|
::
CONSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCIES ::...
The Assembly of the
Republic of Macedonia is the central and most important institution of state
authority. According to the Constitution,
it "is a representative body of the citizens and the legislative power of
the Republic is vested in it". (Article 61) The Assembly is composed of 120
to 140 Representatives elected at general, direct and free elections by secret
ballot. The Representative represents the citizens and makes decisions in the
Assembly in accordance with his/her personal convictions. A Representative's
mandate cannot be revoked.
The cases where a
citizen cannot be elected a Representative owning to the incompatibility
of this offices or professions already held are defined by law. The office of
the president of the Assembly is incompatible with the performance of the
offices in a political party. The president of the first Macedonian
multiparty Assembly was Mr. Stojan Andov, who together with the Presidency of
the Assembly, has made considerable efforts to uphold its legislative powers.
Later president is Mr. Tito Petkovski and today, Mr. Savo Klimovski,
Nikola Popovski and the present president is Ljupčo Jordanovski.
The Assembly of the
Republic:
1. adopts
and changes the Constitution;
2. adopts laws and gives the authentic interpretation of laws;
3. determines public taxes and fees;
4. adopts the Budget and the balance of payments of the
Republic;
5. adopts the spatial plan of the Republic;
6. ratifies international agreements;
7. decides on war and peace;
8. makes decisions concerning changes in the borders of the Republic
in accordance with the
Constitution
and the principle of free will as well as in accordance with generally
accepted internationally standards;
9. makes decisions on association and disassociation from any form of
union or community with other state;
10. issues notice of a referendum;
11. makes decisions concerning the reserves of the Republic of Macedonia;
12. sets up councils;
13. elects the government of the Republic of Macedonia;
14. elects judges to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia;
16. carries our elections and discharges judges;
17. selects, appoints and dismisses other holders of public and other
offices determined by the Constitution and law;
18. carries out political monitoring and supervision of the Government and
other holders of public office responsible to the Assembly;
19. proclaims amnesties;
20. performs other activities determined by the Constitution.
 In 1993 the Assembly
the Assembly established a Council for Inter-Ethnic Relations. The Councils
consists of the President of the Assembly and two members of each from among the
Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs and Gypsies. The Council considers issues
of inter-ethnic relations in the Republic and makes appraisals and proposals for
their solution.
At working bodies, the
Assembly has several commissions. In addition to the opinion of the appropriate
commissions for particular fields, in obtaining a visa for legislative projects,
the opinion of the Legislative Commission is always important.
 According to Article
71 of the Constitution,
besides the Representatives and the Government, a group of at least 10,000
voters has the right to propose adoption of a law. In practice, there has
already been a case of this option being used. Interpellation as a
constitutional institution is more and more frequently used, and there is
regularly a large number of Representative's questions. In 1993 there were
debates in the Assembly on the interpellation of several ministers, and it
established several investigating commissions. Competition between parties and
Representatives is also expressed through the large number of proposed
amendments to virtually every act to be adopted.
In addition to
decisions on issuing notice of a referendum concerning specific matters within
its competence, the Assembly is obliged to issue notice of a referendum if one
is proposed by at least 150,000 voters. The decision made in a referendum is
binding Although MAAK party and the Associations of Trades Unions announced that
they would be collecting 150,000 signatures for calling early parliamentary
elections, they probably saw that this would have taken up a lot of the time
required for resolving major tasks, and later decided that the regular election
should be the arbiter.
|
