Skopje, 12 November 2024 (MIA) – A Parliament session of the commission for oversight of the work of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Intelligence Agency, with only item of the agenda being an information on the illegal appointment of NSA head, submitted by opposition SDSM MPs, was interrupted without the agenda being determined following at times heated debate between ruling and opposition lawmakers.

Ruling MPs insisted that the session was scheduled without the rules of procedures being aboded by, following a request by one parliamentary group without the item being backed by a third of the MPs and without all MPs being informed. Also, they asked the agenda to be supplemented with two items relating to a visit to the NSA and Intelligence Agency in December after allegations that the prime minister has been wiretapped. 

Commission chairman Skender Rexhepi refused to put the two items up for vote, explaining that, according to the rules of procedures, he could but he wouldn’t put the items up for vote because neither him nor the deputy commission chairman have security clearance, which prevents them from visiting the two security agencies. 

In a response, VMRO-DPMNE MP Dragan Kovachki said when lawmakers propose changing of the agenda, it is up to the majority to decide, stressing: “It is not something that should be decided by the commission chairman on a whim because by not honouring the rules of procedures, he risks being faced with a no confidence motion.”

After Kovachki’s reaction, the commission chairman interrupted the session. 

Ruling and opposition MPs were also at odds at news conferences following the session. 

SDSM MP Slavjanka Petrovska said VMRO-DPMNE has confirmed that Bojan Hristovski’s appointment as NSA head was illegal. 

“What we saw at the session of the commission for oversight of the work of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Intelligence Agency is a clear proof that they avoid facing the public on the matter. Misusing the majority, today they [VMRO-DPMNE MPs] prevented a session from taking place where they would’ve answered questions the public, the Macedonian and international public, have. Today’s behaviour by the ruling party shows complete lack of democratic capacity and rule of law,” said Petrovska.

At a news conference, VMRO-DPMNE MP Toni Jarevski reiterated his party’s position accusing the opposition SDSM and DUI of ‘blatant violation of the Constitution, laws and, in this case, the Parliament’s rule of procedures.”

VMRO-DPMNE and the coalition partners, he said, had a clear intention to back the initiative despite having obstacles not in line with the rule of procedures.

“VMRO-DPMNE would have backed the initiative. It is astonishing that there was not a chance to act in line with the provisions of the rules of procedures regarding changing of the items on the agenda. The commission chairman, who is an opposition MP, didn’t allow either the motion of VMRO-DPMNE or the motion of SDSM to be taken into consideration,” said Jarevski. 

SDSM MPs dispute the appointment of Bojan Hristovski as NSA head. They accuse the government of not abiding by law provisions, regulating the conditions for the election of an NSA head. 

They allege that Hristovski doesn’t have adequate qualifications and was not approved after a vetting process due to his involved in illegal activities of the Administration for Security and Counterintelligence (UBK) while it was undergoing reforms. Additionally, they say he holds a forged foreign language certificate. 

PM Hristijan Mickoski insists that the NSA head meets the conditions defined by the law. Speaking to members of the media on October 27, he called on the anti-corruption commission to look into the case following accusations by the opposition that Hristiovski doesn’t meet the conditions to be at the helm of the National Security Agency. 

Photo: MIA