With 10 to 7 votes, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs in the Macedonian Parliament accepted that the Bulgarians and five other nationalities should be included in the basic law of our southwestern neighbor. The condition for the Bulgarians is one of the mandatory ones for Skopje to continue the negotiations for joining the European Union.
The Commission on Constitutional Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia voted two conclusions today – to proceed with the amendment of the constitution submitted by the government of the Republic of North Macedonia, and to prepare draft amendments to the constitution, in case the need to amend the basic document is accepted at the parliamentary session on August 18. Both conclusions were adopted with ten votes “for” and seven votes “against”, reported MIA, quoted by BTA.
First, the commission supports the proposal to proceed with the amendment of the constitution submitted by the government of the Republic of North Macedonia. Second, the commission proposes to the parliament to take a decision on proceeding with the amendment of the constitution, he said Talat Jaferiwho is the chairman of the Macedonian Parliament and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
The second conclusion refers to the preparation of draft amendments to the constitution, if the need for such changes is supported at the parliament session on August 18.
I propose that the committee accept and propose to the parliament the following conclusion: the submitter of the proposal to amend the constitution, the RSM government, to prepare the text of the draft amendments within 15 days at the latest and submit it to the parliament, Jaffery said.
Earlier, the Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski justified the proposal for constitutional changes before the commission. Representatives from all parliamentary groups also spoke. Against the constitutional changes are 44 deputies from VMRO-DPMNE and two deputies from the Left.
In addition to Kovacevski, the meeting was attended by the Minister of Justice Krenar Loga, the Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Maricic, and later they were joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Buyar Osmanias well as representatives of the diplomatic corps and missions in Skopje.
Commenting on the position of VMRO-DPMNE that it will not support the changes in the constitution, Osmani, quoted by Macedonian media, said that “there is no greater Bulgarianization than the withdrawal of a Bulgarian passport”.
“Every day we are getting more and more late for the EU. Macedonians take out a Bulgarian passport, for which you have to declare in Sofia that you are Bulgarian by origin. There is no greater Bulgarianization than taking out a passport, as a result of the delay in integration, the number of these passports reaches 100,000. The inclusion of Bulgarians in the constitution is a formalization of the fact that we are talking about two different peoples. For the first time in the constitution, we will have the Macedonian people as a majority and part of the Bulgarian people as a minority,” said Osmani, quoted by “Sloboden Pechat”.
Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Buyar Osmani
Photo: BTA
He pointed out that the future of the country is not the responsibility of the government alone, but of all those who want the country to be part of the European Union. “The country is at a critical point and anyone who wants to see progress must take responsibility,” Osmani said in an appearance on TV 21.
To this end, he believes it is necessary to create a European front that takes a leading role on this path and is more than conducting everyday politics.
“Now is the moment when we have to bear responsibility for this people, responsibility for this country, because after all, politics is first of all a service, it is a kind of responsibility to the people who voted for you. Now is the time of the front for Europe. To maintain this course, to reach this point and after we pass it, then the political scene is organized as it wants, that is less important at the moment,” Osmani pointed out.
The minister also said that it would be much more honest for the opposition to clearly express its opinion – whether it is for or against the EU and what alternative it offers.
“What does the opposition propose? A Eurasian association, for example? This is the only way to be honest with the voters. But if you claim that you want a European future for the country, this is the way to Europe. It’s not just for us, it was for every country,” said Osmani.
A two-thirds majority is required for the adoption of changes to the constitution, i.e. 44 MPs must also vote for them. VMRO-DPMNE in the 120-seat parliament. The changes envisage the inclusion of Bulgarians in the constitution, which is Sofia’s main requirement for the Republic of North Macedonia to start EU membership negotiations.
However, the parties have not changed their positions. The largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE remains “against” the adoption of the changes. The party of Christian Mickoski wants the changes in the constitution to enter into force upon full membership in the EU and insists on guarantees from the European institutions for Macedonian identity, language and history, and Bulgaria to implement decisions of the European Court on the rights of Macedonians.
The leader of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE Hristiyan Mitskoski
Photo: BTA
Himself Mickoski called the session of the parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia on constitutional changes to be convened as soon as possible. “Don’t wait for the plenary session until August 18, schedule it for tomorrow, and if the government does not have a two-thirds majority for the constitutional changes, the parliament should be dissolved and elections should be called,” Mickoski urged, as quoted by Channel 5 and BTA television.
He expressed his belief that the government does not have the necessary 80 votes to push through the changes and that all 44 deputies from VMRO-DPMNE and the coalition are united in the opinion that, in his words, “there will be no constitutional changes under Bulgarian dictation“.
First Deputy Prime Minister Artan Grubi said in his appearance on Channel 5 news yesterday that he hoped the European perspective would eventually prevail among MPs.
Even if the necessary majority is not secured and the constitutional amendments are not adopted, the government does not plan to call early elections.
“There will be no early elections, we will go to regular elections. If the vote fails, unfortunately the European future of our country will fail and I do not believe that anyone, even VMRO-DPMNE, will allow this. I am convinced that we have friends in VMRO-DPMNE, I am convinced that this party is European-oriented,” said Grubi.
The regular parliamentary elections in the Republic of North Macedonia should take place next year.
2023-07-25 14:51:08
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