FYROM’s President, Djordje Ivanov has decided not to sign the bill for the ratification of the agreement on the name “North Macedonia” Skopje reached with Athens.
In his decision, Ivanov explains that this bill is not in compliance with articles 51, 118 and 119 of the Constitution and that this agreement is in breach of Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845 (1993) of the UN Security Council.
According to him, the agreement subdues the country to another country, namely Greece. Ivanov has also declared that this agreement has legal consequences which could lead to criminal offenses.
Under the country’s Constitution and Parliament’s Rulebook, in case of a veto by President Ivanov, the agreement goes back to parliament, where it should be voted by a simple majority. In this case, the bill is once again sent to the President, whom the Constitution obliges to sign it.
Ivanov announced his decision explaining that he always acted “responsibly and exercised his rights and duties under the constitution, laws and interests of the country.”
He also added, he had no mandate to sign the decree on the adoption of the ratification law because one of the policy axes in the 2014 electoral program was that he did not accept the change of the Constitution and to change the constitutional name.
“I do not accept ideas or suggestions that would jeopardise the ‘Macedonian’ national identity, the peculiarity of the Macedonian nation, the Macedonian language and the Macedonian model of coexistence,” said Ivanov.
