NEWS OF THE DAY: Constitutional Court decided not to return Parliament in function
The judges of the Constitutional Court today unanimously decided that there are no conditions for accepting the initiative of Judge Osman Kadriu for initiating proceedings ex officio for appraisal of the constitutionality and legality for dissolving the Parliament.
There are no conditions for accepting the initiative of Judge Osman Kadriu for initiating a proceeding ex officio for appraisal of the constitutionality and legality of the Decision for the Dissolution of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia (Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia No. 43/2020), unanimously decided the judges of the Constitutional Court at today’s working meeting after the completion of the XII session of the Court.
The Constitutional Court at today’s session rejected the initiative for appraisal of the constitutionality of the first decision of President Stevo Pendarovski for declaring state of emergency on the territory of the entire country, which was adopted on March 18 and was in force until April 16.
The judges assessed that the initiative is pointless since this decision is no longer in force.
On April 16, Pendarovski brought a new decision for establishing state of emergency in the country, for which there is also an initiative for appraisal of its constitutionality. The state of emergency in the country, according to the second decision of the State President, is to last until May 16.
The Parliament will be convened only in a new composition, after the parliamentary elections have been held.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY: Oliver Verhelyi
EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Verhelyi in an interview for Deutsche Welle ahead of the EU Summit for the Western Balkan countries, in regards to the negotiations with North Macedonia said that they are working very hard on a concrete negotiating framework.
– The EU is ready. All member states made a clear commitment in March, when we agreed to start negotiations with the two countries. I am very convinced that we will do that now. I think that these things are part of the European negotiating culture, to have setbacks or progress to this or that issue. However, at the end the results matters. If you look at the achievements of the current European Commission, you will see that we have brought the topic Western Balkans and the enlargement again on the agenda. The Heads will deal with this even in the midst of a coronavirus. I think that this is a very clear demonstration by the EU.
WITHOUT A FILTER: National before party interests
Video column: Xhabir Deralla
The additional postponement of elections in hope of buying time and gaining some more percentage in popularity among the voters goes at the expense of national interests…
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Today the Institute for Public Health registered 44 recovered patients: Skopje 5, Kumanovo 1, Prilep 9, Veles 12, Bitola 2, Kavadarci 1, Krusevo 1, Negotino 2.
In the past 24 hours, 292 tests have been made and 13 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in: Kumanovo-1, Prilep-3, Tetovo-3, Veles-5 and Bitola-1. So far a total of 17836 COVID-19 tests have been made in the country.
In the “September 8” General Hospital, a 55-year-old patient from Prilep died, hospitalized on April 22, who had been on a ventilator for 13 days. In the hospital in Bitola, a patient hospitalized on May 4 with COVID-19 symptoms died, whose post-mortem swab showed the presence of the virus.
The total number of diagnosed patients in our country from the beginning of the epidemic is 1539, the number of recovered patients is 1057, of patients who have died is 88, while currently the number of active cases in the country is 394.
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In the last 24 hours, according to the statistics of the MOI in regards to the ban on movement, 55 people throughout the country have disobeyed the ban on movement, 42 have been detained, and appropriate measures will follow for the others.
According to the statistical data for the past 24 hours, 159 people have been issued decisions for isolation, and 48 people have signed statements for self-isolation.
Police officers have performed inspection of persons in isolation and self-isolation, and no non-compliance to the measures for isolation and self-isolation has been determined.
FLASH NEWS
More than 19 thousand companies have so far applied for the measure for financial assistance for payment of salaries of their workers for the months of April and May in the amount no greater than 14.500 denars monthly per employee, which provides for continuity of the working processes, for regular payment of salaries and salary contributions, and at the same time serious conditions are created for maintaining jobs, announced the Government.
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The records of the Employment Service Agency show that at the end of April this year, the number of unemployed people in the country was 114.762, which is 7.030 people more compared to the end of March, and in this month, when the coronavirus crisis started, the number of unemployed increased by 1.916 people compared to the previous month. In the period from when the measures for protection against the spread of the coronavirus started to be implemented, March 11 to April 30, as indicated in the announcement of the Employment Service Agency of the Republic of North Macedonia, based on employment inflow, 8.160 unemployed people have been registered.
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At today’s press conference, Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi announced that within the Programme for Competitiveness, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, five public calls have been made from the beginning of the year.
-The public call for subsidies for craftsmen has completed, and this year a total of 43 craftsmen and individuals engaged in craftsmanship have received subsidies, in the total amount of 4.47 million denars. Last week on April 30, the public call for co-financing of projects of the Craftsman Chamber for development and promotion of craftsmanship ended.
The total budget is 1.74 million denars. An evaluation of received application follows and signing of agreements for implementation of the projects.
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In the Social Work Centers, from the moment when the decree that enables quick entry in the social protection system was adopted, April 30, about 2.000 new requests have been received for guaranteed minimum assistance, which are currently being processed, according to data we receive from other institutions, such as the Public Revenue Office, the MOI and others, announced Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Gjonul Bajraktar.
-We help the vulnerable, we care about everyone and no one is forgotten or left out, the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia and the Ministry of labour and Social Policy have brought a second set of measures for relaxing the criteria for using the guaranteed minimum assistance, and thus entry into the social protection system has been eased, stated Shkrielj.
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Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi replying to a journalist question as to whether the salaries of the state administration should be reduced just as in the private sector, he said that he remains to his position.
-I have already given my position. We had the opportunity to see the latest data, currently we are in the most favourable scenario, but we must have in consideration that we are creating also new measures to encourage consumption, certainly we should not make such cuts in my opinion, but to additionally provide funds to the citizens, regardless of whether it is for the private or public sector. We have said several times, we will not leave any worker not supported and we call on the enterprises to give salaries.
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DUI’s position in regards to the elections is that two criteria need to be fulfilled for holding elections. Namely, elections could be held at any time if the following two conditions are fulfilled – one is for the Commission for Infectious Diseases to say that such a process will not endanger the health of the citizens and second – OSCE/ODIHR to conclude that they can monitor the elections, stated at today’s press conference Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs Bujar Osmani.
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The Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, Oliver Spasovski, together with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government for European Affairs, Bujar Osmani and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov, today will participate in the EU – Western Balkans Summit via a video conference, which this year is held in organization of the Republic of Croatia, currently holding the Presidency of the European Union.
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Declaring Shar Mountain and the Osogovo Mountains as protected areas not only will fulfil the national, strategic and international goals for protection of nature, but the country will also benefit, and especially the municipalities that will be covered by parts of the protected area and local population, pointed out today the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning, Naser Nuredini, at a Government press conference.
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On the occasion of the NATO membership of the Republic of North Macedonia, the National Post has issued a new postage stamp in circulation of 6.000 copies and a nominal value of 30 denars. Larisa Zivkovska Donev is author of the postage stamp.
Diana Tahiri
