There are no positive changes and adjustments to the positions on today’s meeting of the working group on the Draft Law on Public Prosecutor’s Office which is attended by representatives of all parliamentary groups.
Minister of Justice Renata Deskoska does not accept any substantive remarks made at the public hearing attended by representatives of the legal community, prosecutors, lawyers, law professors and NGOs, as well as MPs from all political parties.
Although Deskoska pointed out that after listening to the remarks some of them will be taken into account, according to information provided by the attending present at the meeting for NetPress, she rejected all proposals made by Professors Aleksandar Klimovski, Nikola Tupancevski, Gordana Siljanoska, Gordan Kalajdziev, Tanja Karakamiseva, etc.
From the expert remarks it can be seen that behind the proposal is actually the wish of the former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to pardon both himself and the party leadership from possible persecution.
Professor of Constitutional law Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova said it was clear that the law should be submitted to the Venice Commission for review and that it could not be adopted in summary proceedings. Vlado Kambovski, chairman of the commission that drafted the bill, agreed with most of her remarks. He assured that Parliament “is in a position to pass this law, even at the cost of postponed elections, because without the rule of law there is no prospect for the country and this is an essential condition for European integration”.
Professor Gordan Kalajdziev said the good things of the SPO law should be used, but he problematized the postponement. During his address, he also appealed to Head State Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski to publish the letter from former Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva, which allowed the transfer of SPO cases to the regular prosecution. Previously, Joveski was asked by several VMRO-DPMNE MPs, who came up with such a banner at the gallery during a public prosecutor’s discussion.
Regarding the transformation of the SPO, Professor Gordan Kalajdziev pointed out that one of the possible solutions is a completely new prosecution of organized crime, which will gain greater autonomy and will not be led by the current prosecutor. He emphasized that in the future we should pay attention to the highest functions in the country to appoint people with integrity.
Professor Klimovski believes that the proposed Law on Public Prosecutor’s Office once again attempts to violate the Constitution regarding the status and principles of the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The first time was with the SPO, and now the same legal defect is being attempted to be installed in this law, becoming a repressive tool for achieving political goals.
VMRO-DPMNE announced that they would not support a proposal as it is now. The bill was described as unconstitutional and an attempt to resurrect SPPO. Party leader Hristijan Mickoski said yesterday that they would wait for remarks from the public debate and if they were incorporated into the text of the law, an agreement could be reached.
