Macedonia pardons undermine rule of law, NATO and EU applications -- U.S. official

Record ID: 102105

  • Title: Macedonia pardons undermine rule of law, NATO and EU applications -- U.S. official
  • Date: 19th May 2016
  • Summary: SKOPJE, MACEDONIA (MAY 19, 2016) (REUTERS) GOVERNMENT BUILDING EXTERIOR SIGN ON BUILDING READING (Macedonian): "GOVERNMENT REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA" EU AND MACEDONIAN FLAGS U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, HOYT YEE, COMING OUT TO MEET MEDIA YEE STANDING AND SMILING CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, HOYT YEE, SAYING: "We of course talked in all my meetings yesterday and today about the April 12th pardons, by the president [Gjorge Ivanov], which in our view undermine the rule of law and the principle of accountability. These pardons damage not only the rule of law in Macedonia, but also Macedonia's credibility as a country that is determined to join with Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, HOYT YEE, SAYING: "We feel that the pardons of April 12th, the mass pardons given to some 50 and more politicians in this country -- some of whom were suspected of crimes related to wiretaps, related to electoral fraud -- this pardon undermined the rule of law, creating an image that Macedonia does not respect the rule of law, that in the state of Macedonia there is not accountability for wrongdoings." U.S. FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, HOYT YEE, SAYING: "Macedonia will remain stuck, mired in this crisis, and will not be able to make progress towards its most important goals, which include progress towards NATO and the European Union." GERMAN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR MACEDONIA, JOHANNES HAINDL (LEFT WITH GLASSES), AND MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT, GJORGE IVANOV, SEATED WITH ASSOCIATES FOR TALKS IVANOV SEATED HAINDL SEATED VARIOUS OF MEETING IN PROGRESS
  • Embargoed: 3rd June 2016 17:11
  • Keywords: unrest NATO EU U.S. CEE pardons rule of law protests
  • Location: SKOPJE, MACEDONIA
  • City: SKOPJE, MACEDONIA
  • Country: Macedonia
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014IH4PQ1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The Macedonian president's pardons of more than 50 people implicated in a wiretapping scandal undermine the rule of law, a United States official said on Thursday (May 19).
    The tiny ex-Yugoslav republic has been in turmoil since the opposition accused then-Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and his counter-intelligence chief in February 2015 of wiretapping more than 20,000 people.
    Under an European Union-brokered agreement, Macedonian politicians agreed last year to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the scandal and to hold early elections, but the process is fraying -- particularly after President Gjorge Ivanov pardoned over 50 people implicated, prompting almost daily protests.
    "We of course talked in all my meetings yesterday and today about the April 12th pardons, by the president [Gjorge Ivanov], which in our view undermine the rule of law and the principle of accountability. These pardons damage not only the rule of law in Macedonia, but also Macedonia's credibility as a country that is determined to join with Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions," U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Hoyt Yee, told journalists in Skopje, adding that it harmed Macedonia's NATO and EU aspirations.
    The Macedonian parliament on Wednesday (May 18) called off a national election set for June 5 after most of the main political parties threatened to boycott the vote amid growing anger over the scandal.
    Under international pressure, the Macedonian parliament on Thursday (May 19) approved a law to enable Ivanov to revoke the pardons.
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