No progress between working groups over the Prosecution law

The working groups of the two parties were expected to continue the talks this week. They had their last meeting in July and the positions of the two sides have remained unchanged since then.

Despite showing willingness to accept certain demands of the opposition, the riling coalition has drawn a red line, which involves the fight against crime. On its part, the opposition is refusing to accept the transfer of SPO prosecutors into the new Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and High-Level Corruption. The opposition also refuses to back the nomination of prosecutor Vilma Ruskovska as the head of the new institution.

Also, the opposition demands that all investigations opened after 30 June 2017 should be taken over by the state public prosecutor.

Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi has scheduled a session on the bill on Aug. 27 after the summer recess. It requires as two-third majority in order to be enacted – 80 MPs in the 120-seat Parliament.  The public prosecution law by the EU is seen as a crucial factor before reaching a decision on the start of negotiations in October.