Thursday, 11 November 2010
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, MR. TRAJKO VELJANOSKI ON THE OCCASION OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLDING OF THE FIRST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS
Distinguished Members of the first parliamentary composition of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia,
Distinguished Colleagues from the present parliamentary composition of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The first parliamentary elections, together with the Referendum of 8 September, held 20 years ago, are the realisation of the centuries old idea and strive of the Macedonian nation and all the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia for creation of an independent country based on the principles of parliamentary democracy, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law, respect of the private property and market economy.
At the same time, with the first parliamentary elections, and later with the establishment of the first multi-party parliament, were practically the beginning of the process of building an independent state constitutionally, adoption and implementation of the democratic principles and realization of our strategic commitment - creation of a democratic society in which the citizens have the power, inclusion of the Republic of Macedonia as a recognizable and responsible entity in the international organizations, and integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures.
On this day 20 years ago over 84% of the citizens with the right to vote came out to vote at the first multiparty elections. The elections were held according to the majority model and the Republic of Macedonia was divided into 10 election districts. 1115 candidates representing 18 political parties, as well as 45 independent candidates took place at the elections.
After the second election round the following political parties had their representatives in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia: VMRO-DPMNE had 38 MPs and was the largest political party in the Assembly, the League of Communists of Macedonia-Party for Democratic Transformation, today’s SDSM, had 31 MPs, the Party for Democratic Prosperity had 17 MPs as well as 5 more on the joint list with the National Democratic Party, the Union of Reform Forces of Macedonia had 11 MPs and additional 5 MPs from the joint list with the Young Democratic Prosperity Party, the Socialist Party had 6 MPs, as well as one MP from the joint list with the Party for Full Emancipation of the Roma and one Mp from the joint list with the Union of Reform Forces of Macedonia and the Young Democrats. The first parliamentary composition also had 3 independent MPs.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Colleagues,
The turnout in these elections, in my opinion, reaffirmed the strong feelings, wishes and responsibility of the citizens for the creation of independent Republic of Macedonia. The Constitutive Session of the first Parliament was held on 8th of January 1991. Mr. Stojan Andov was elected the first President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia; he and our colleagues Mr. Tito Petkovski and Mr. Ljubisav Ivanov Dzingo are today here with us as MPs.
You, the MPs from the first parliamentary composition of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia undertook the responsibility and the task to realize these efforts with the adoption of the constitutional and legal basis for the establishing of independent Republic of Macedonia.
I would like to remind you that at that period some of the most important legal acts were adopted. First and foremost, the Declaration of Sovereignty was adopted, and it defined the political platform of the Republic of Macedonia.
The first plural parliament elected the first President of the Republic of Macedonia - Mr. Kiro Gligorov, and the first Government of the Republic of Macedonia, led by the Nikola Kljusev, member of the Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
You adopted the first Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, the National Anthem and Flag; you conducted the Referendum for independence.
Distinguished Colleagues,
I believe that the historical, the constitutional and the legislative role and contribution of the first composition of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia will be subject to serious historic and legal research, which will enrich the science of historical and the legal science in Macedonia. I will briefly refer to the present, which is built of the foundations which you have established. Even 20 years ago the accession of the Republic of Macedonia in EU and NATO as their full member was one of the strategic commitments, guided by the fact that the Republic of Macedonia, the Macedonian nation, and all the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia historically and culturally belong to the big European family.
I would like to remind you that yesterday I received the EC Progress Report on the Republic of Macedonia. For me as President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia it is very important that the Republic of Macedonia has received a positive Report, which this year too contains the recommendation for giving the date for opening the negotiations, and again like last year, emphasizes the role and the progress achieved by the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia. This shows that this foundation of parliamentary democracy which you have created, have been successfully upgraded and further developed in the past years.
The Republic of Macedonia, in accordance with the Constitution which you have adopted and later with the amendments deriving from the Ohrid Framework Agreement, is defined as a unitary state and a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. The Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia has adopted all the necessary acts in which the constitutional amendments deriving from the Ohrid Framework Agreement are incorporated.
Finally, I would like to refer to an entirely new dimension, which I may proudly add is a result achieved by the current composition of the Parliament, and that is the introduction of the co-called E-parliament.
Today every process in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, from the entering of a draft-law in parliamentary procedure, the submitting of the amendments, until its adoption and publishing, is being done electronically. This is a benefit which places the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia among the most successful parliaments in Europe in the area of use of the Internet and the contemporary information and communication technologies.
Distinguished colleagues,
Allow me to express my appreciation for your grand contribution, for your courage at the turbulent times 20 years ago, when the sound of weapons was heard on the territory of our former common state. You managed to complete the process of independence in a peaceful manner, and you successfully laid the foundations of parliamentary democracy in our country. I wish to you all personal happiness and good health, hoping that within a reasonable period of time we will jointly celebrate our accession in the Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Thank you.