Macedonian president Branko Crvenkovski, at odds with the government in Skopje and whose popularity is slipping in the polls, has said that he would not stand for re-election in 2009.

Crvenkovski, in office as head of state since May 2004, made the statement in an interview with Macedonian daily Dnevnik, published on July 17 2008.

In the interview with Dnevnik, Crvenkovski said that his decision was final. He said that his reasons included his disagreement with the government’s policy on a number of issues.

He has long been at odds with prime minister Nikola Gruevski’s government, with Crvenkovski making thinly veiled comments in recent days about the rise of “populism” in Macedonia.

In contrast to the hardline approach being taken by Gruevski in negotiations with Greece about the bilateral name dispute over the name of Macedonia, Crvenkovski has hinted at a need for compromise.

While Macedonia has not yet recognised Kosovo as independent after the territory unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17 2008, Crvenkovski was an open supporter of the Ahtisaari plan which, in effect, provided for Kosovo to become independent.

Crvenkovski told Dnevnik that being president required co-operation with the government, and he did not want to be an accessory to policies that would have serious and long-term consequences. He pledged to perform his duties thoroughly until the final day of his term of office.

Local polls put Crvenkovski’s popularity rating at about 20 per cent.

Crvenkovski was elected in 1990 to the Macedonian assembly. After Macedonia seceded from Yugoslavia, Crvenkovski became prime minister in September 1992, continuing to hold the post after the December 1994 elections, until 1998.

He returned as prime minister from 2002 to 2004, quitting the post after the April 2004 elections to become president.