Zaev: Our position is clear – this SPO should be incorporated into the public-prosecution system

“Upcoming presidential elections  will be fair and crystal clear”, both  PM Zaev and VMRO-DPMNE leader Mickoski agreed after their joint meeting Sunday evening.

Working groups, set up by SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE, starting Monday will work on the new draft-law on the public prosecutor’s office, envisaging the integration of the Special Public Prosecution into the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Prime Minister and SDSM leader and the VMRO-DPMNE President held a meeting in the Government for talks on ways to secure conditions for fair and democratic presidential elections in April and the reform laws, including laws on intelligence services.

PM Zaev and Mickoski didn’t discuss early parliamentary elections. Also, a demand of the opposition to nominate its own candidate for state public prosecutor was rejected.

“We’ll make sure the elections are crystal clear, which is important for being not only a state interest, but also a party interest. I believe that during the election campaign and on election day, all political stakeholders will do their best not to give even the slightest argument to the EU, which could be considered a shortcoming ahead of the June summit regarding a date for the opening of negotiations,” Zaev told journalists after the meeting.

The parties’ campaign headquarters will communicate throughout the election period, it has been agreed.

“Our position is clear – this Special Public Prosecution should be incorporated into the public-prosecution system of the Republic of North Macedonia,” Zaev said, noting he expected conditions to be created ensuring the law was endorsed with ‘consensus.’

According to the opposition leader, the meeting was ‘useful’ in a bid to improve the political circumstances surrounding a credible election process and presidential run and the reformist agenda, deemed necessary for the country to obtain a date for start of EU negotiations.

“A lot of things will depend on the government since it is in charge of organizing the elections,” Mickoski stated.

The incumbent special public prosecutor, he added, has completely lost the credibility, both professional and personal, which is why it would prove difficult for VMRO-DPMNE to provide its support in the future.

“The SPO’s incorporation into the Public Prosecutor’s Office will be tackled as an issue and discussed, because it is part of the set of reform laws,” Mickoski said.