Skopje, 1 December 2023 (MIA) — The Parliamentary Committee on Election and Appointment Issues at its Friday session drew up a list of seven candidates it endorses for chair and members of the next State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption.

Committee chairwoman Marija Georgievska said she would submit the list to Parliament, which is expected to consider it at its next session. A simple majority is required to vote in the new members of the anticorruption watchdog.

Tatjana Dimitrovska, an economist from Skopje who works in the State Audit Office, has been endorsed as chair. Endorsed as members are Primary Court Judge Sofija Spasova Medarska, current anticorruption advisers Biljana Karakashova Shulev and Besnik Xhemaili, and auditors Zoran Bogoevski, Cveta Ristovska, and Servet Demiri.

According to the Law on Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interest, if Parliament does not vote in the new anticorruption commission chair and members, the election procedure is repeated in its entirety by announcing a call within the next ten days.

The procedure should take into account the principles of adequate and fair representation and gender-balanced participation.

The term of office of the current anticorruption team — Biljana Ivanovska, Vladimir Georgiev, Sofka Pejovska Dojchinovska, Katica Nikolovska, Nuri Bajrami, Goran Trpenoski and Shemsi Salai — ends on Feb. 7. According to law, they cannot run for second term.

The new State Commission for the Prevention of Corruption should start work on Feb. 8.

Forty-one candidates applied and were interviewed on Nov. 23, 24 and 25 by a selection panel consisting of MPs Fanica Nikolovska, Berat Ajdari, Eli Panova and Kastriot Rexhepi as well as Public Advocate Office representative Jovan Andonovski and the government's Council for Cooperation between Government and Civil Society representatives Snezhana Kamilovska Trpovska and Nikola Dodov. mr/