PM Zaev voices discontent after Parliament fails to lift Veljanoski’s MP immunity

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev says Parliament was supposed to follow existing procedure on Sunday regarding the proceedings on the immunity of VMRO-DPMNE MP and former speaker Trajko Veljanovski. He believes it would have demonstrated that all MPs are equal, also leaving space for the Court to decide.

“All rules and procedures should equally apply to all MPs, regardless of whether they are former parliament speakers or not, because we want to be sending the message that everyone is equal before the law,” PM Zaev said voicing discontent.

He referred to SDSM’s parliamentary group’s coordinator Jovan Mitrevski for more details. SDSM also demanded an answer from Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi on the reason for adjourning the plenary session on MP Trajko Veljanovski’s immunity late Sunday.

At a press conference in the Parliament, Mitrevski said there has been a voting quorum and the majority MPs have been ready to reach a decision that would have enabled the Court to freely continue its processes.

“The MPs were ready to mete out justice for the 27 April 2017 events, but Speaker Xhaferi adjourned the session and didn’t allow the voting to continue. Speaker Xhaferi owes an answer to the public, the citizens, as to why he adjourned the session on stripping MP Trajko Veljanoski of his immunity and why he allowed disorder,” Mitrevski said.

“Because of that,” he added, “the Parliament cannot continue with the rest of its activities today.”

Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi adjourned late Sunday the session following accusations by VMRO-DPMNE’s parliamentary group’s coordinator Niklola Micevski that the Rules of Procedure had been violated because his MPs group hadn’t had an hour-long break.