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A1 News' Lirim Dulovi recently interviewed incoming Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski on issues related to DUI, the ministries of Justice and Interior, the new government's positions on Kosovo, and the name issue.
Source: A1 News Translated by UMDiaspora Staff Do you have a solution to the measures announced by DUI? I understand DUI's discontent because of its exclusion from the government. What I can say is that my recent actions -- before the elections and after the elections as prime minister-designate -- are in compliance with the laws and the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia. I was given the mandate to form a new government as a result of legal elections that concluded with the VMRO-DPMNE's uncontested victory. I held negotiations with almost all political parties, including DUI. However, there is no constitutional or other legal provision that requires me to include DUI in the government. In summary, I proposed a new government in accordance with the laws and the Constitution, a government in which DUI is not participating -- we will continue to follow the laws. DUI is suggesting that they will disrupt the cooperation between the central and local authorities, particularly in the districts where they have mayors who are members of DUI. How will you solve this problem? Everything they do in accordance with the laws and the Constitution is their right and their prerogative. Anything that goes against the law will create problems for them. For DUI you are citizen Gruevski. You had the same attitude towards President Crvenkovski, whom you did not consult in naming the ministers of the interior, foreign affairs, and defense, even though he has some role in those fields. We had the treatment we had towards Mr. Crvenkovski because he won a highly controversial election; election which saw stuffing of ballot boxes, forgeries, and violence -- election that was not democratic. Contrary to that, we won a fair and legitimate election. This is the first dimension. The second dimension of your question as to why we did not consult Branko Crvenkovski on constituting the ministerial list, according to the Constitution and the laws of the republic, I have no obligation to consult Mr. Crvenkovski on that matter. Additionally, he has been, for over a week, on holidays and it would be inappropriate to disturb him. The majority of the ministers in your government are young and new to the executive branch. Do you believe that the lack of experience of some members will pose a problem in the management of their particular ministries? It was my priority to create a government of well-educated, energetic, and capable people with a capacity to carry out the necessary reforms. In creating this group, we fulfilled our election promises. First, VMRO-DPMNE pledged that we will appoint not only party members, but also politically non-affiliated people who are experts in their respective fields of work. Second, we promised that we will open up the doors to Macedonians from the Diaspora. We wanted people who have proven themselves abroad and to include them in the development of Macedonia. These two instances are a fulfillment of the promises I made to the electorate. In several sectors of the government, we have non-party members who have proven themselves as professionals in their previous work. You chose Mihajlo Manevski as your minister of justice. In the past, SDSM accused him that through his wife, who is a judge, he was connected with some financial circles in the country. One of your primary pledges in the campaign was to combat corruption. There is not a single person in Macedonia that has distinguished himself in the fight against corruption more than Mr. Manevski. For four years he was a member and now chairman of the Corruption Prevention Commission. His tenure witnessed some of the biggest corruption cases brought up against VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM officials. SDSM approved the cases against the former and disapproved the ones against the latter, initiating a barrage of gossip. If indeed Mr. Manevski’s wife was involved in the alleged dealings, they would have exposed it. None of these speculations is true and no legal action has been taken. I already spoke with him on this issue and decided to opt for a person with great legal knowledge who is not scared by this type of situations. There are few people in Macedonia who posses the courage to point out to a prime minister or a minister if there are some suspicions they have been involved in illegal dealings. There are two hypotheses about your choice of Gordana Jankulovska for minister of the interior. One is that she is a person who enjoys your confidence, and the other one that through her the brothers Mijalkovi will be influencing the ministry. Which one is true? The first hypothesis is correct. She is a person of confidence. I trust Gordana Jankulovska not only on a personal basis, but also on the basis on which a PM should have trust in his ministers, and particularly in the minister of the interior. Everything else is pure speculation. Ms. Jankulovska is a lawyer by profession, a person with an impressive educational background who has held high ranking positions in the Ministry of Finance. It is not mandatory that she should have experience with interior issues, because it is not required that the position should be held by an insider. I believe it is better to have somebody from outside the department. Experience shows that such individuals are more capable of objectivity. The choice of Gordana Jankulovska is a choice which will bring positive results. I see that she is, like I was myself, underestimated at the beginning, which opens up the prospect for a surprise. What is your position on the final status of Kosovo? Will you change your stance? There is no change in our position. We are fully aware that the resolution of the final status of Kosovo is dependant on the international community, primarily Brussels and Washington. We, as a state, have to cautiously follow the process, advance our interest, and prevent any damage on our wellbeing. The final solution, agreed by Prishtina, Belgrade, and the international community will be acceptable to us, whether it is independence or something else. If it is independence, we will be the first to congratulate Kosovo and recognize its new status. If it is a different arrangement, we will also accept it as long as it does not go against Macedonia's interests. How will you solve the name issue with Greece? As far as the name issue goes, our position has not changed much. It is primarily a Greek problem. Naturally, it becomes our problem due to Greece’s influence, which may cause a lot of trouble for Macedonia. It is in our interest to further develop our relationship with Greece, both on the economic and political level. It is not our intention to worsen our relations with our neighbor, but at the same time Macedonia has its own name chosen by its people, and it can only be changed through the people. It is within this context that we intend to open up a dialogue with Greece to find a solution that will be acceptable to both parties and which does not endanger the country’s constitutional name. ---------------------- Views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of the United Macedonian Diaspora nor does their publishing on this website imply support from the United Macedonian Diaspora. |
