Political Scandals and Judiciary Corruption in Macedonia
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In many countries, law practitioners continuously search for loopholes in the constitution not to correct them, but to use them to get above the laws. They find their way out through the slightest cracks that the constitution have.
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Macedonia's Constitutional Court ruled that the country's president can pardon alleged election-riggers, approving the controversial initiative that sparked rival protests overnight.
Macedonia Court Approves Pardons for Vote-Riggers
Macedonia's Constitutional Court ruled that the country's president can pardon alleged election-riggers, approving the controversial initiative that sparked rival protests overnight.
Sinisa Jakov Marusic
BIRN
Skopje
In a closed session on Wednesday, Macedonia’s Constitutional Court approved the annulling of a provision in the law which had previously barred the president from pardoning alleged election-riggers.
Critics of the proposed vote-rigging pardons held a protest march the previous evening in Skopje. But the marchers, backed by civic organisations and the opposition, were prevented from holding what they called a vigil “for the constitution” in front of the court overnight.
A heavy police presence kept them some 100 metres away from the court building, where a rival group of government supporters had set up tents, saying they were protesting "in defence of the judges".
When the judges arrived at work, they were welcomed by the government supporters who stayed there throughout the night.
Critics say that pardons would serve the interests of the main governing party, the VMRO DPMNE, whose officials were recently named as suspected election-riggers.
The civic movement Ajde!, which staged the march, said it will continue to protest.
Macedonian journalists meanwhile demanded an explanation from the court about why they were not allowed to attend the hearing.
The US embassy in Skopje also criticised the closed session.
“Why would the Constitutional Court close today’s session? Transparency is essential for any institution,” the embassy said on Twitter.
Opponents of the pardons who protested on Tuesday said they wanted wrongdoers to be punished.
"We represent the free and freedom-loving Macedonia. We want to see justice applied to everyone equally. The other rally is made up of party soldiers and scared administration workers who are told what to do, where to go and even what to eat," one protester told BIRN.
The government supporters said they were there to support the Constitutional Court and protect it from attacks by the opposition.
“I am Macedonian and I came here to defend Macedonia. It is not alright if someone threatens to set the Constitutional Court ablaze. We are here to defend the court and we will be here. Let those who want to come here and set it on fire. Let’s see whether they will succeed,” one of them told BIRN in front of the court building.
Macedonia's Special Prosecution, tasked with probing crime in high places, earlier this month launched investigations into several people, including two former ministers and a senior government official, suspected of organising election fraud during the 2013 polls.
Former police minister Gordana Jankuloska, former transport minister Mile Janakieski and government secretary general Kiril Bozinovski, all members of the government of VMRO DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski, appeared before the court for questioning.
Skopje’s Criminal Court refused a prosecution request to detain them, in another controversial decision.
The Constitutional Court decisions have been implicitly criticised by the EU, which said any action that would suggest impunity for election-riggers would undermine the credibility of the early elections due to be held in Macedonia.
“Any suggestion of impunity in relation to election-related offences would counter-act the efforts invested by the country and the international community towards establishing the conditions for credible elections and trying to restore citizens' trust in the electoral processes,” EU spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said last Thursday.
The protest and counter-protest come against a backdrop of a deep political crisis that revolves around opposition claims that the government of recently resigned Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is responsible for a massive illegal wiretapping scheme and many other crimes.
Gruevski, who has held power since 2006 but resigned last month as part of an accord aimed at ending the crisis, says the wiretapping tapes released by the opposition were “fabricated” by unnamed foreign intelligence services and given to the opposition in order to destabilize the country.Last edited by DraganOfStip; 03-17-2016, 05:02 AM.
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It is now official: the Constitutional Court confirmed their decision to grant the authority to the President of Macedonia to pardon convicts for a new array of crimes,including election fraud.
The judges remained deaf to the protests held throughout the period in front of the Court building (the largest one held just yesterday,this time polluted with the presence of SDSM) and upheld their previous decision.
Now Ivanov has full authority to pardon his fellow party members any time he pleases.
Macedonia - where everything is possible.
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Originally posted by Soldier of Macedon View PostTo be fair, this sort of thing occurs in many countries, but it's unfortunate that Macedonia is counted among such countries.
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Several hundred Macedonians protested in front of the constitutional court on Wednesday after the judges opened the way to pardoning former officials suspected of election fraud.
NEWS 25 FEB 16
Macedonia Court May Pardon Alleged Election Riggers
Several hundred Macedonian anti-government protesters on Wednesday pelted the Constitutional Court building in Skopje with eggs after judges voted to discuss annulling a provision in the law that bars the President from granting pardons.
They say it will open the way for the President to pardon a number of former senior government officials suspected of organising election fraud.
The initiative was filed three weeks ago by a young lawyer who is not well known to the public.
Although the Constitutional Court’s decision is not yet final, critics say the court is clearly working in the interests of the main ruling VMRO DPMNE party, whose officials were recently named as suspects for election rigging.
Macedonia's Special Prosecution, tasked with investigating crime in high places, earlier this month launched investigations into several people, including two former ministers and a senior government official, suspected of organising election fraud during the 2013 elections.
Former police minister Gordana Jankuloska, former transport minister Mile Janakieski and the government secretary general Kiril Bozinovski, all members of the government of VMRO DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski, appeared before the court for questioning.
The court refused a Prosecution request to detain them in another controversial decision.
“This means that from now on anyone can rig elections and get away with it,” law professor and human rights activist Mirjana Najcevska complained. “The government is usurping the rule of law,” Najcevska added.
The former head of the Constitutional Court, Trendafil Ivanovski, accused the court of “giving legitimacy to the same people who have undermined the state.”
Macedonia’s Constitutional Court was seen in the past as one of the last remaining institutions resisting the political influence of Gruevski who became Prime Minister in 2006.
During 2009 and 2010, the court scrapped several controversial conservative government provisions, including a program to boost child births in regions with a low birth rate, problematic points in the Lustration Law and a provision to introduce religious teaching in schools.
Gruevski attacked the court at the time as a puppet of the opposition parties.
However, after the Lustration Commission named the then head of the Court, Trandafil Ivanovski, as a former police informant, he was forced to resign. He later sued Macedonia in the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In 2012, the ruling party pushed through the election of three new judges, whom the opposition deemed close to the government.
Since then, the court has tended to rule in favour of government projects, including the controversial lustration process, which some see as a means of taking retaliation against the government's political opponents.
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Originally posted by Vangelovski View PostIt occurred to me that of all the DPMNE members I know, only a handful ever focus their thinking on Macedonia and its people - all I hear from most of them is 'partijata, partijata'...its scary when in politics the party becomes a substitute for country and nation.
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I doubt it crosses party lines. I was thinking about the partisanship (party allegiance not WWII guerrillas) in Macedonia and particularly DPMNE last night. It occurred to me that of all the DPMNE members I know, only a handful ever focus their thinking on Macedonia and its people - all I hear from most of them is 'partijata, partijata'...its scary when in politics the party becomes a substitute for country and nation.Last edited by Vangelovski; 02-29-2016, 07:39 PM.
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Originally posted by Risto the Great View PostDragan, do you think the protesters extend beyond political affiliation?
Just a handful of media is reporting on this so far,but I'm sure the propaganda machinery of DPMNE will attribute this to SDSM,Soros and "hostile elements that want to ruin our great society" any time now.
They already started airing Grujo visiting municipalities,opening new foreign investments,signing contracts,holding babies etc as means of distraction.Last edited by DraganOfStip; 02-29-2016, 12:04 PM.
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Dragan, do you think the protesters extend beyond political affiliation?
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Today since noon people are again protesting in front of the Constitutional Court asking for resignation of the judges that voted for pardoning election fraud convicts:
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Originally posted by Vangelovski View PostI think we need to hit the reset button on that country. Its unfixable, we need to start again.
A country drowning in indifference.
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A reset would be nice wouldn’t it, but to be honest I don’t think any of us could bare going through all the same shit again just to most likely end up in the same place we are right now.
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I think we need to hit the reset button on that country. Its unfixable, we need to start again.
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Originally posted by vicsinad View PostThe joke known as the Macedonian government continues to play jokes on the Macedonian people. One group of followers advocates replacing one set of jokers with another set of jokers. Another group of followers either doesn't understand their leaders' jokes, or ironically finds them funny. And a smaller third group thinks they don't have -- or can't muster up -- the power and ability to bring legitimacy to their country's institutions.
Soon the people will learn that comedy is only better than tragedy in the stages before it becomes tragedy, which it inevitably will.
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