Skopje, 11 December 2024 (MIA) - The deputy leader of the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), Bujar Osmani, criticized the Constitutional Court’s decision to hold a preparatory session for the discussion of the constitutionality and legality of the Law on the Use of Languages, stressing that the dismissal of the initiative on the law is the only "just decision" for the Court should have made.

In a media statement after Wednesday’s session of the Constitutional Court during which judges Osman Kadriu and Naser Ajdari were absent and judge Fatmir Skenderi decided not to participate in the discussion of the issue, Osmani said it is “impermissible” for the Constitutional Court of a multiethnic country to hold sessions with a monoethnic composition, especially when sensitive topics are being discussed.

“As legitimate representatives from the last presidential and parliamentary elections, in the name of the Albanian people, we would first like to condemn the continuation of the session of the Constitutional Court with a monoethnic composition. The message sent by the three judges from the ethnic communities with their absence should have been enough to end the session immediately,” Osmani said.

He said that “in the name of the Albanian people” he rejects any decision that would mean a continuation of the process to scrap the Law on the Use of Languages.

“The only just decision that the Constitutional Court should have made today was to dismiss all 13 initiatives and close this issue. The scheduling of a preparatory session is just a continuation of the process to scrap the Law on the Use of Languages,” Osmani stressed.

Osmani said DUI expects the support of all ethnic communities since their aim is to protect multiethnic and European North Macedonia.

“We expect the support of all ethnic communities so we can isolate the forces who instead of building on what we have done for a prosperous, European, tolerant, multiethnic North Macedonia, intend to take us 20 years back,” he added.

Osmani said they would continue to resist the efforts to “abolish the Albanian language and equality”, noting that they will be present in front of the Constitutional Court when it holds the preparatory session as well.

The Constitutional Court of North Macedonia decided Wednesday to hold a preparatory session for the discussion of the constitutionality and legality of the Law on the Use of Languages.

The languages' law case, comprised of 13 initiatives by individuals, political parties and associations, was formed in 2019. It became topical this autumn following remarks by the Venice Commission. Complaints disputing the legislation were filed by the parties VMRO-DPMNE and Levica, World Macedonian Congress association, and professors Solza Grcheva, Tanja Karakamisheva Jovanovska and Jove Kekenovski.

The Constitutional Court is composed of nine judges: six ethnic Macedonians, two Albanians and one Turk.

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