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Explainer: Crisis In Macedonia Leads To Violent Protests

April 15, 2016
by Pete Baumgartner

Violent protests that led to the ransacking of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov's office are the culmination of public anger over a long-running scandal in which the government is accused of illegally wiretapping thousands of citizens' phone conversations.

The outrage bubbled over into the streets of the capital, Skopje, just hours after Ivanov said during a nationwide televised address on April 12 that he was ending a special investigation into the individuals -- including former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski -- allegedly involved in the wiretapping. That effectively pardons more than 50 officials from any possible wrongdoing.

Along with angering many Macedonians, Ivanov's decision to end the investigation by special prosecutor Katica Janeva has also been heavily criticized by the European Union and the United States.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Ivanov's blanket pardon risks "undermining years of efforts within the country and with the support of the international community to strengthen the rule of law."

The EU's enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, told RFE/RL that the situation was "really deteriorating" and said the move to end the wiretapping investigation goes against his "understanding of the rule of law."

The U.S. State Department said in a statement on April 13 that Washington was "deeply concerned" by Ivanov's move, which it said will "protect corrupt officials and deny justice to the people of Macedonia."

It added that failure to allow the courts to do their job and continue the investigation undermines Macedonian leaders' "commitment to the fundamental values of NATO and the European Union."

U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily said Ivanov's decision will not only impede upcoming early elections that were scheduled to defuse the crisis, but will hinder Macedonia's efforts to join NATO and the EU.

Violent Protests

The wiretap recordings are estimated to include the conversations of some 20,000 people, including politicians, journalists, and many other officials that appeared to reveal widespread corruption and fraud.

First alleged in February 2015, the scandal and nonstop political bickering surrounding it has irritated and angered many Macedonians who want those responsible for the crisis the scandal has caused to be brought to justice.

Soon after Ivanov announced the end of the investigation and pardoned the main suspects in the wiretappings on April 12, protesters quickly gathered outside the president's office and began pelting it with eggs.

Clashes with police occurred later near the headquarters of the main coalition party, the VMRO-DPMNE, which has been led by Gruevski for more than 10 years.

On April 13, a larger crowd broke the windows of the presidential office and trashed it, pulling out furniture and setting it alight.

Scandal And Political Crisis

The wiretapping allegations by opposition leader Zoran Zaev against Gruevski and his government and demonstrations against Gruevski's government began in May 2015, resulting in several injuries as protesters and police clashed.

Zaev, head of the then-opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, embarrassed government denials of the wiretappings by releasing recordings of phone conversations -- many of them involving Gruevski and members of his government.

Several government officials resigned their posts as a result.

Zaev even set up a public "concert" in which he played many of the alleged wiretapped conversations to a crowd in a Skopje square. He also held press conferences on several consecutive Tuesdays during which he revealed more of the recordings, often embarrassing government officials.

Gruevski accused Zaev of blackmailing him and the government and refused calls to resign.

Zaev himself was charged in January with planning to overthrow the government. That charge will apparently also be dropped as part of Ivanov's controversial pardon announcement.

Gruevski resigned in January after 10 years as prime minister in an agreement that was mediated by the EU last year. It also called for the dissolution of parliament and the holding of early elections.

Elections Endangered

EU officials are now focusing on the successful holding of the elections, which were originally scheduled for April 24 but postponed until June 5 after complaints by the opposition of unfair conditions.

Officials in Brussels and Washington have said Ivanov's action to end the investigation into the wiretapping has jeopardized the credibility of the polls.

According to Macedonia's constitution, parliament speaker Trajko Veljanovski has until April 15 to rule whether to hold the elections on June 5 or to postpone them yet again.

Zaev's Social Democrats do not want elections to be held until the passage of a new media law that establishes equal treatment of all media organizations. But that legislation has been stalled in parliament for months.

Zaev says the media in the country is controlled by pro-government press outlets.

The opposition is also demanding that the country's electoral lists be reviewed and cleaned up ahead of any new elections. The opposition says the lists are now out of date and allow for vote rigging by the government.

The EU's Hahn tweeted on April 12 that he had "serious doubts if credible elections are still possible."

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/explainer-crisis-in- macedonia-leads-to-violent-protests/27675969.html

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Explainer: Crisis In Macedonia Leads To Violent Protests