President Gjorge Ivanov's pardoning decision for a total of 22 persons, politically involved and active in the country, has been annulled. In his speech on Friday, he pointed that he had made a new decision, with which he withdraws the pardons for some of the politicians on his list of abolished persons.
"I have made a decision to annul some of my pardons. I have made a decision to withdraw the pardoning declaration for all politically exposed persons, i.e. 22 of the total list. All others have the right to file personal requests regarding the pardons. No politician is untouchable. Everyone will be held responsible for their actions. The pardoning decision was the best move to exit the political crisis," said Ivanov.
He previously pointed that unfortunately many have not understood his idea for pardoning the politicians, as well as their associates.
"They have not understood, or maybe they did not want to understand this decision. I have been accused that I wanted to protect politicians, that I had created a selective justice. Still, thanks to that decision, we have sound institutions now, and Macedonia is successfully dealing with the challenges, such as the migrant crisis. The pardoning declaration was the best step to exit the political crisis," Ivanov said.
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The pardoning decision was made on April 12, stopping the procedures against 56 persons, politicians and their associates. The list included VMRO-DPMNE president, and former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, SDSM president Zoran Zaev, former Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska, and former Transport and Communications Minister Mile Janakieski.
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The declaration was the reason behind the mass protests, as well as national rallies, and caused both opposition supporters, led by NGOs, as well as the supporters of the current ruling party, led by the Civil Movement for the Defense of Macedonia (GDOM) to go out on the streets and demand the withdrawal of the abolition.