Political Scandals and Judiciary Corruption in Macedonia

[Volokin]

Macedonia to Hold Early Elections to End Political Crisis
SKOPJE, Macedonia — Jun 2, 2015, 3:20 PM ET
Johannes Hahn
EU commissioner for Neighborhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, center, talks for the media after his meeting with the leaders of the four most relevant parties in Macedonia at the EU Ambassador’s residence in Skopje, Macedonia, on... View Full Caption The Associated Press
Associated Press

Macedonia's feuding political leaders have agreed to hold early elections by the end of April 2016 to resolve a deep political crisis, the European Union's enlargement commissioner said Tuesday.

Johannes Hahn said the final agreement is expected to be worked out at a meeting of the leaders next week in Brussels.

He spoke after talks with conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, leftist opposition head Zoran Zaev and two ethnic Albanian party leaders. The last elections were held in April last year, when Gruevski won a fourth consecutive four-year term.

The crisis in Macedonia, one of the worst since it gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, stems from a massive wiretap scandal that purportedly reveals corruption at the highest levels of government. The situation was exacerbated by a shootout between police and ethnic Albanian gunmen last month that left 18 dead.

Opposition parties have boycotted parliament for nearly a year, while dozens of pro- and anti-government protesters have been camping in two different central Skopje locations for almost three weeks.

"We have agreed to see a kind of transitional period, and it was agreed that by the end of April next year there should be an early election," Hahn told reporters as the four political leaders stood behind him but made no statements.

At the heart of the crisis is a cache of wiretapped conversations Zaev has been releasing gradually since January. He claims Gruevski — in power since 2006 — was behind the mass wiretapping of more than 20,000 politicians, police, journalists, judges, and others.

The conversations, which Zaev said he got from "patriots" in the domestic intelligence service, purport to reveal mismanagement of funds, spurious criminal prosecutions of opponents and even attempted cover-ups of killings.

Gruevski angrily rejects the accusations. He accuses Zaev of participating in a coup plot to overthrow his government.

Two senior government officials at the heart of the allegations, and the country's intelligence chief, resigned last month in a bid to defuse tensions.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/...risis-31474202

[Volokin]

Although this will provide stability for a few months, this will not fix the problems in the long term. If DPMNE win (which they probably will), do we think that SDSM is going to respect that decision? Zaev & SDSM are pretty set on the goal of forming government.

The issues within Macedonia are entrenched within society. The whole political scene is just a byproduct of ethnic tensions and corruption. Macedonia needs to a systematic clean out, but that's never actually going to happen.

I don't think any of us think that SDSM is going to be more or less corrupt than DPMNE so it's irrelevant whoever wins the elections. The same will continue until a new party is formed that can actually rid Macedonia of elements that are dangerous to unity.

[George S.]

I hope the elctions aren't marred with violence.

[sydney]

Originally Posted by Volokin

Although this will provide stability for a few months, this will not fix the problems in the long term. If DPMNE win (which they probably will), do we think that SDSM is going to respect that decision? Zaev & SDSM are pretty set on the goal of forming government.

The issues within Macedonia are entrenched within society. The whole political scene is just a byproduct of ethnic tensions and corruption. Macedonia needs to a systematic clean out, but that's never actually going to happen.

I don't think any of us think that SDSM is going to be more or less corrupt than DPMNE so it's irrelevant whoever wins the elections. The same will continue until a new party is formed that can actually rid Macedonia of elements that are dangerous to unity.

Agree with your comments.

Both public and private organisations will always have elements of corruption - the world over. What I see as most rotten is the need for a Macedonian citizen to align with a political party in order to seek employment opportunities, or to retain existing employment. And further, this political membership seems to determine how investment is created, how planning is coordinated and how law and justice is administered.

When Macedonia stops the 'which party are you from' controlling everyday life, then perhaps there is a future.

[Spirit]

Originally Posted by sydney

Agree with your comments.

Both public and private organisations will always have elements of corruption - the world over. What I see as most rotten is the need for a Macedonian citizen to align with a political party in order to seek employment opportunities, or to retain existing employment. And further, this political membership seems to determine how investment is created, how planning is coordinated and how law and justice is administered.

When Macedonia stops the 'which party are you from' controlling everyday life, then perhaps there is a future.

I fully agree

[Gocka]

I'm not sure how anyone benefits from this. I can't envision a SDSM win, so what happens a year from now after DPMNE wins again? Will the opposition accept the defeat and come back to parliament? Will they ask for another early election? How many elections need to happen for Macedonians to stop voting for the same two idiots. This is a big waist of time if you ask me, it just takes attention away from actual problems because everyone is in non stop campaign mode. Whats the point of having an election when it will be contested after 6 months and another one demanded.

[DraganOfStip]

The Constitutional Court with 5 votes to 4 enabled the President of Macedonia to be able to pardon election fraud convicts .
Now George Ivanov has all legal power to pardon Gordana Jankulovska,Mile Janakievski and the several other officials indicted for election fraud by the Special Prosecution.
In other words, now a DPMNE member can pardon other DPMNE members for doing crime.
Something similar happened in 2003 when then-president Boris Trajkovski pardoned Dosta Dimivska,the then-minister of interior and MOI official Aleksandar Cvetkov (all of them DPMNE members) for the "Big Ear" affair of 2001,when it was proved that the police wiretapped dozens of journalists and reporters (most of them later got reimbursed by the state in court).

This only shows how deeply the judiciary in Macedonia is influenced by the ruling powers,making a decision like this just a couple of weeks after government officials were indicted of election fraud.
Grujo protecting his own,lads (the long arm of DPMNE).

http://kapital.mk/ustaven-odluchi-pr...eregularnosti/

[DraganOfStip]

These are the 5 judges that voted FOR this.
Quick sidenote: all of them are placed in the Constitutional Court during DPMNE's reign.

[DraganOfStip]

There were protests in front of the Constitutional Court later this day against the decision.





The United Macedonian Diaspora also condemned this act,calling it "a big step backward for Macedonia and it's people":

http://fokus.mk/omd-se-nadevame-deka...zborni-izmami/

[DedoAleko]

Originally Posted by DraganOfStip

...
Something similar happened in 2003 when then-president Boris Trajkovski pardoned Dosta Dimivska,the then-minister of interior and MOI official Aleksandar Cvetkov (all of them DPMNE members) for the "Big Ear" affair of 2001,when it was proved that the police wiretapped dozens of journalists and reporters (most of them later got reimbursed by the state in court)...

People will not get the whole picture if we don't add that the (back then) president bc abolished the current president of sds zz for a crime he commited in Strumica in 2012.
p.s. Not to forget the recording obtained LEGALY with police assistance where the current president of sds zz, as active mayor of Strumica municipality,asks for bribe.