Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) becomes part of the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office
The Government at today’s session adopted the Law on Public Prosecutor’s Office, in which the status, autonomy and competencies of the SPO are regulated. With the new legal solution, it will become part of the public prosecution system.
The SPO will not be able to use the “bombs”, that is, the materials of the illegal wiretapped conversation as evidence in the cases “Talir” and “Empire”, namely, in all the case they have raised after June 30, 2017. Moreover, the SPO will have a deadline until September 2020 to listen to the bombs and to use them until then as indications of committed crime, but not as evidence. This law passed in the Government, and in the following days it is expected to pass the parliamentary filter.
A new ministry on the horizon
On March 14, the MPs in Parliament will have a proposal in front of them for the forming of a new ministry for political system and inter-community relations. This, actually, will be the Secretariat for implementing the Framework Agreement for which a group of MPs propose to have it grow into in a ministry.
With the person that will head this department, the number of ministers and deputy prime ministers in Zoran Zaev’s government will probably remain the same, specifically 25, since it will be certain that the function of the deputy prime minister in charge of implementing the Framework Agreement and political system will be terminated, in which position currently is Hazbi Lika.
Even if the new ministry is not formed, Republic of North Macedonia will be among the leading European countries according to the number of government members, despite the promises that SDSM made while they were in opposition that they would reduce the ministerial positions.
Presidential elections 2019 with three candidates
It is increasingly more certain that there will be three candidates at the upcoming presidential elections, while the remaining five that are collecting signatures almost don’t even stand a chance to officialize their candidacy until Saturday (March 9), when the deadline expires for giving civic support for candidates for president of the state.
Professor Gordana Siljanovska Davkova was the first to candidate and collect signatures for support. Next was International Law Professor Blerim Reka, supported by the Alliance of the Albanians and BESA. The third candidate is Professor Stevo Pendarovski, who received the support of 31 political parties of all ethnic communities in the country. He, probably, will candidate himself for president of the state with the support of at least 30 MPs.
Journalists and TV hosts must not participate in an election campaign
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia is calling on the Macedonian Radio Television to investigate the case where their employed journalist Gordana Gjorceva, at the 18 anniversary of the Union of Women of VMRO-DPMNE, appeared in the role of a host.
The AJM considers that with this their colleague Gordana Gjorceva violated the Electoral Code, where in Article 75-v it is stipulated that: “Editors, journalists, program hosts and presenters who are engaged in the preparation of the broadcasters’ programs must not participate in the pre-election activities of the political parties, coalitions, groups of voters and their representatives, i.e. participants in the election campaign”. In the Electoral Code there is also a measure anticipated if the journalist still decides to participate in party gatherings, which stipulates: “If they decide to participate in such activities, their engagement in the broadcasters’ programs shall be halted from the day when elections are called until the completion of elections”.
Tomorrow the competition for applying for observers in the election process ends
The competition for applying for short-term and long-term observers of CIVIL for the upcoming elections ends tomorrow (March 6) at 5.oo pm.
Those who have already been observers for the organization in the previous election processes do have an advantage, as well as those who have visited the seminars for citizen journalism. Nevertheless, all those who are interested should fill out an application, and a separate committee will make the final selection. One of the rules is that one cannot be an observer for two organizations at the same time. Party activists do not have the right to participate in this call.
М. Ivanovska
