Lawmakers in Macedonia have demanded President Boris Trajkovski clarify whether he will accept the credentials of Taiwan's ambassador within a week, in a letter sent to the country's Presidential Office on Friday.
The Democratic Alternative (DA), part of the ruling coalition in Macedonia's parliament, requested Trajkovski explain why he has refused to accept Peter Cheng's (鄭博久) diplomatic credentials since he took office in December of last year.
The left-leaning Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik reported yesterday that DA lawmakers reminded Trajkovski that parliament has already approved the Cabinet's decision to establish diplomatic ties with Taiwan -- that took effect in January of 1999 -- and that such foreign policy-making power rests solely with the government, not the presidency.
Macedonia's former president, Kiro Gligorov, had strongly opposed the move to set up formal ties with Taiwan, and refused to accept Cheng's credentials.
Both the Taiwan and Macedonian governments had hoped the election of Trajkovski -- from the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party -- would complete the necessary diplomatic protocol.
But after finger-pointing from both sides over the issue -- Taiwan has accused Macedonia of foot-dragging over accepting the credentials in order to press for more investments, and Macedonian officials saying "the ball is in their court" -- the final step in normalizing diplomatic relations has remained paralyzed.
The parliamentarians' letter further warned Trajkovski to clarify his stance within one week, stating otherwise, "we shall conclude that you are leading a policy that opposes the conclusion of parliament and by that you will force us to question our confidence in you as the President of the Republic of Macedonia."
Macedonia's deputy prime minister and DA leader Vasil Tupurkovski, is considered the architect of Taiwan-Macedonia ties.
The party played up investment from Taiwan as one of its main platforms in a bitterly contested presidential election last December.
DA spokesman Slobodan Casule said the party's letter to the president is justified, because Trajkovski has placed himself in a role to "audit" Macedonia's foreign policy -- which is against the constitution -- the Dnevnik reported.
"It is the government that shapes Macedonia's foreign policy and parliament that ratifies it. By not accepting or delaying the acceptance of credentials, the president has placed himself in a position to amend the country's foreign policy," Casule said.
Macedonia's Presidential Office received Cheng's request for a formal meeting with Trajkovski to deliver his credentials in April, and it has 30 to 60 days to issue a reply.
Meanwhile, Taiwan and Macedonia have signed an agreement that establishes the legal framework for the high-profile Bundardzik Free Economic Zone (FEZ) outside Skopje.
Taiwan's ambassador-at-large Loh I-cheng (陸以正), who is on a one-week visit to Skopje, presided over the ceremony with Minister of Development Trajko Slavevski.
"The construction of the zone will go very swiftly. It is to become functional in six months," Loh said.
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