The SPO to find out whether it would exist


Фото: Б. Грданоски

Goran Adamovski

The government and the opposition will sit down today at a joint table in the latest attempt to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the future of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. Recent information suggests that there is a mood in both camps to find a compromise on the new prosecution law, but both SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE say they remain on their positions, so it is uncertain what the epilogue will be. The proposed text of the law comes before MPs tomorrow. If there is no compromise, the government will try to reach a two-thirds majority as in the name issue. If it fails, then a simple majority of 61 lawmakers will amend the Law on Prosecutors. The opposition accused it of being illegal and said the changes would only apply until they returned to power.
“There is no compromise with the law,” VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski responded yesterday to the question of whether the party is considering flexibility over the red lines in the negotiations.
According to him, an agreement with SDSM would have been made so far, but the obstacle was in the Minister of Justice, Renata Deskoska, who exuded great anger towards VMRO-DPMNE.
“I am really sorry that the justice minister has at times turned into the minister of injustice. She seeks to undermine the negotiations in every way. The main obstacle is that those negotiations have not ended. Our position is clear: it is justice and righteousness regardless of political affiliation. Anyone who has violated the law should take responsibility through a fair trial. Deskoska’s position is political and aims to clash with VMRO-DPMNE. That is why we cannot take the negotiations closer to a deal. A political settlement to a legal issue will bring suitcases, racketeering and the like. If there was an intention to contract, it would have been found by now. We negotiate with facts and arguments”, claims Mickoski.
SDSM Vice President Mila Carovska thinks that everything that is built as a capacity in the SPO must exist because without a rule of law, without systems that are adequate for protecting citizens and protecting against crime, we cannot move forward.
“I am sure that the negotiating team and the prime minister will find a solution that is best for everyone so that the capacities created can be sustained”, assured Carovska.
Deputy Prime Minister Bujar Osmani is even more optimistic than Carovska, and has expressed confidence that a compromise on the law on public prosecution will be found and will be reached by consensus among all political parties.
“I believe that differences between the main political parties of the Macedonian bloc aren’t insurmountable,” the Deputy PM” Osmani told Radio Free Europe.
These differences can be settled with strong political will, according to him.
Deputy PM Osmani said the red lines of the government and the EU, which involves the establishment of an institution to probe high-level crime, shouldn’t be crossed.
“Everything within these lines provides, I believe, enough room for finding a compromise. I’m optimistic about a compromise for the law on the public prosecution and a consensus between all political parties,” he stated.

The parties have submitted over fifty amendments to the law that will be adopted in a fast-track procedure. One fifth of the amendments have already been accepted, including that the newly-formed prosecution would allocate 0.4% of the budget, which is currently around 1.5 million euros a year. But the differences remain on key issues such as the status of the cases opened by the SPO, the future of other SPO prosecutors, and the name of the new head whom the opposition wants to nominate, but it won’t in any way be Vilma Ruskovska.