I want people to know that we were on the brink of open civil conflict announced by the defendants in the ‘Coup’ case. As a president I had the option to stand by and observe, or to take control of the game for destabilizing the country and to secure a priority for Macedonia. So I decided to preemptively pardon all who in one way or another were involved in the political crisis. The anger was directed towards me, but the plans for conflict were broken.
This was part of President Gjorge Ivanov’s speech on Wednesday, in which he referred to the decision for pardon, to the parliamentary debate on his impeachment, and the demonstrations that occurred after his decision which at times were even violent. Ivanov said that those protests were pre-planned and his decision only contributed to accelerate their implementation.
"Under the auspices of the international factor, Przino agreement was reached, but instead of resolving it, it deepened the crisis. Elections were postponed at the request of the opposition. The parties used the institutions to work in their interest. There was a high risk of a Macedonian conflict. The situation was getting complicated, the Przino agreement was pronounced dead. We were in a state, where security forces could not respond to threats. Army and police prevented over 15,000 attempts at crossing the border. There were attacks with weapons and explosives on state institutions. Party leaders have had death threats. Mobilization of criminal structures and anti-government activists have increased security risks in Macedonia. Special Public Prosecutor's Office conducted selective persecution only against one political structure. It led to risk of conflict and violence. We faced a foreign-imposed game", the President said.
The President stressed that he had the option to either engage the army to quell a possible collision, or to take a preventive step that will ease the situation in advance. He decided the preventive option.
"I want people to know that we were on the brink of an open civil conflict announced by the defendants in the Coup case. As president I had two instruments as an option. Reactive, to stand by and wait until the situation escalate and engage the army to calm the situation. But it would have meant the southern border to be left unprotected", Ivanov said.
He explained why he chose the second option
"Or, a preventive option, to take control of the game and secure priority for Macedonia. So I decided to preemptively pardon everyone who in one way or another was involved in the political crisis. The anger directed towards me, and plans for conflict were broken. But some misconstrue my intentions. Many asked me. What have I thought with the decision to pardon? Was I supposed to wait to see blood on the streets, to use army in condition of emergency? I incur the criticism of the unpopular decision to pardon. I would rather see my photographs burned, than the state institutions. It's good that there was no open conflict, which some hotheads wanted to. These hotheads are now cooled and the game to destabilize Macedonia failed", Ivanov said.
He stressed that the protests that followed were planned earlier. He also rejected accusations that the decision violated the state law. Ivanov said that SDSM leader Zoran Zaev, and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti, are direct violators of state of law.
"I was accused that with the decision to pardon I have infringed the rule of law. The rule of law was undermined by the leaders of SDSM and DUI because the constitutional system was not sufficient for them to sit down and negotiate. These two political leaders contributed to the violation of the rule of law. They spread confusion among citizens. They say that the decision is for the cancellation of SPO. It is an ad hoc institution, established by the political parties. Unfortunately, instead of an instrument of justice, SPO showed as an instrument of blackmail. Out of all the cases they have, they chose only those relating to the representatives of the government, ie the VMRO-DPMNE. Zaev said that the SPO acts exclusively on reports by the opposition. We got a selective prosecution", Ivanov said.
He noted that he had no intention to protect politicians and that today the only abolished politician is Zoran Zaev.
"I am accused that I wanted to protect politicians. I withdrew all pardon decisions of politicians. Today the only abolished politician is Zoran Zaev. I urge him to make a formal request to withdraw his pardon", Ivanov said.
The President said that today we once again have functioning institutions.
"Unlike April 12, today we have a new reality in Macedonia. We have functioning institutions. We have a political government which proposes legislation, Parliament works and enact laws, Przino agreement is again revived, the parties discuss a new date for elections", Ivanov said.
But he warned that a special war is run in the country as part of the strategies for creating permanent tensions. The President also said that there is a theater on the streets by those who do not recognize the institutions.
"No one is denied the right to demonstrate, but there must be order. Such violence here must stop. Party leaders to keep an eye of what they agree upon, facilitators to be cautious about what they propose. NGOs to distance themselves from individuals and groups who protest just to profit", Ivanov said.
The president called for a greater accountability from the politicians.
"We should not allow the whole state or the people be held hostage to the irresponsibility of these politicians. If you are led by hate or destruction, then the failure is guaranteed. As president I have a responsibility towards the citizens who elected me and gave me legitimacy, I have a responsibility to the armed forces, to the state. With such responsibility I will continue in the future, to protect national interests and security", Ivanov was emphatic.