The EC report notes progress, among other things, and praise for the SCPC, which is rare to have progress in the fight against corruption. That is why in today’s Morning Briefingwe talked with the Director of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, Biljana Ivanovska.
The EC pays close attention to all processes that are taking place and reflects what happens in a very faithful manner. The report is very relevant, it points out our role, but it also suggests movement of other institutions – their proactive role. In the Judiciary and the Prosecutor’s Office we have important cases that are still pending. We have an initiative before the Constitutional Court for which a decision is still waited upon. We are open for cooperation, together with the Prosecutor’s Office, we gathered evidence for a matter of very important public interest. For three years we have said that the discretional right of the public office holders should be limited, and above all else, I mean employments. Right people at the right place is what we need in the country, says Ivanovska.
The Commission in the future wants to pay more attention on reducing the discretionary rights of officials.
-The laws allow for the official to choose from the list submitted by the Agency of Civil Servants. We had several cases where we exposed nepotism. In one of them, the 41stcandidate was chosen because he had a good interview, but did not solve the tests and has no other success, says Ivanovska.
She adds that the SCPC publically announces when they have obstacles. Ivanovska points out that the SCPC received offices and staff only in the third quarter, while for comparison, entire cabinets are formed in just a couple of hours.
-We asked for 16 employees, but the Ministry of Finance replied that it was too much. We need to fulfill the old systematization, and then transfer to the new systematization. We need people because we give recommendations on what needs to be done, even though 30 percent of our recommendations are not respected. I think that the main problem in the country is the disrespecting of people, laws, of everything. There are people in the country who just need to be given a chance. Politics need to take their hands off professionals, she concludes.
How does the SCPC operate during elections?
-We have rules of conduct and laws according to which we follow the financing of political parties, but because of this other cases are lagging behind. We do not want political parties to abuse us for political purposes and that is why we work strictly according to our competencies. At the end of the elections we write a report where we note all violations of parties, but also all influences on the electorate that are not unlawful, but do influence, says Ivanovska.
The entire conversation is in the video below
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
