"The statement given by President Ivanov that he will not vote in the referendum on September 30 is the only right answer, and it is in line with the highest Macedonian national and state interests," Bachev said.
Bachev expressed hope that the Macedonian president would "withstand the pressure" and would not change his mind before the referendum.
"Now we are left with a hope that Ivanov will not repeat what he did in May 2017, when he gave the mandate to [Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran] Zaev to form the puppet government," Bachev stressed, adding that his party has been campaigning against the referendum for the last 20 days.
READ MORE: UK Minister for Europe Urges Macedonians to Vote for Name Change
Asked about the possibility of holding demonstrations ahead of the referendum, Bachev said there was no need for any larger protests "unless something dramatic happens in the next five days."
"But we are planning a big celebration on September 30… We are fighting for the survival of our nation. Our fight is a sacred responsibility and that’s why Macedonia will win," Bachev pointed out.
As for the statement of Ivanov, it contributes to United Macedonia's "efforts for the referendum to fail," Bachev stressed.
Bachev was addressing an announcement President Ivanov made last week, stating that he would boycott the referendum scheduled to take place on September 30, calling on his compatriots to do the same.
READ MORE: Macedonia on Edge Amid Fears of Manipulation in Looming EU, NATO Membership Vote
In early August, a group of about 30 civic associations, political parties, and NGOs, led by United Macedonia, launched a campaign for boycotting the name deal referendum. The so-called crisis headquarters is now made up of more than 70 organizations, political parties, and patriotic movements, according to the party's head.
On June 17, the Greek and Macedonian foreign ministers signed an agreement on the Republic of Macedonia's renaming to the Republic of North Macedonia following a decades-long dispute.
