First Law Written by Civil Society Organization

The Media Development Centre was in charge of the operational implementation of the initiative of the national working group of the Stability Pact to adopt a new Broadcasting Law of the Republic of Macedonia.

This was the first law prepared and drafted by the NGO sector, in cooperation with the Government of Macedonia. This precedent demonstrates that there are non-governmental organizations with serious and respectable capacity to appear as alternative to the state institutions and that this capacity is gaining the respect of the Government.

The preparation of the Law included a great number of experts and institutions. Over 30 people were directly involved in the preparation of the draft. MDC started the preparatory work on the Draft in 2002, and the final version of the Draft was submitted to the Government in 2004. It has to be mentioned that the Law was postponed and the procedure impeded due to pressure that certain media interest groups exerted on the Government. The initial plan was for the Law to be adopted in March 2004, but the tragic airplane accident that killed President of Macedonia moved the agenda of the whole society.

It meant that Macedonia will have to go though early Presidential Elections, followed by the Local Elections, and then the referendum on the Law on Decentralization and Map of Municipalities in Macedonia. The overall tense atmosphere resulted in the lack of political will to continue with the legislative procedure.

The entry into office of the new Prime Minister and Macedonian application for EU membership finally eliminated the institutional blockades. The Law was voted in by the Sobranie (Parliament) one hour after the news was released that the European Commission recommended that Macedonia is awarded the status of candidate for EU membership.