Constitutional amendments approved by the Committee

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Committee for Constitutional Affairs today approved the constitutional changes. Members of the Committee voted to define marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman, establishment of international financial zones, the National Bank to be renamed Central Bank of the Republic of Macedonia, in fiscal policy, deficit is projected up to 3 percent, while public debt up to 60 percent of GDP in making the annual budget. Once the amendments are passed by the Judicial Council, the Minister of Justice and the head of the Supreme Court will be ex officio members, and the possibility of legal action and appeal to the Constitutional Court is created, and SAO is defined as an independent body.

At the debate on the definition of marriage as a union only between a man and a woman, DPA MP Imer Aliu said there are more pressing problems than marriage and that the Government is concerned with marginal issues, rather than the priorities.

– You act like homosexuals are queuing before the state institutions to get married – said Imer Aliu.

To this, Romeo Trenev from VMRO-DPMNE replied that he was convinced that more than 95 percent of the population in Macedonia shares the position which stands as a constitutional amendment.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Biljana Brishkoska-Boshkoski said that the functioning of the international financial zones will be provided by laws that meet the highest standards. As Brishkoska-Boshkoski explained, this amendment is consistent with the views of Brussels.

According to the governing VMRO-DPMNE, international financial zones are an opportunity for entry of new capital and reduction of unemployment.

According to MP Aleksandar Nikolovski from VMRO-DPMNE, all current critics of this constitutional amendment will change their minds when confronted with the functioning of the zones.