While you, Mr. Gjorge Ivanov, all of these years stood silently at the position of President of Republic of Macedonia, many were making negative remarks to your position as government’s instrument instead of a real representative of the Macedonian citizens.

Deep inside, (in the name of the good old student days) I tries to find an excuse for You, thinking that You are just a good-natured man who have found himself in a bad company.

Yesterday, You Gjorge, have confirmed only one thing to me- You never found yourself in that company unsuspectingly. You have deliberately selected that company, and when its’ destruction was a feasible option, You used everything you thought it was in your hands to defend it, and to be able to live as part of it for much longer. Well, that is not what a good-natured person, as I imagined you to be, does. Only a person with innate rottenness of his morals and beliefs is capable of doing that.

When Professor Ivanov, more than 10 years ago, in class was presenting his very well known “The difference between the political scientist and the politician is the same as between the crime investigator and the criminal” none of us have presumed that it is You who is going to be the greatest “politician” in the history of Macedonia. You were voted by the citizens of Republic of Macedonia, not by the politicians, Mr. Ivanov! You have no legitimacy for abolition of the institution of “politician”, because this institution itself has a delegated power by the same those voters that delegate the power to You as a President.

I am not a lawyer, but this much I know – those that you pardon are no political prisoners at all, there is no political hunt against those to whom you direct this abolition. They are just people against whom there are well-founded suspicion that are just criminals who have used politics as a means for personal financial gains. (By pardoning them, You only confirm the suspicions!)

There is a difference between those who you pardon (criminals and misusers of power and position) and political prisoners from the past, whom surely, many of Your supporters will recall soon. With this act, you acknowledge that the politician is above the citizen, and not his/hers servant.

Your resignation would satisfy many hungry hearts for justice, but the recall of this decision by you, would satisfy my heart, eager to see the well-natured person in you, even if that demonstrates what a terrible politician you are.

I do not see anything more righteous and fair for Macedonia that this- You calling for a press conference, standing still, asking for an apology for your imprudence, You admitting you were wrong, and offering your personal responsibility (an irrevocable resignation) for this act of yours.

We haven’t seen that not even by the most crooked and relentless of criminals.

By doing it, at least as a start, you will get yourself out of that “company” you have put yourself into.

Regretfully,

Josipa Rizankoska

(In case you do not recall, Your ex-student, to whom some of your letters of recommendations have brought scholarships and recognitions, A PhD Candidate in Political Science in Italy, Participant at the School of Leaders, still a member of the Alumni Association of the School of Lieders, a citizen of Macedonia who is deeply ashamed of its President…)