Photo by: BIRN

In a closed session on Wednesday, Macedonia’s Constitutional Court approved the annulling of a provision in the law which had previously barred the president from pardoning alleged election-riggers.

Critics of the proposed vote-rigging pardons held a protest march the previous evening in Skopje. But the marchers, backed by civic organisations and the opposition, were prevented from holding what they called a vigil “for the constitution” in front of the court overnight.

A heavy police presence kept them some 100 metres away from the court building, where a rival group of government supporters had set up tents, saying they were protesting “in defence of the judges”.

When the judges arrived at work, they were welcomed by the government supporters who stayed there throughout the night.

Critics say that pardons would serve the interests of the main governing party, the VMRO DPMNE, whose officials were recently named as suspected election-riggers.

The civic movement Ajde!, which staged the march, said it will continue to protest.

Macedonian journalists meanwhile demanded an explanation from the court about why they were not allowed to attend the hearing.

The US embassy in Skopje also criticised the closed session.

“Why would the Constitutional Court close today’s session? Transparency is essential for any institution,” the embassy said on Twitter.

‘Let’s defend the constitution from the Constitutional Court’, the banner says | Photo by: BIRN

Opponents of the pardons who protested on Tuesday said they wanted wrongdoers to be punished.

“We represent the free and freedom-loving Macedonia. We want to see justice applied to everyone equally. The other rally is made up of party soldiers and scared administration workers who are told what to do, where to go and even what to eat,” one protester told BIRN.

The government supporters said they were there to support the Constitutional Court and protect it from attacks by the opposition.

“I am Macedonian and I came here to defend Macedonia. It is not alright if someone threatens to set the Constitutional Court ablaze. We are here to defend the court and we will be here. Let those who want to come here and set it on fire. Let’s see whether they will succeed,” one of them told BIRN in front of the court building.

Macedonia’s Special Prosecution, tasked with probing crime in high places, earlier this month launched investigations into several people, including two former ministers and a senior government official, suspected of organising election fraud during the 2013 polls.

Former police minister Gordana Jankuloska, former transport minister Mile Janakieski and government secretary general Kiril Bozinovski, all members of the government of VMRO DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski, appeared before the court for questioning.

Skopje’s Criminal Court refused a prosecution request to detain them, in another controversial decision.

Photo by: BIRN

The Constitutional Court decisions have been implicitly criticised by the EU, which said any action that would suggest impunity for election-riggers would undermine the credibility of the early elections due to be held in Macedonia.

“Any suggestion of impunity in relation to election-related offences would counter-act the efforts invested by the country and the international community towards establishing the conditions for credible elections and trying to restore citizens’ trust in the electoral processes,” EU spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said last Thursday.

The protest and counter-protest come against a backdrop of a deep political crisis that revolves around opposition claims that the government of recently resigned Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is responsible for a massive illegal wiretapping scheme and many other crimes.

Gruevski, who has held power since 2006 but resigned last month as part of an accord aimed at ending the crisis, says the wiretapping tapes released by the opposition were “fabricated” by unnamed foreign intelligence services and given to the opposition in order to destabilise the country.