The Constitutional Court issued a temporary ban against the decision by Justice Minister Krenar Loga to include ethnic identity in the birth certificates. The decision was reached with five votes in favor and two opposed – both “no” votes were from ethnic Albanian justices.

Minister Loga said that the decision is made to prevent ethnic Macedonians from applying to public sector jobs meant for ethnic Albanians under the formula for equal representation in the workforce. It was strongly criticized by many in the public, especially as a side-effect of the order could be increased pressure from Bulgaria on Macedonians who seek Bulgarian citizenship – this type of a document could allow Bulgaria to claim a minority of more than 100,000 people in Macedonia, as opposed to the census results which put this number at 3,500.

The decision of the court means that the issuing of the new style birth certificates will be suspended until the Court reaches a full decision on the matter.