Reforms in the area of security on the focus

Government in North Macedonia is determined to launch deep reforms in the area of security and the country’s secret services are expected to see major changes as a result of these reforms. Parliament adopted yesterday the bills which enable these reforms.

With the new measures in place, Directorate for Security and Counter Intelligence will be replaced by the National Security Agency, which will be part of the ministry of Interior.

Interior minister Oliver Spasovski says that this will put an end to abuses with secret police.

According to him, security agencies will be efficient and depoliticized. He said that these legal reforms have been approved after holding an all-inclusive debate and by having the support of the opposition.

However, some of ruling party MPs are unhappy about the fact that their proposals about the reform in the secret services were not taken into consideration.

Social democrat MPs Frosina Remenski and Muhamet Zeikiri insisted that secret service officers, who pose a threat for security, be made redundant.

Zekiri says that during the time of VMRO-DPMNE in power, many criminals were hired as part of secret services. Should they fail the screening process, these people must be employed as part of the administration.

Meanwhile, the opposition says that it’s happy with the fact that its proposals have been supported. VMRO-DPMNE lawmaker, Emil Dimitriv said that all 60 amendments proposed by this party have been accepted. These reforms are part of the criteria set out by the European Union and they will be evaluated in the progress report which will be published next week.

/ibna/