Skopje, 14 June 2023 (MIA) – The Constitutional Court dismissed Wednesday the initiative submitted by Levica, requesting the annulment of the Statute and Program of the association ‘Culture Center Ivan Mihajlov - Bitola’.

“The ‘Culture Center Ivan Mihajlov – Bitola’ association has been removed from the Central Registry’s database, i.e., it doesn’t exist as a legal entity. As a result of this, procedural obstacles prevent the Constitutional Court from deciding on the initiative, and with it conditions have been met for the Court to dismiss the initiative,” said the Constitutional Court’s spokeswoman, Hristina Belovska. 

The petitioner of the initiative, political party Levica, requested the annulment of the acts with the claims that the disputed Statute and Program are contrary to the Constitution, because, they said, they are aimed at inciting ethnic or religious hatred or intolerance.

The case for the initiative was formed towards the end of 2023.

Belovska announced that a case has been formed disputing the Program and Statute of the Association for the affirmation of the cultural values of the Macedonian Bulgarians “Tsar Boris III” – Ohrid.

“The petitioner of the initiative is lawyer Toni Menkinovski. The initiative states that the disputed acts are contrary to the Constitution because they are aimed at a violent destruction of the constitutional order, hindering of the free expression of the national identity of the Macedonian people, denying its uniqueness and inciting national hatred or intolerance. The petitioner requests the annulment of the disputed acts,” added Belovska.

Photo: MIA