MPs Remain Entrenched in Macedonia ‘Name’ Deal Debate
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| Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev speaks in the parliament. Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI |
At Wednesday’s start of the third day of a parliamentary debate in Macedonia on the constitutional changes needed to implement the “name” agreement with Greece, legislators from the ruling and and opposition parties appeared entrenched in their own positions.
On Tuesday afternoon, dozens of opposition VMRO DPMNE legislators withdrew their requests to take part in the debate, after the speaker, Talat Xhaferi, refused to allow the opposition leader, Hristijan Mickoski, to address the session because he is not an MP.
The impromptu request for Mickoski to address parliament came from the VMRO DPMNE parliamentary group.
Earlier on Tuesday, several opposition MPs said they would not vote to start the procedure for constitutional amendments that would change the country’s name to the Republic of North Macedonia, as stipulated under the “name” agreement.
But many of them also urged the centre-left Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, to settle the matter through talks with opposition leader Mickoski.
VMRO DPMNE MP Krsto Jovanovski urged Zaev “not to press the legislators to vote ‘Yes’” but to first “sit down with Mickoski and find a solution.”
Another VMRO DPMNE MP, Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska, also called on party leaders to reach a compromise.
“Party leaders should help push this process. Their responsibility is huge, so that Macedonia does not remain isolated. An honest approach is needed when solving this big issue. We must acknowledge our own mutual mistakes, otherwise we won’t move forward,” Milevska said.
VMRO DPMNE MP Dragan Danev insisted that while the name deal was “harmful”, no compromise would be ideal.
“The deal opens the doors for swift accession into NATO and for possible EU accession and that should be clearly stated,” he said.
However, he added that “after the failed referendum [on September 30]”, he had “neither the will nor the right to vote for the constitutional amendments”.
Zaev told parliament that he was ready for talks with the opposition leader but urged the opposition MPs to vote “Yes” meanwhile, in order to give the process a chance.
| Opposition MPs released from house arrest | |
| The Appeals Court on Tuesday released two VMRO DPMNE MPs Ljuben Arnaudov and Saso Vasilevski from house arrest, after they offered 300,000 and 400,000 euros as bail guarantees as a deposit that they won’t flee justice.
The two MPs are part of a group of 30 people on trial for last year’s rampage in parliament on April 27. Five opposition MPs are among the accused. All but one have now been released from house arrest. This came after Prime Minister Zoran Zaev at Monday’s start of the parliamentary session called for “reconciliation” with the opposition. Despite government denials, some interpreted this as a possible sign that Zaev was prepared to talk about granting an amnesty to those involved in last year’s attack on parliament in exchange for their votes in favour of the “name” agreement with Greece. Upon their release decision, the two opposition MPs briefly told media in front of the Skopje court that they did not have time to acquaint themselves with the proposed government amendments and have not yet decided how would they vote. |
“We are now only determining the need for the start of the constitutional amendments procedure. We will have voting opportunities later as well… It is a process that will last over 100 days,” Zaev said.
“I am ready for talks with everyone, including the VMRO DPMNE leader, so that we can build a scenario and a consensus on this issue.”
For now, however, only one MP has appared to change his mind about supporting the “name” agreement.
Ferid Muhic, the only MP from the ruling majority who was previously against the agreement, told parliament that after considering the facts he had decided to support it.
This increases the number of pro-agreement MPs to 72 in the 120-seat parliament.
But this is still far from the required two-thirds majority of 80 legislators.
The debate in parliament continues on Wednesday. Due to the withdrawals from the discussion of some opposition MPs, the number of MPs due to speak has been cut almost in half, from some 50 to only 30.
Read more:
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No Amnesty for Macedonia Parliament Attackers, Govt Says
Macedonia Races Against Time for Name Change
Macedonia Starts Procedure on Changing Country’s Name
Snap Election May Yet Salvage Macedonian Name Deal
Low Turnout Dents ‘Yes’ Victory in Macedonia Referendum
Macedonia Opposition Accused of Playing ‘Two-faced’ Referendum Game
