President Stevo Pendarovski signed Friday a decree proclaiming the law on establishing public interest and nominating a strategic partner for the project on the planning and construction of Corridor VIII motorway sections Tetovo-Gostivar-Bujochani and Trebenishta-Struga-Kjafasan, as well as Corridor X section Prilep-Bitola, his office said in a press release.
The law was adopted on Thursday in Parliament in a fast-tracked procedure.
“The law was adopted by the required majority with no lawmaker or group of lawmakers voting against the bill. All institutions and individuals who question the constitutionality of the legislation should address the Constitutional Court as being the institution in charge of analyzing the constitutionality of law and other bylaws,” said the press release.
Earlier today, the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption (DKSK) said that the law, after undergoing anti-corruption examination, represents a high risk for corruption and conflict of interest.
“Essentially, it suspends the legal system in the country, excluding application of other laws completely or partially. In practice, the law and application of its provisions will constitute violation of the principles the fight against corruption and conflict of interest is founded on,” Commission president Biljana Ivanovska told a news conference Friday.
DKSK, she said, calls on the President not to sign the bill into law, but if he does, the matter will go to the Constitutional Court. “DKSK will use all tools at disposal in the system and will not give up,” Ivanovska vowed.
According to DKSK’s opinion analyzing the legislation, it violates the Constitution-guaranteed freedom of market and entrepreneurship and the state’s obligation to provide equal legal standing of all entities in the market and is against the state’s obligation to take measures against market monopoly.
The law, enacted yesterday in Parliament, is set to ensure the realization of the memorandum that the Government signed with company Bechtel-Enka as the strategic investor in the construction of the highways. The law stipulates a construction process through a new model without announcing a tender, which the Government says will give the fastest and best results in road infrastructure.
