Skopje, 13 April 2023 (MIA) - Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said Thursday that the Ministry of Justice will soon release the names of academic experts in the working group on the constitutional amendments.    

"As regards the commission, it is already being set up at the Ministry of Justice, which released the names of the experts from the political parties. In the coming period, the Ministry will also release the names of the academic experts, i.e. those who have been dealing with the constitutional issues in practice. After that, the practical work of the commission will begin, which is to prepare the amendments that will then be submitted to the Government and will enter parliamentary procedure," Kovachevski told a press conference. 

Regarding the request of the Macedonian Muslims to be included in the Constitution, PM Kovachevski said it will also be the work of the commission, because it is not just one request but several requests.

As per the opposition's disapproval in terms of the constitutional amendments, the PM noted that the opposition was against NATO membership, but the country is now a NATO member. "It was against the Frontex agreement, it was against starting the negotiations with the EU, but we started the negotiations," he continued. 

"It is up to the MPs, and they have the democratic capacity and vision to ensure a European future for the citizens, because this is about a decision to ensure a smooth process for negotiations with the EU, opening the clusters and reaching the next decisions for which a two-thirds majority is again required until the final accession to the European Union," said Kovachevski. 

In addition, he said that the Ministry of Justice is to decide the amount of the pay that the experts will receive.