Skopje, 16 March 2023 (MIA) – At a session Thursday, the Commission for the Use of Names gave a negative assessment on the use of the name Ivan Mihajlov, which was submitted by the association Cultural Center “Ivan Mihajlov” – Bitola, said the Ministry of Justice in a press release.

The Ministry said that the conclusion of the session will be forwarded to the Minister of Justice, who will have to make a decision based on the Commission’s stance.

 “The Commission for the Use of Names of Figures believes that the name of the Ivan Mihajlov association is a provocation for the national feelings of the Macedonian people, since it is the name of a figure with close ties to the fascist ideology who denied the uniqueness of the Macedonian people, while at the same time causing intolerance and hatred in Macedonian society,” said the press release.

 The session of the Commission for the Use of Names was held on the last day of the deadline during which it had to form a position and forward it to the Ministry of Justice regarding the name of the Ivan Mihajlov association due to the amendments of the Law on Associations.

The Ministry of Justice told MIA on Wednesday, a day before the Commission’s meeting, that the Minister of Justice will fully respect the decision of the Commission.

According to the Law on Associations and Foundations, which was adopted in November 2022, the Bulgarian clubs are obliged to request a re-registration, otherwise they are at threat of being closed down.

The Central Registry told MIA on Thursday that it is yet to receive a response from the Tsar Boris III association from Ohrid and that the procedure is underway.

 “The Central Registry will submit a Report to the Ministry of Justice immediately after the completion of the procedure,” said the Registry.

The Ivan Mihajlov association on the other hand, did not submit a name change request.

The head of the association, Ljupcho Georgievski said they don’t intend to re-register and have taken certain legal measures available to them.

The amendments of the Law on Associations and Foundations ban naming civil organizations, foundations and political parties after names, nicknames, pseudonyms of historical figures related to fascism, Nazism, genocide, Third Reich etc. The law has a retroactive effect and it also applies to already registered associations and foundations. According to the amendments, the associations and foundations that do not comply with the amendments will be deleted from the Registry following a decision by the Minister of Justice.

The Commission for the Use of Names of Figures consists of five members, including a representative from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Culture, a representative from the Institute of National History and two representatives from MANU. ad/nn/