Skopje, 2 September 2024 (MIA) — I would like to ask every Member of Parliament, including my fellow Worth It coalition members, to decide on their own belief and with a clear conscience during Tuesday's parliamentary no-confidence vote, Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi told Sitel TV in an interview on Monday evening.

Gashi said he had not overstepped his authority in any way and lawmakers would have their say on it during the vote of no confidence in him. He said he was convinced that the truth would come out.

"The no-confidence vote is a democratic tool that allows us to be accountable to the MPs and the citizens," Parliament Speaker Gashi said.

"I will honor any decision made by Parliament. It is good for us all to have different opinions. That is the essence of democracy. It would be bad if there was a single-mindedness," Gashi said, adding that he expected to be also given a chance "to explain some things that have been presented to the public." 

"I will elaborate on everyting as it was and I hope that the MPs will decide according to their conscience. My soul is at peace and my conscience is clear that I have done nothing to cause this public hysteria," he said, adding that the no-confidence motion had been moved "over trivial topics of some media who want likes and comments on social networks."

On the Skopje International Airport incident caused by his security detail regarding Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani's security check, Gashi said he had sent his security ahead of him as he had had information that an incident could happen and he wanted to calm the situation.

"I had information that a more serious incident could happen. I reacted and when I wanted to go there myself, I heard that everything had been resolved and it is good that there was no major incident. The public was ill-informed about it," Gashi said. 

"The first thing I said about that event is that any wrongdoers should be held accountable. We need to learn that no one is above the law. Anyone who does anything wrong, be it myself or anyone else, should not be protected," Gashi said.

Asked about his family's trip to Kosovo for a party, he said the trip had been announced two or three days prior and they had had their passports checked.

"It is not true that they crossed the border without [being subject to passport] control. All controls were passed as is required by law. I notified my security and all state authorities and the Interior Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Two or three days prior, all passports were scanned," the parliament speaker said.

On the country's NATO and EU memberships, he said these were crucial for the country's survival.

"We paved this road in the '90s and the majority of citizens always stood behind these two processes," Gashi said, adding that all political parties "except for one" were in favor of the country becoming an EU member. 

"We want integration, but not at the cost of endangering the identity, linguistic and cultural, of Macedonians and of any ethnic community in the country," he added. 

"We want to go to Europe with our identities and our abundance of diversity, and not by placing conditions on people so they feel threatened and uncomfortable regarding their identity component of loving and respecting their Macedonian language, identity and culture," Gashi said.

He said the country's European perspective was real and negotiations were possible.

"One of the integration tools of all EU countries is dialogue. I hope that following the new Bulgarian elections there will be a stable government and institutions so we can sit down and talk with them," Gashi said, adding that it was in the common interest of both countries and the region, as well as the EU itself, that the Republic of North Macedonia should join the bloc as soon as possible. mr/