Skopje, 16 December 2024 (MIA) - Members of the Judicial Council are chosen by judges at direct elections, said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Monday, dismissing accusations of “partisan appointments” in the Council after judge Danka Ristova, who is the wife of a VMRO-DPMNE mayor, was elected as a member of the Judicial Council.

Asked whether the newly elected member of the Judicial Council is indeed the wife of a VMRO-DPMNE mayor, Mickoski said she is, but added that VMRO-DPMNE does not have a member with that name in its database.

“Yes, she is the wife of mayor Aco Ristov, an exceptionally successful mayor in the Municipality of Radovish. But I dismiss the claims made in the first part of your question that we are continuing with partisan appointments. I firmly oppose this and a member with that name doesn’t exist in VMRO-DPMNE's database,” Mickoski said.

The Prime Minister also dismissed claims about partisan appointments in the Judicial Council and the Council of Public Prosecutors following the Ristova’s election, as well as the election of a member close to a Deputy Prime Minister from VLEN to the Council of Public Prosecutors.

“I don’t know specifically which cases you refer to as partisan cases. I think in your question you are making a claim which isn’t accurate, since the election of a member of the Judicial Council is made by the judges at direct elections, by voting. Now, if you think that we can control these judges, who were elected in that area the past seven years, then I really don’t see a difference between DUI’s claims and this type of questions, since DUI claims that we control the judges at the Constitutional Court that they elected, and now you claim that we control the judges who elected the new member of the Judicial Council at direct elections. All I can say is that the claim in your question is wrong,” Mickoski said in answer to a journalist’s question.

On December 11, judge Danka Ristova from the Shtip-based Appellate Court was elected as a new member of the Judicial Council from the Shtip appellate region. Five candidates were in the running in the election, in which Ristova won 27 out of 39 votes.

Photo: MIA Archive