The Parliament endorsed Thursday the law ratifying the name agreement with 69 votes ‘in favor’ and one ‘abstained’.
The 69 votes asppear automatic during each vote, even if MPs are not present as was the case during the first vote when MP Ferid Muhic stated he was out of the country, but someone voted ‘yes’ during his absence.
This was the second vote on the law after President Gjorge Ivanov refused to sign the decree for its promulgation after the Parliament had initially passed it on their dubious June 20th session.
The opposition did not attend the Parliament session.
Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said in the elaboration that the agreement guarantees the individuality of the Macedonian identity and language. This is in fact not true.
“The agreement reaffirms and enhances the Macedonian identity as never before. In practice, the agreement will establish the identity and overcome the eternal struggle for language and identity, we will join the EU, including the release of documents in Macedonian language and translated in Macedonian language,” said FM Dimitrov.
He said the President is obliged by law to sign the decree after the second Parliament vote. This too is not true, considering the law clashes directly with the constitution.
He referred to the reasons that Ivanov noted when refusing to sign the decree, including the authority of the President to conclude international agreements.
He also mentioned the President’s claim that the agreement brings Macedonia into subordinate position to Greece.
“Macedonia was in a subordinate position by the negotiations. The agreement takes us out of that dependency and brings us into a position of independence. It is time to serve the country’s interests and show unity,” underlined Dimitrov.
Meanwhile Greece has not ratified the agreement, and it doesn’t look like it will. The Macedonian side in the negotiations while obligating itself to commit suicide, it has made zero requests from Athens.
