Pendarovski Says was Consulted over Possibility to Pardon Gruevski

In an interview with the Triling show on 24 TV, President Stevo Pendarovski revealed he had been consulted over a possibility to pardon ex-PM Nikola Gruevski.

He is adamant he wouldn’t do it. “At an informal level, seven, eight months ago, some actors from the political scene consulted me over that possibility, over what I think about that possibility. I told them decisively I would never do that,” he stated. Pendarovski didn’t comment on the motives and timing regarding the changes to the Criminal Code.

However, he pointed out that they were not related to the constitutional changes process. As Pendarovski also said, as a result of the changes, Gruevski cannot return to Skopje, “nor is he a magician to secure 10 MPs from Budapest.” In response, following VMRO-DPMNE’s call for the President to say who asked him to pardon the ex-PM, the President’s Cabinet stated that the proposals had come from people close to the opposition.

“This year, on two occasions, proposals were sent to the President to think about pardoning certain politicians or support the adoption of a law to pardon current and former politicians. Those proposals, through intermediaries, were sent to President Pendarovski by political and security structures close to the current opposition, as well as by former politicians,” it stated.