivar water crisis and the viral outbreak demonstrate a lack of institutional capacity to protect public health.