Macedonia vote on constitutional amendments

Voting in Macedonia's parliament on constitutional amendments that will allow the country to join NATO is a violation of all norms of law and morality, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Monday.

"We consider what happened [voting in Macedonia's parliament on constitutional amendments] as a flagrant violation of all norms - both from the point of view of the law and in the moral sense," the foreign ministry said.

The ministry noted that voting was organized "in accordance with the canons of modern European democracy." "Eight votes that were necessary to secure a qualified majority were ensured by the means of blackmailing, threats and bribing opposition parliament members. Three of them, purely by chance, were released from arrest on that same day. Two others, who had open cases investigated by special prosecutors, were promised freedom. Others received corrupt financial offers in exchange for 'the right vote'. Parliament members were locked in their rooms, their cell phones were seized - this is very much in line with the spirit of European democratic practice," the foreign ministry added.

Moscow has no doubts that Washington was supervising the process of voting, since US Ambassador to Skopje Jess Baily stayed in the parliament building until the end of voting, the ministry continued. "Such dirty manipulations cannot be considered the expression of will of parliament members. The opinions of two thirds of Macedonians who refused to support the Prespa Agreement at the failed September 30 referendum, was openly ignored. The resolution of the dispute between Athens and Skopje should rely on law, on wide public support, instead of splitting the society," the foreign ministry concluded.

On June 17, the foreign ministries of Macedonia and Greece signed an agreement on the new official name of the former Yugoslav republic. The agreement envisages the use of the name "Republic of North Macedonia." The agreement will not only resolve the years-long dispute with Athens about the name of the Balkan country which is the same as that of one of Greece's northern regions, but will also allow Skopje to officially launch the process of joining NATO and EU.

On October 19, the Macedonian parliament voted in favor of making amendments to the constitution.