Civil team interviewed former Judge Margarita Caca Nikolovska about the responsibility between the Ministry of Interior, the SEC and the Ombudsman for elections.
We also talked about the disagreements between DUI and VMRO-DPMNE on presidential candidate and about how the situation will develop in the country after the elections.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNi7X21xrb4[/youtube]
SEC said that MIA is guilty for the electoral list, while MIA says that they are not responsible. Ombudsman Ixhet Mehmeti also sees the responsibility to the SEC. Who is responsible? Is the role of SEC as a service in connection with the electoral role or it could have been prepared for the electoral process quality?
This is a complex question. All these bodies are competent to correct certain irregularities in order to have a quality electoral list. So many things have been heard about these elections and not to mention the past elections. The phantom voters are constantly mentioned, that some people possess more ID cards, people who had the opportunity to vote with those IDs. The last report is that in a hotel ID cards are being given, and at the exit they are taken. I think that all of these organs, including other organs should had solved this issue. This liability shows that each of these organs sees only how to escape from responsibility. Regarding voters and for something that has been declared as democratic and fair elections and the use of the right to vote and be voted for, this is what the government has done for the voters.
MIA can’t escape from the responsibility because it gives ID cards. SEC can’t be exempt from liability only with a statement that they are not competent. If they thought that they were not competent to do something, then they should detect the problem, about who is responsible. I will repeat once again, it is important for the state and it is their obligation to clarify the report. This, before the European Court of Human Rights, if it was not a question for the parliamentary elections, would locate the policy problem to the SEC or MIA,but the state has to enable the electoral law. As for the citizens, it doesn’t matter which body should do it. They must have faith in state bodies where citizens can fulfill their right. Criticism from the international community are constantly being ignored. I did not clear that up when we go like this. This government has already held 3 parliamentary elections, even when the elections are out of the election process does not resolve the issue. We can’t have more registered voters than people on the electoral roll. All this causes a distrust of citizens. And can any features characterize elections when there is such a thing. I can’t say that authorities have fulfilled their duty.
Was it necessary to invoke for early parliamentary elections because of disagreement with DUI presidential candidate, when conditions are practically reflecting the same situation as before?
It is evident that these early parliamentary elections are the result of an agreement. Every citizen thinks so. I first would have asked why it is necessary to have so many extraordinary parliamentary elections. It is not just the financial implication, but it is a logic of the ruling party or coalition to which it suits it. The question for early parliamentary elections, considers present conflicts and disagreements between the coalition parties; there may be justification in terms of the need for parliamentary elections. We had the presidential election, they passed in the breach between political parties that were in coalition, which was present all the time during presidential elections and such an atmosphere: the requirement to boycott by some citizens from the Republic of Macedonia and after completing these elections I do not see the need to have parliamentary elections.
What was campaign aiming, it was to ensure majority of MPs in Parliament only by the ruling party, VMRO, for me in this community, in this state is constructed as Macedonia, is unacceptable. The more they are, all the same they sit and talk to the creation of government. Does this mean that citizens in a way have been manipulated, regardless of whether or not someone accepts it as an excuse to demand early parliamentary elections. What embellishments required to the power somehow won, but now we come to a similar situation as before the early parliamentary elections. So the idea is that there was a question, and I’m sure that time will tell, but I think someone from the party felt that if at the moment parliamentary elections are held, they will win more MPs in the parliament than if regular elections were held. And campaigns oriented so, which in my eyes, is not right. Macedonia has so many more important issues that need to be solved. Somehow, the institute is misused for early parliamentary elections and became partly misused of what is right about voting in the election, due to the presence of certain segments which are spoken everywhere, such as intimidation, pressures, problems with the electoral list, not the division of the party walks … all this is not in terms with the fact that Macedonia is developing in the direction of democracy, especially in that part which means standards of political pluralism and democracy standards.
What do you expect in the near future? How will this situation develop?
I’m not an analyst, I’m a judge. All that I see, I relate to the direction of thinking about what to say and what evidence means factual verification. But this factual situation, seeing the parliamentary election, means that this political garnish?? elite?? for two years will speak again for early parliamentary elections, probably it will be for three years. Anyway my impression is that these processes are not going in the normal way and use certain situation that can only bring benefits for some people. And what is more apparent, it is the lack of democracy in the realization of human rights in each segment, the presence of fear, pressure, not free thought. Not to mention the media, where a disastrous situation goes on. And I wonder how Macedonia could fall to this low level in the media sphere and in the sphere of freedom of speech, but also what it means for the realization of that which now exists for 20 years, but little is realized in practice. Many young people leave. All those young people who leave the country, do not go abroad having in mind that for sure there it will be better for them, if nothing else at least they will face uncertainty. No matter how good it is when you are outside your country, you will always feel like second class citizens. Will never get that status that you would have in your state. Or, stated differently, no one hasn’t gone to worse, but anyone who has left concluded that their current situation is and will be uncertain and should seek solutions abroad. It’s sad for young people that this is happening in such a small country that can function if it’s wanted. People are full with different information that can’t control and can’t see if they are true or not. They were put in a situation to be forced to think of it as it was presented to them, although they don’t think it was so, because otherwise they will face some other consequences.
