Skopje, 26 February 2025 (MIA) - I have performed my duties as member of the Judicial Council conscientiously and honorably, and I feel neither moral nor professional responsibility to resign, Tanja Chacharova-Ilievska, one of the five members of the Judicial Council that MPs from the ruling parties are seeking to dismiss, told journalists on Wednesday.

The motion for dismissal submitted by MPs from VMRO-DPMNE, VLEN and ZNAM, according to Chacharova-Ilievska, does not state which of her individual actions as member of the Council were illegitimate. She said the motion seems more like a dismissal of the Judicial Council as a collective body since it does not focus on the specific work of the individual members that are targeted by the motions.

“This is a discriminatory attitude towards members of the Judicial Council who, in accordance with the Constitution and the law, are equals. The principle of the equality of members of the Council has been violated,” Chacharova-Ilievska said.

The Judicial Council member also questioned Parliament’s right to submit a motion for the dismissal, or an interpellation, of members of the Judicial Council, assessing it as a precedent that could have far-reaching consequences.

“Article 69 of the Constitution which lists the authorizations of the legislature contains a provision which outlines who Parliament can keep in check through the mechanism of interpellation. It lists public office holders that answer to Parliament, the Government, and each individual member of the Government, but not public office holders from the judiciary. So, I believe this is a precedent in the parliamentary history of the Republic of North Macedonia that could have far-reaching consequences,” she said.  

Regarding the issues in the judiciary, Chacharova-Ilievska said the three branches of power must cooperate on solutions, noting that the recommendations of the European Union’s peer review mission point to this as well.

“No meaningful reforms in the judiciary are being made with the dismissals of individual members [of the Judicial Council]. A change in personnel cannot be treated as a meaningful reform,” Chacharova-Ilievska said.

On February 7, lawmakers from the parties in power, VMRO-DPMNE, VLEN and ZNAM, submitted individual motions for the dismissal of five members of the Judicial Council – Vesna Dameva, Milazim Mustava, Tanja Chacharova-Ilievska, Pavlina Crvenkovsa and Selim Ademi.

Parliament is expected to discuss the motions by or at the beginning of March.

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