Skopje, 6 August 2024 (MIA) — The Levica parliamentary group has initiated a no-confidence motion against Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi for "unprincipled" conduct in office, giving seven arguments, elaborated on ten pages, on why he should be removed from his post. 

According to Levica leader Dimitar Apasiev at a press conference Tuesday, Parliament Speaker Gashi has violated the secularity of the state by leading a group prayer in Parliament. 

This was "unprecedented in the history of the Macedonian Parliament" and violated Article 19 and Amendment 7 of the Constitution, the jurisprudence of the Constitutional Court, and the Law on the Legal Status of a Church, a Religious Community, and a Religious Group, he said.

Apasiev also said the parliament speaker had violated diplomatic security rules, when the Gashi's security detail chief "practically caused a diplomatic scandal" at the Skopje International Airport a few days ago.  

"Gashi publicly admitted he had personally given the order for his [security detail chief's] intervention in an unauthorized area," Apasiev said.

Grounds for Gashi's removal from the post of Parliament Speaker include violations of the use of the Macedonian language in Parliament, Apasiev said, because "he has intentionally suppressed the Macedonian language and its Cyrillic script and introduced illegal bilingualism even for MPs who are Macedonians."

Other reasons Levica is initiating the motion of no confidence are Gashi's violation of rules for the use of state insignia; allowing MP Talat Xhaferi to hold incompatible offices; violating the Law on Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interest; and not honoring procedures for scheduling parliamentary sessions, continuing "the bad practice of fast-tracking laws to smuggle them in."

Apasiev said he expected Gashi to schedule the vote of no confidence in early September.

The Levica leader also urged MPs to express their lack of confidence in the parliament speaker and call for him to take political responsibility.

"Yet again we publicly call on DPMNE to elect a new person from their parliamentary group, with our full support, as long as they replace Parliament Speaker Gashi, who is instituting unprincipled policies in Parliament," Apasiev said. mr/