117 new employees in ELEM in just one year


SDSM MP Mira Stojcevska was probably surprised yesterday after learning that her brother, Cele Velevski, had been employed in the state REK Bitola. He had his first working day on Monday, along with Stojcevska’s son, Viktor who also was hired by ELEM. The MP, who became famous for her diesel fuel statement, said she had no idea that her son had applied for the competition in ELEM, so now it is unclear whether she learned about the employment of her brother from the media.

Zaev: We are done with corruption

Scandals with state employment of relatives of government officials seem endless. Only a day after the ministers Damjan Mancevski and Renata Deskoska found that the laws were not violated, that SDSM members for a decade had no access to state-owned companies, the information reached that the there were new employments after the scheduling of the presidential elections.

“According to our information, the date of employment of her son and brother in the Employment Agency is on Saturday, while the elections were scheduled on Friday. The first working day of Viktor and Mira’s brother was on Monday, that is, three days after the announcement. How is it possible? How is it possible that all close relatives of government officials have a chance to get jobs right now, especially in state institutions and companies where salaries are much higher than 500 euros? “, asks VMRO-DPMNE.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, speaking at the ceremony after raising the NATO flag in front of the government headquarters, announced that there are no more excuses and serious work in the reform process is about to begin. He promised that the rule of law would work equally for all, regardless of the citizens’ bank accounts or their connections.

“Following are systemic changes in terms of how institutions and society function. There will be no place in the institutions for those who, through their work, betray their trust over personal interests and privileges. For all, there will be equal conditions regardless of whether they are in a party or not,” the prime minister said in his speech, after which no questions were allowed, so the public remained with no answer what the leader thinks about the latest affairs in which his party colleagues are involved.

Yesterday ELEM responded that Viktor Stojcevski was hired as an engineer for the application of new technologies in the Sector for development and investments.

“The salary for this position was published in the job ad published in two daily newspapers and it amounts to 35,864 denars. Three persons, including the selected one, applied for the job ad. The selection is made by the Director General, who selects the applicant that meets all required conditions. When it comes to Cele Velevski, he has officially started his job at REK Bitola on Monday (February 11th), through the Agency for temporary employment as a crane operator,” ELEM explained for Nezavisen Vesnik/Indepedent daily newspaper.

The lowest salary is 17,000 denars

The state-owned electricity company is considered an institution that often hires relatives of prominent government officials. The public is aware that Besiana Xhaferi, the daughter of the President of the Parliament, Talat Xhaferi, also works there, as well as Hidajete Alili – the sister of the Minister of Culture, Asaf Ademi.

“Hidajete Alili works as an officer in the Legal and General Affairs Office at the Branch Office HES Mavrovo-Gostivar. The salary for this particular post was announced in the job ad published in two daily newspapers and it amounts to 33,643 denars. On the announced call for bids, three other persons applied, including the selected employee. Besiana Xhaferi is employed at the post: responsible correspondent for correspondence and preparation of tender documentation for international grants in the Sector for Development and Investments. The salary for this post was published in the job ad published in two daily newspapers and amounted to 35,863. Three other people applied to the job ad, with the selected one as one of them,” ELEM point out.
In the documents sent by the company, it is stated that ELEM has hired two persons for an indefinite period of time between August and December, 2017. In the course of 2018, in total, there have been 117 employments, out of which 10 in HES Crn Drim, 67 employees in REK Bitola and 40 employees in the Directorate of JSC ELEM. At the same time, on various grounds, 178 people left the company.

“As of yesterday, 72 employees have been hired indefinitely. Through the Agency for Temporary Employment in the course of 2018, 321 persons were hired. We do not know which of the employees are people close to officials of the current and former government. The average salary in January this year was 35,548 denars. The lowest salary was 16,988, and the highest 56,356 denars,” emphasized ELEM.

Sucking money from the state budget angered the citizens on social media, so there were frequent comments such as “this people will forgive bilingualism, changing the name and the Constitution, but what we will not forgive you is your impudence and selfishness.”

“By satisfying one ‘meritorious’, you create one hundred new enemies.”
“A Member of Parliament disowns her son in clear conscience because he does not want to work in a state company, although she has found him a state job and three seats in a board of directors, so she wonder whether he is really her child.”
“Reforms for public administration – a synonym for employing SDSM members”. “These people from the government coalition all have dysfunctional families, so nobody knew that their children, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sisters-in-law were employed and work at state-owned companies. Brothers-in-law, partners, lov etc.ers” – these are some of the reactions in the social media.

Journalist Branko Geroski says that no one denies the legality of the proceedings.

“There is a serious ethical problem, nepotism and conflict of interest. And that’s a fact that you can not deny. You want to go on like that? Be my guest. I’m not deciding and I do not want to keep arguing anymore. Those who decide, once every four years, and more often – see for themselves. Sometimes not very clearly, but theydo  open their eyes,” Geroski wrote to Minister Deskoska.
Professor Ilo Trajkovski is looking for mercy for the minister.

“She does not deny that there is a violation of the law in this case. By saying that there is no formal violation of the law, she says there is no violation of the law in a formal legal sense, ie. Of the positive law. But apart from that law there is also an informal law, a moral law, the law of public opinion. It is realistically more important and stronger than formal law. And the minister knows that. But as a minister, she thinks she is obliged to stick with formal law. But she also knows that she is a minister of justice, not of law, and she therefore emphasizes that there is no formal violation of the law. With that, at the same time she says there is a moral violation. But that does not apply. And this is true! Until the elections, when our moral and political courts are formulated in votes,” Trajkovski concluded.

Goran Adamovski