VMRO-DPMNE accused President Stevo Pendarovski of appointing a completely unqualified partisan activist as member of the Judicial Council – a key institution tasked with appointing and dismissing judges. Vesna Dameva is appointed to the top council from the lowly position of judicial clerk in the Skopje criminal court.

The important task of evaluating the work of the judges and issuing disciplinary measures against them requires a person with far more serious qualifications. It’s as if the Government wants to use its final opportunity to further degrade the judiciary of the Republic of Macedonia, given the enormous scandals we see each day, said VMRO-DPMNE member of Parliament Nikola Micevski.

He pointed to the fact that Dameva is clearly an outspoken SDSM party activist, given the dozens of photographs with SDSM officials she has shared online. “Is this appointment meant to motivate the other judicial clerks across the country to get more engaged in the ruling party”, Micevski asked.