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North Macedonia marks 30th anniversary of Constitution

North Macedonia marks 30th anniversary of Constitution
Skopje, 17 November 2021 (MIA) – The Republic of North Macedonia marks Wednesday the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the first Constitution since the declaration of independence. On September 8, 1991, the citizens in a referendum voted for an independent and sovereign country, then called Macedonia. The declaration of independence was formally concluded with the adoption of the Constitution with 93 votes in Parliament in favor on November 17, 1991. Professors Vlado Popovski, Ljubomir Frchkovski and Laze Kitanovski are the authors of the Constitution’s working text. According to the Constitution, the Republic’s social, economic and political system are based on the principle of rule of law, human rights and liberties, separation of powers, market economy and other fundamental values of a modern democratic society. The Constitution, the highest form of law, has undergone changes several times over the years. The latest amendments were passed on 2019 when Parliament with 81 votes in favor of changing the constitutional name from the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia after the Prespa Agreement entered into force. MPs also adopted a constitutional law on implementation of the amendments. The Constitution was also amended in 1992, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2011. The country’s constitutional development throughout the years can be divided into three periods. On December 31, 1946, the Constitution of the then People’s Republic of Macedonia was adopted, which was one of the constitutive republics of former Yugoslavia. On February 25, 1974, the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was adopted and the current one, the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, was adopted on November 17, 1991.