Today, the Prime Minister and President of SDSM Zoran Zaev said that at the meeting of working groups of the ruling coalition and the opposition coalition of VMRO-DPMNE there will be no bargaining over crimes and that he wants to agree on a new law on the SPO, and if it doesn’t happen, that the country will continue to function with the existing laws on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. However, he said that all personal prejudice must be set a side, in order to reach an agreement for a strong SPO.
“The Public Prosecution Law must be passed with a two-thirds majority. And to secure this two-thirds majority, it needs to be discussed. If this is the case, there will be a new law for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, if not, the country will continue to function with the recent laws on the Public Prosecutor’s Office. There is no need for bargaining, nor is there any need to achieve some goals through such talks”, responded Zaev to a journalist’s question on whether discussions between the new working group are just bargaining over crimes.
Zaev spoke to journalists outside the court, where he testified today on his private law suit over threats he received via Facebook in June, 2016.
Asked whether it was appropriate for parties to choose a special public prosecutor, Zaev pointed out that in the end, the Council of Public Prosecutors has the last word, not Parliament or the Government.
He called on politicians to set aside all personal prejudice for the benefit of the country and to adopt a new law on the SPO.
“The Republic of North Macedonia will prosper and will be a good country, I hope it will not waste anymore time. We have to have a serious public prosecution system, with the help of the international community, and all the experts, we will with a wonderful law with all indications from the Venice Commission and all that is important to the country. Therefore, we have to carry out our responsibility as players in society. I don’t believe that this is a negotiation, these are discussions of working groups between the two main political parties, and we are already represented through the coalition in the government to convince everyone that personal prejudice should be set aside and to support what is good for the citizens and for our country”, Zaev said.
