German Ambassador to Macedonia, Christine Althauzer said that quality of the elections is more important than the election date. She said in an interview to “Radio Free Europe” (RSU) that she believes the time until the elections is short and that there are still a lot of work has to be done.
“The quality of elections is crucial point, it is crucial that I can not repeat. Our focus will remain on important issues such as the media environment that should give voters the information they need, the quality of the voter registers and to the absence of political manipulation of voters and voting. We will continue to address the problems, problems we find, both in private meetings, and in public, as long as the process is positive and for the moment when we see no need for further review of the process”,said Althauzer she also added according to which the decision of the timing of elections should finally be decided by the government and the involved parties.
German Ambassador in an interview once again called on the parties and institutions to cooperate with the Special Prosecutor’s Office. She also said that the timing in which the Constitutional Court decided to modify the Amnesty Law , has opened certain issues.
“The rule of law is quite general and a basic cornerstone of a functioning democracy, as is the separation between the judicial and the executive branches n democracy , is also an important part of a functional democracy. We recognize that the timing of the move that you mentioned to allow a greater use of pardons, which comes just less than two weeks after the special prosecutor’s office opened a cases against senior political figures for election related crimes opens some questions. Throughout the EU and Germany as part of it, we welcome the public statement by President Ivanov that he would not pardon anyone for electoral crime”, said Althauzer.
