Skopje, 12 October 2022 (MIA) — Levica leader Dimitar Apasiev said Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi’s dismissal of their referendum motion was “him just buying time,” adding that they would file the motion papers again after they correct them as per his request and within the deadline he set. “The motion was not rejected,” Apasiev told Sitel TV.  “This is not the same as in the case of the previous, DPMNE motion. If we read it [Xhaferi’s statement] correctly, our motion has been returned for correction.” “Speaker Xhaferi, in his bullying style, like some constitutional judge, has now used another trick – returning it to us to align it [with the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure] within 15 days. Which is, in fact, what we will do,” the Levica leader said. He said Xhaferi’s interpretation of the proposed referendum question wording was incorrect. “He has neglected to note Article 24 of the Law on Referendum,” Apasiev said, claiming it provided options to hold public votes on various issues decided by the Parliament other than legal acts. “This is exactly the question we are putting to a vote. We are not posing a referendum question related to any act, but to the conclusions. So Speaker Xhaferi’s returning the motion to us is him just buying time,” Apasiev said. He repeated the opposition’s threat that they would completely block the legislature if Xhaferi rejected the motion again. Levica’s referendum motion was rejected because it was not in line with the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure and its referendum question’s wording was objectionable, Xhaferi said in an official statement earlier on Wednesday. The Parliament Speaker said the political party’s motion violated Article 135 of the Rules of Procedure. Also, he noted, Levica’s question was framed “inappropriately because the conclusions are not a general legal act, law or constitution.” “By their nature and content they are a position directing the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia in its actions,” Xhaferi wrote. He also asked Levica to correct and resubmit the motion in line with the Rules of Procedure within 15 days. Levica on Oct. 7 had filed a motion to Parliament to put the question “Do you approve of continuing the negotiations with the EU by accepting the parliamentary conclusions of July 16, 2022?” to a public vote. The question refers to the conclusions Parliament adopted in support of the former French EU Presidency’s proposal to unblock North Macedonia’s EU membership talks this summer. The proposal was accompanied by a bilateral protocol with Bulgaria listing North Macedonia’s obligations in order for Bulgaria to lift its blockade of North Macedonia’s EU negotiations. Previously, on Sept. 9, VMRO-DPMNE had submitted its own proposal to Parliament for holding a referendum to annul the ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria. The VMRO-DPMNE referendum motion was rejected by Xhaferi on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. International agreements ratified in line with the Constitution, Xhaferi said, were part of the country’s internal legal framework and could not be legally changed. VMRO-DPMNE then said their motion was in accordance with Article 24 of the Referendum Law and said that Xhaferi had no reason to reject it. The ruling SDSM, however, backed Xhaferi’s decision because they also found it unconstitutional. mr/