Philharmonic Employee Protest: The decision to elect a director must not be political

Employees of the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra today held a protest in front of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, as they suspect potential departization regarding the election of the director of this institution.

At today's protest, Vladimir Lazarevski of the Trade Union Organization of the Macedonian Philharmonic Employees stated that at the competition for the director of the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra, the most qualified, not the party agreed candidate, should be selected.

– A few days ago, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Zoran Sutkov said in a statement to a medium, the decision that will be the director of our institution can be political. We urge the Minister today to respond to us and the public, why is a competition, if the decision is political? Why are the other candidates put in an unequal position? How can the decision be political, when employment must not be subject to an agreement between political structures? Was Shutkov, with this statement and officially confirming that the departization and merit system were just a declarative election campaign of VMRO-DPMNE? Whether candidates should be top professionals or reflect the politics that they lead as a party- said Lazarevski.

He asked Minister Sutkov why, as he said, at all costs illegally, they are being pushed among party agreed staff. As he noted, they have information that Mustafa Imeri has not submitted complete documentation, although the competition has clearly indicated that uncomplete and untimely submitted documents will not be considered.

He added that the Commission had already given the candidates who did not submit proper documentation to submit the necessary documents outside the law within three days.

-This violates the Law on Culture and the Conditions of the Competition, in order to expel the inter-party agreement between VMRO-DPMNE and to appoint the agreed candidate for director of our institution. Additional statements by Deputy Prime Minister Izet Medziti for the employment of thousands of Albanians in the public administration, except that they are in favor of the thesis for full partisanship of the public administration, there are still one confirmation that if Imeri is elected, the laws in this country are not respected- Lazarevski said.

He also urges Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski to remain consistent with the statement that competent staff will be employed and that the system of merit will be respected, not the system of party agreements and lists.

-The current Minister of Culture from the position of the opposition, a year and a half ago stood in our defense when we faced problems caused by the previous government. Then Ljutkov wrote on social media that « In the 80th birthday, the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra is facing the challenge of being or not! » And that if the employees would proudly say that they were from the Macedonian Philharmonic, the actions of the non -managers and ministers came to the position to be ashamed. And now we are facing a big challenge, so we appeal to Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and Minister Zoran Lutkov not to allow the current shame of the Macedonian Philharmonic employees to be a shame for VMRO-DPMNE, their coalition partners and our country- said Lazarevski.

This is the second protest of the Macedonian Philharmonic Employees, after Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Izet Mexhiti said in an interview with 24 Vesti that in the division of managerial posts in the institutions, Vlan received the Philharmonic and that the director would be Mustafa Imeri.