Gostivar, 22 August 2023 (MIA) — Disbanding the Judicial Council remains a possibility and it should happen gradually through state institutions, Justice Minister Krenar Lloga said Tuesday in response to a reporter's question on his position regarding the dismissal of the current Judicial Council staff.

"My position and the possibility to disband it remain. The process will not be traumatic, rather a gradual one through the institutions," Minister Lloga said.

On the successor of state public prosecutor, Lloga said he had recently talked to Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski about the current prosecutor's term expiring.

"Considering that his term expires in December, I believe we will start procedures for electing a new state public prosecutor in September," Lloga said.

In response to a reporter's question on the Judicial Council's work being reviewed by the EU, the justice minister said he had met with the EU representative. Legal updates to be made, he said, were laid out in the Strategy 2023-27.

"It foresees how Judicial Council members areto be elected, who they should answer and report to. The draft has also been submitted to VMRO-DPMNE because we want them to also have a say in the matter, as this is a process that requires a two-thirds majority. But not for appointing or dismissing members. So I believe that with the EU's review we will find a solution together on how to move forward," Lloga stressed.

Regarding the fire at the modular hospital in Tetovo, the justice minister said he had met with the State Public Prosecutor Ljubomir Joveski and talked about the open cases.

"As you already know, the Tetovo Primary Court has one case that reached its first verdict, the second case is for the Primary Public Prosecutor’s Office for Prosecuting Organized Crime and Corruption. I had a meeting with the head of that prosecutor's office and they have initiated the pre-investigation procedure but I believe that within the next few days or weeks we will have a resolution," Lloga said. ssh/mr