CIVIL – Center for Freedom has long proposed a number of measures and processes aimed at improvement of the electoral process in the country in general, as well as concrete steps and measures that have to be urgently implemented in order to obtain minimum conditions for at least partly free and credible elections on December 11.
For years in a row, CIVIL is proposing series of measures and reforms, through publicizing public statements, reports, analysis, publications, as well as through its numerous public appearances. These activities are particularly enhanced since February, 2015. In September, 2015, CIVIL has made a short overview of its recommendations in the article Case of Macedonia: quick recap, whilst the publication Free Elections: A Non-negotiable Condition is a lengthy report on the one-year-long comprehensive monitoring of the situation in the Republic of Macedonia.
On the occasion of the visit of EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn, CIVIL intends to remind the international and domestic public to the following standpoints and recommendations:
CIVIL reprimands that conditions for free elections are not obtained, due to the continuous and systematic abuses by the ruling parties, and due to the failures to implement substantial reforms of the key institutions in the country.
But, CIVIL firmly stands on the position that there are no conditions to postpone the elections scheduled for December 11, 2016 either, since further postponements will only destabilize the country, and deepen and multiply the crisis and beyond repair and at all levels.
Therefore, there must be legal and political conditions for an uninterrupted work of the Special Public Prosecutor’s Office (SPPO) in place, form a special department at the Criminal Court related to the cases of SPPO and to form special police unit with a task to serve the work of these institutions.
There must be an urgent and swift de-politicization and further reforms of the State Elections Commission and its organs and bodies.
The state has to obtain maximum conditions for each voter to exercise his or her right to vote and to conduct further steps towards revision of the Voters Register.
There must be further reforms in the media and the public service based on the proposal of the media community, the former mediator Mr. Peter Vanhoutte, which was widely supported by the civil society, including CIVIL – Center for Freedom.
