Skopje, 7 April 2024 (MIA) - European Front’s presidential candidate Bujar Osmani at a press conference Sunday said that one of his top priorities would be the establishment of an international board composed of representatives from the United States, the European Union, and NATO, which, in coordination with domestic institutions, would be tasked with certifying all public officials in the country on the basis of two aspects – whether they have any ties to Russian interests and whether they’re involved in any form of corruption.

“The idea behind this board is to make use of the instruments which already exist but function separately, to integrate them into an international board in which our institutions would participate, as well as the U.S. instrument for designations, then the EU’s restrictive instruments and the NATO certification process. In this way, anyone proposed or running for a certain public office will first have to receive this certificate from the international board, and if they pass the filters of these institutions then they will be allowed to become minister, director, judge, or prosecutor,” Osmani stressed.

The presidential candidate said such a concept would also represent a credible process of vetting, excluding those who are involved in corruption or represent Russian interests “with the goal of destabilizing the country, disrupting interethnic harmony and blocking the country’s Euro-integrations". Additionally, according to Osmani, such a board would also fight corruption.

“In this way we will root out high level corruption and this ‘witch-hunt’ that the political parties have imposed in their struggle for power. Afterwards, the government will be able to focus on rooting out corruption on all other levels,” Osmani said, adding that sometimes “we forget that corruption is present on all levels, in all institutions, including healthcare, education, and the citizens face low-level corruption which makes their life more difficult and limits their opportunities.”

Osmani said this initiative and commitment is one of the pillars of his election program. 

Photo: MIA