Pendarovski plans a “sweep” in intelligence services

At least four employees of the Intelligence Agency are facing dismissal from their posts, after Gjorge Ivanov leaves the presidential villa. The now former president used their services in his cabinet and in the agency under his control, but the change of Vodno will tighten the criteria, so there will be no room for those under investigation by the prosecutor’s offices. These are the first measures, but there will be a complete overhaul of the intelligence services, first in the Intelligence Agency, and then in the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence, from which the new National Security Agency should be created.

The President’s cabinet foresees two advisors for foreign affairs and two for internal affairs, including one for security. According to the information, the last remaining position is saved for Professor Aleksandar Spasov from the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Law in Skopje. The current security advisor, Sinisa Aleksovski, was supposed to complete his duties with the termination of Ivanov’s term, who, in turn, hired him back in the Intelligence Agency, knowing that his appointment was nearing its end. Exactly Aleksovski, who is associated with the bloody incidents in the Parliament on April 27 2017, is the biggest reason that Pendarovski announced he will “sweep” those who violated the law and the Constitution.

“They will not be part of a team that is under the authority of the president,” the newly elected head of state announced.

Sinisa Aleksovski, along with Boris Josifovski, who served as general secretary in Ivanov’s office, was pointed out by the defendants on April 27 as active participants in the events that preceded that evening. That day, Josifovski was at the headquarters of VMRO-DPMNE, but according to Ivanov, there was nothing wrong with that, because he was a member of the party, so he could go there whenever he wanted. Aleksovski, meanwhile, reportedly informed the protesters that a state of war would be declared.

“We need to distinguish between several things: Nikola Boskovski was mentioned by all accused who gave statements and they had direct contact with him, and Aleksovski was mentioned in the sense that someone has talked to him, so he just passed on information. We cannot put the two on the same level,” Prosecutor Vilma Ruskovska explains why Aleksovski is not charged in the case.

Although Ivanov himself denied that he ever planned to declare a state of war, the mere mention of employees in the Intelligence Agency in the context of activities for overthrowing state institutions questioned the agency’s legitimacy, whose annual budget is over 3.5 million euros, and half of this budget is spent on salaries.

“What has happened over the past period was a devastation of this service. It was not meant to be a home for party personnel, but for professionals in this line of work. There are many flaws, for example, the Intelligence Agency does not have its own agents outside the country, which is unacceptable for a serious country. How can we get timely information if our people stay home? They cannot give a report only on the basis of what someone tells them, they must be present there and see for themselves. Also, employees in the Intelligence Agency are publicly known, if you send them to medical examination – one can read in their healthcare card where they work. What kind of intelligence agents are they if everyone knows them? In the west, even their closest family members don’t know where they work. There are many such banal examples, there are many things that need to be corrected. First of all, a good budget should be provided, a good team should be equipped, there should be no political revanchism, that is, leave the professionals who were under Ivanov and reform the way of work. Pendarovski, as a person who has experience in dealing with the services, is aware of all this, and, undoubtedly, that there will be order there very soon,” said sources from the intelligence circles.

The reform of the intelligence and security services was one of the three key requirements of the Alliance in the negotiations with North Macedonia, following the implementation of the Prespa Agreement and defense reforms. In December last year, NATO urged the government to reconsider and issue all security permits in the country after Macedonia’s accession, to ensure that internal information from member states and the Alliance will not leak, or be abused.

In this context, the National Security Agency (NSA) has been announced, which should inherit the current UBK. It will employ some of the staff in the UBK, but there will be room for all that will meet the requirements and will pass the check on NATO standards. Those who will “fall” will be fired. This reform was due to begin on June 1, but it will be delayed because the elections slowed down the processes in the Parliament.

Goran Adamovski