Skopje, 3 June 2024 (MIA) – Judge Ana Pavlova Daneva at Monday’s resumption of the Constitutional Court session, which elects a new president of the court, withdrew her nomination, confirms the Constitutional Court. Her opponent Tatjana Vasikj Bozadzieva didn’t win the required majority. Another round of vote will follow with one of the other Constitutional Court judges running for the post. 

“So as not to allow the country to be pushed into a constitutional crisis, I withdrew [my nomination] and asked the court to vote in accordance with the principle of meritocracy, according to the professional qualifications and managerial capacities of the candidates. Judge Vasikj remains the only candidate,” judge Pavlovska Daneva told MIA. 

This was the seventh attempt of the Constitutional Court members after six failed attempts at two resumptions of the session to elect a president.

The new Constitutional Court president will succeed Dobrila Kacarska, whose three-year term ended on June 2. 

According to the Court's Rules of Procedure, the Constitutional Court elects the president from among the judges with a two-thirds majority of the total number of judges in a secret vote during a session.

Each judge is allowed to nominate a candidate.

The candidate for future Constitutional Court president is determined by a commission of three judges elected by the majority from the total number of judges.

If the candidate does not receive the required majority vote, the election procedure repeats.

The candidate elected represents the Constitutional Court, signs decisions, decrees, and other related acts, implements the Court's Rules of Procedure, and performs other tasks. In case of absence, or incapacity, the president is replaced by a judge according to the order established by the Court and alphabetized by last name.

The president of the Constitutional Court serves a three-year mandate, without the right for re-election. 

Photo: MIA archive