Macedonia president urges end to boycott

Macedonia’s Pres. Branko Crvenkovski called on the opposition to return to parliament at a press conference on Thursday.

Izvor: BIRN

Friday, 01.08.2008.

13:42

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Macedonia’s Pres. Branko Crvenkovski called on the opposition to return to parliament at a press conference on Thursday. The President said he would pardon Zoran Zaev, the popular mayor of Strumica and vice president of the opposition Social Democrats, who was arrested on charges of abuse of office and has been held in detention. Macedonia president urges end to boycott Zaev along with five others is accused of abuse of office over a tender for a local shopping mall in the south-eastern town of Strumica. In protest over his arrest, the Social Democrats launched a boycott of parliament. If they keep up their action, the parliament will practically be left without any opposition lawmakers as two weeks ago, the main ethnic Albanian opposition, the Democratic Party of Albanians also left the assembly arguing they will return when the issues concerning greater rights for their community are addressed properly. The President said he was also prepared not to sign the law on use of languages passed last week, in a bid to entice the Democratic Party of Albanians back to parliament. “I support the law on use of languages but because of its significance it should be passed in a normal procedure in the presence of the opposition,” Crvenkovski said. He also said he would not sign off the laws on lobbying, employment relations, expropriation and energy, which have triggered controversy. “I am fully aware of the risks and the doubts that will emerge over this proposal. If the government, the Social Democrats, the Democratic Party of Albanians, (ruling) VMRO DPMNE or (junior ruling coalition party) the Democratic Union for Integration have a better proposal on how we can return to a normal parliamentary democracy, then you can forget about what I have suggested,” the President told reporters.

Macedonia president urges end to boycott

Zaev along with five others is accused of abuse of office over a tender for a local shopping mall in the south-eastern town of Strumica.

In protest over his arrest, the Social Democrats launched a boycott of parliament. If they keep up their action, the parliament will practically be left without any opposition lawmakers as two weeks ago, the main ethnic Albanian opposition, the Democratic Party of Albanians also left the assembly arguing they will return when the issues concerning greater rights for their community are addressed properly.

The President said he was also prepared not to sign the law on use of languages passed last week, in a bid to entice the Democratic Party of Albanians back to parliament.

“I support the law on use of languages but because of its significance it should be passed in a normal procedure in the presence of the opposition,” Crvenkovski said.

He also said he would not sign off the laws on lobbying, employment relations, expropriation and energy, which have triggered controversy.

“I am fully aware of the risks and the doubts that will emerge over this proposal. If the government, the Social Democrats, the Democratic Party of Albanians, (ruling) VMRO DPMNE or (junior ruling coalition party) the Democratic Union for Integration have a better proposal on how we can return to a normal parliamentary democracy, then you can forget about what I have suggested,” the President told reporters.

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