Brussels, 18/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 18 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that the ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) would clear the way for the parliament to reconvene and to cancel the parliamentary elections on 5 June. They added that the ruling was “a renewed opportunity for the country to address a number of serious issues at the heart of the prolonged political crisis”. The nine judges from the Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday 17 May that the dissolution of the Macedonian Parliament (see EUROPE 11498) was unconstitutional. This blocks preparations for the elections.
“The way forward must be defined by all main political parties together”, Mogherini and Hahn said in a joint press release, stating that “it is only a mature dialogue, inclusiveness and commitment to democratic principles and to the necessary reforms and their implementation that will bring the country back on a Euro-Atlantic path”.
In addition, Mogherini and Hahn said that “work should continue to prepare for credible elections as well as on the urgent reform priorities, through an inclusive process”. The previous day, Mogherini's spokesperson had warned that in current conditions (three of the four main parties not qualified for the parliamentary elections on 5 June), the election vote and resulting government would not be credible (see EUROPE 11552). “An engaged opposition and civil society play critical roles in shaping and ensuring the government's commitment to needed reforms”, Mogherini and Hahn said.
They also called for the cancellation “without delay” of the pardons granted by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on 12 May for a number of officials subject to criminal investigations in connection with a telephone tapping scandal (see EUROPE 11531). In the view of Mogherini and Hahn, such cancellations would “preserve the principle of accountability, counteract serious concerns about impunity and avoid selective justice”. “It is a fundamental democratic principle that all citizens should be equal before the law”, they said. Mogherini and Hahn also wanted the parties to guarantee full support to the Special Prosecutor's Office and ensure its unhindered operation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)