Siljanovska for Nezavisen Vesnik: I’m not promising instant solutions, but a fight for justice in Macedonia
“They talk about democracy and procedures, and yet they chose their candidate in a hotel, after which they only confirmed his nomination at a party congress. They previously published the public call to which people, who did not have a chance of being elected, have offered their bid,” Professor Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova said after learning that her colleague Stevo Pendarovski is going to be her opponent in the upcoming presidential elections. In his first speech as a candidate for the head of state in only a small segment, Pendarovski said that finally in these past two years, there were good news flowing in after a whole decade of the family’s autocratic regime. He never mentioned his opponent, the emphasis was put on continuing the European integration processes with the conclusion that the citizens have no other choice but to give their support to him.
In fact, Siljanovska – Davkova’s remark was more directed to the democratic capacity in SDSM, than to Pendarovski personally. For the time being, both candidates’ University background leaves the impression that the presidential race will remain without the usual ‘dark’ campaign, attacks and disqualifications on a personal level, but such an image may be apparent, because behind them are parties that shoot with all the artillery the possess, and it is expected that tensions between both candidates will also grow as the two election days are approaching.
Siljanovska-Davkova has a two-week head start, considering that her election at VMRO-DPMNE’s Struga Convention took place on February 16th, while Pendarovski found out that he is the ruling coalition’s consensual presidential candidate just last weekend. Professor Siljanovska – Davkova sustained all initial criticism and insults about her age and physical appearance, but probably in the next days and weeks she would have to continue to explain how she plans to annul or mitigate the Prespa Agreement. The name resolution and the Law on bilingualism are the main processes in which she disagrees with the government, although it is reassuring that it does not matter whether she likes them or not, but above all because they are unconstitutional, however, she has remarks basically for all government policies led by Zoran Zaev.
In a statement for Nezavisen Vesnik/Independent daily newspaper, Siljanovska-Davkova explains that she does not promise things that cannot be met even if she wins the elections, but that she promises only what is within the constitutional powers of the head of state.
“Foreign policy, and in particular the representation of the state outside and the signing of international agreements, enters that domain. What I pointed out for months was the illegal procedure through which this agreement was passed, including the referendum process, and precisely on those issues, any international agreement can be challenged in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention. So, I’m talking about a legal procedure before a competent international institution, not a political promise. Otherwise, in the Republic of Macedonia, competent for the constitutionality of this agreement is the Constitutional Court, but this court does not work with legal arguments. What I can promise without fear of disappointing anyone is that I will keep the issue open on every occasion, when it will be possible,” emphasizes Siljanovska-Davkova.
She says that in order to open a procedure for re-examining the legal validity of the Prespa Agreement, synergy between the government and the head of state is necessary, and believes that this will happen during her term.
“In the meantime, I will initiate the creation of an expert group of top authorities in the area of international and constitutional law, which will prepare an analysis of which points the Prespa Agreement and the process of its adoption are in collision with applicable international law. In dialogue with our partners and allies, and especially with our neighbor Greece, we will point out that we are not against good neighborly relations and integration of Macedonia in the Western alliances, but we are doing it in a dignified manner and in accordance with the rule of domestic and international law. In international relations nothing is forever. I don’t promise instant solutions, but a fight for justice for Macedonia throughout my term,” Siljanovska-Davkova concludes in her statement for Nezavisen Vesnik/Independent daily newspaper.
Goran Adamovski