Political parties negotiating over the Przhino Agreement have hit a dead end, but haven’t met the deadline for the electoral legislation, which was to be coordinated by the 6th of October.
Due to missing of the deadline this time, it is possible that other outstanding issues will be delayed. The negotiations, at least to the public, were fine until the Coordinator of the Parliamentary Group of DUI, Talat Xhaferi, in cooperation with Krsto Mukoski from VRMO-DPNE did not submit the draft-bill to ban the publications of the intercepted materials in the media, and social networks.
However, other several open issues remained on the agenda
- Problems in the media (Deadline: October 15, 2015 – the day after tomorrow!)
- Provisional Government with Ministers and Deputy Ministers from SDSM (Deadline: October 20th, 2015 – in a week!)
- Drafts laws on ‘Whistle-blowers’ and for “a moratorium on the bombs” (Deadline: October the 20th, 2015 – in a week!)
Still, there has been no response, neither from the parties nor their negotiators, whether the deadline for electoral regulations will again be delayed the resolution of open issues in the other groups is unknown.
Working groups who are meant to consider and solve the problems in the media have only come together and met once. At the first meeting representatives from media organizations AJM and MAN were invited, as well as other experts to express their views as to which is the easiest way to regulate this domain. Nevertheless, since nothing specific came out of that meeting the questions over the media remain open. There is still no clarification when a new meeting will be scheduled which will address the problems.
At the first meeting, Robert Popovski the representative of SDSM, said that the issue of the media is crucial to holding fair and democratic elections and therefore insists that the issue be settled by October the 15th (the day after tomorrow!).
“The media should have enough time to settle down before the elections scheduled for April 2016. If this is not resolved, we will not be able to not be away from their rosy glasses, and pinky vision”, said Mr Popovski.
British media expert, Richard Bailey was brought into assist for resolving media problems. At the first meeting he delivered solutions to overcome the political pressure on the Macedonian media.
