During his first Parliament question time today, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski gave numerous examples of nepotistic and politically driven appointments in the Academy for Judges and Prosecutors, which prepares the future judicial officials.

In one instance, Mickoski said, the sister of former SDSM member of Parlament Snezana Kalevska Vanceva was named to the Management Board of the Academy, even though she is already member of the Judicial Council, which represents a conflict of interest. Another Academy appointment is the cousin of SDSM official Veton Kranli, the mother of SDSM parliamentary candidate and Gostivar Council member Ema Neskoska…

We have a Government elected with 600,000 votes and, on the other hand, we have several loyalists of the previous SDSM – DUI Government running our judiciary. The solution is to fully depoliticize the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors because, if we don’t, the next EU progress report will actually note backsliding in this area, Mickoski said.

A process of consultations on this issue will begin next week, Mickoski added, and it will include the key Government members that are concerned in this area. “I’m convinced that all members of Parliament will vote for such a reform that is recommended by the EU. And if they don’t, I’m certain that we will find a two-thirds majority to put an end to the captivity of the Judicial council”.