In yesterday’s interview on “Sitel”, to the question that was asked directly doesn’t he convene the Security Council after reports of mass eavesdropping, behind which, according to the claims of one side, is a foreign service, President Gjorgje Ivanov replied that he could not organize a session based on “media reports and statements by experts”, although the first to announce this on an extraordinary “address to the people” was Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.
In his dramatic speech on 31st of January this year, Gruevski gave much more than “media reports and statements by experts”:
– It’s created a scenario for which you are all witnesses from the start, where eventually the entire country was to be held hostage. There are some things that no responsible person and politician in the world can and must not ignore them and set them aside. Such a thing is the interest of the state. In the whole 24 years of independence of this country, no politician, even the most controversial ones, has done something this. I want to recommend the following. I don’t accept threats, blackmail and such setups and they won’t pass and to all involved, I publicly reiterated that we are Macedonians. This is a great damage that is done to the state on its reputation and image…According to recent information I received from the Ministry of Interior, a foreign intelligence service is behind the wiretapping…To describe who talks to whom, what functions they perform and what are their relations for the orderer to have a full and clear image with analysis, supported by transcripts of specific calls by prominent personalities from politics – said Gruevski at the time.
But, according to Ivanov, these dramatic statements of Gruevski are frivolous and are not sufficient reason for convening the Security Council.
In the interview for “Sitel” last night, he explained as follows:
– All those who call (for convening the Security Council), and I see former politicians, analysts, should know that since 2005, we have Law on dealing with crises, in which the procedure for such situations is defined. I cannot argue on the basis of media reports or statements of experts. There is a certain procedure how should the Security Council meet and its conclusions bind both Government and the Assembly. Meanwhile, I had meetings with the authorities in the field of security, which in some way, are under my jurisdiction – with the Intelligence Agency and the military intelligence, I search for all possible foreign threats or risks that exist. We informed our friendly services and countries about these indicated conditions, so about 15 members of the European Union and NATO are informed of all possible risks and potential threats to Macedonia. The process in the security starts from that perspective.
