Peter van Houte, the Belgian facilitator who mediated between the working groups of political parties VMRO-DPMNE, SDSM, DUI and DPA successfully agreed upon the name and law of the Special Public Prosecutor.Though seemingly humble and gentle he has repeatedly proved that it is no coincidence, that he carries a certain ‘weight’, political and any other.
Taking into account unofficial information about the Belgian national and a few of his direct confrontations even with the Health Minister Nikola Todorov, and Sasho Mijalkov, the former Head of Security and Counter Intelligence, it is clear that “peaceful Belgian” if anything – is not just an ordinary mediator.
Now, the Special Prosecutor Saga is over, it has been confirmed that it was Mr Van Houte himself who pushed the whole procedure forward, and did so successfully. The name ‘facilitator’ carries a lot of weight, but he achieved what he came here to do, on time, and without scandal.
Mr van Houte, a Belgian national, upon arrival in Skopje bought a bicycle and separated himself from other negotiators, MP’s and party officials who arrived at the Parliamentary Club in Skopje’s city centre in black limousines.
After a few short meetings he commented that it was satisfied with the negotiations, however he immediately clashed with the reality of Macedonian politics. A few days ago, he made a specific comment and told reporters that one of the major political parties did not adhere to what was agreed and doesn’t respect deadlines. He then pulled out two sheets of paper on which was written in Macedonian and English “Word is a word” and “accountability”.
The daily newspaper ‘West‘ reported that in the middle of negotiations Van Houte had threatened party experts to suspend talks if representatives from VMRO-DPMNE,ministers Nikola Popovski and Nikola Todorov, did not set aside their mobile phones and start taking their work seriously.
He then immediately informed Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the US Ambassador Jess Bailey, that instead of finding solutions to problems and issues foreseen by the agreement and prevent a political crisis, representatives were playing on their mobile phones.
Web- Portal “Libertas” wrote that after Mr van Houte’s statement that a large party was hindering the process for the selection of a special prosecutor, Sasho Mijalkov personally decided to join the team of VMRO-DPMNE and tried to clear things up.
“Our sources familiar with the negotiations say the Prime Minister’s cousin immediately started explaining to Van Houte that the draft bill proposal for the Special Prosecutor was unconstitutional. Mr van Houte could not answer this direct attack from the former Intelligence Director diplomatically, and to the contrary he increased his tone and literally in front of all the negotiating teams scolded him, and put him in his place”, reported ‘Libertas’.
“Plusinfo” yesterday reported that Health Minister Nikola Todorov, who was the chief negotiator in the working groups was warned, half- jokingly, half – truthfully that his boss Gruevski would not like a turn in negotiations, especially when the international community decided to propose a new law which gives the Special Prosecutor complete autonomy.
Hoyt is expected to be the catalyst for other points of the Przhino Agreement and will oversee the implementation of the recommendations by Reinhard Priebe’s report.
This is the Belgians second mediation in Macedonia. He was previously a mediator in the Ad Hoc Commission which arose after on the events in Parliament on the 24th of December, 2012.
