Albanian Times: "Macedonian government and opposition agree on judicial reforms"

After EU expressed concern on the standstill in judicial reforms in Macedonia, the government and the opposition held talks and came to some agreements.

In what can be hailed as a breakthrough in the judicial reform process, the Macedonian government and the opposition agreed last week on the law governing the office of the public prosecutor -- a topic that has been plagued with differences in opinion.

During a six-hour meeting Sunday (July 1st), party leaders reached an agreement, which unblocks judicial reforms, Justice Minister Mihajlo Manevski said on Monday.

It was agreed that that there should be only one prosecution office: instead of a state-level public prosecution office for organised crime, there will be a special unit subordinate to Public Prosecutor Ljupco Svrgovski. The Council of Public Prosecutors would endorse the appointment or dismissal of prosecutors.

No agreement was reached, however, on the mandate of public prosecutors. The main opposition party, SDSM, wants a lifetime mandate for them, saying it would protect prosecutors from political or other influence. The ruling parties reject the demand.

Sunday's meeting followed one on June 27th, where the group met to discuss how the new public prosecutor would be selected. Under that agreement, the government, in consult with the Council of Prosecutors, will propose the candidate. He or she will then need to garner parliamentary approval.

An agreement on the completion of a State Judiciary Council, the body that will elect and dismiss judges, was also reached.

"We have settled the issues. The talks were successful ... These are the only one or two things we have yet to agree upon," VMRO DPMNE leader Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski said after the meeting.

EU Representative for Macedonia Erwan Fouere welcomed the agreement, saying the meeting was a success because party leaders sat down together to discuss the issues. This is what will lead to implementation of reforms, Fouere said.

Judicial reform stalled after the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) left Parliament and the government was left without the so-called Badinter principle. Stipulated in the Ohrid Peace Accords, the principle acknowledges that some types of bills require approval by a specified minimum of minority party lawmakers.

The lack of the minority also blocked the election of judges to the newly established Administrative Court. A new Appellate Court in Gostivar was on hold as well.

A new meeting outside of parliament is expected by the end of the week, to discuss the completing the composition of the State Court Council.

(SeTimes, Albanian Times - Koha Shqpitare)