Today, advisors in Bitola at the session of the Council discussed the quarterly report on how the budget for 2016 was implemented, signed by Mayor Vladimir Taleski. Having proposed the budget, the Mayor has now requested reports be sent to his home, on how the budget is being implemented, confirmed officials from the Municipality of Bitola.
Opposition parties in the Council requested any such discussion be withdrawn from the agenda and not discussed again, until the situation regarding whether the Mayor whilst under house arrest can sign official documents can be clarified.
Gabriela Ilievska, an advisor from the Bitola VMRO-NP party, requested this item on the agenda be withdrawn for 30 days until the SPO and the courts explain and clear up legally whether the Mayor has the right to use his signature in the capacity of his mayoral work while under house arrest.
Ilievska sent a request to the Special Public Prosecutor Katica Janeva, the Basic Court Skopje 1, the Court of Appeals in Skopje and the Legislative Committee of Parliament, for an opinion, on whether the Mayor, who is under house arrest has the legal right to sign official documents.
“Bitola finds itself in a terrible situation. It is being held hostage by one man and that is why I am seeking the opinion of these institutions on the application of Article 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Does this individual have the right to sign official documents while under house arrest, is he permitted visitors without the permission of a judge and can those visitors give him official documents to review and sign”, Ilievska asked.
An advisor to the SDSM, Zoran Stojchevski, described the situation regarding the detained Mayor in one short sentence: “Everything is the same, it’s just that he is not here”.
The opposition’s proposal to postpone the discussion of the quarterly report, was not accepted by the majority of the government.
“I will say this to the press, the Council will not interfere with the rights and responsibilities of other institutions”, said the President of the Council, Silvana Angelevska.
