BELGRADE (Sputnik) — On Tuesday, Ivanov signed a decree to halt all the legal proceedings against the country's politicians with an aim to end the political crisis in the country. The decision has been criticized by both ruling Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE) and the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) that called for protests against president's decision.
According to the Macedonian Telma television channel, the protests started at 06:00 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT). Soon after the beginning the protesters marched from the prosecutor's office to Ivanov's office and smashed the building with stones, eggs and fireworks, smashing building's windows.
The broadcaster added that the protesters demanded the resignation of Ivanov and creation of an expert body to organize credible and fair elections in the country.
Ivanov's move has affected a number of Macedonian politicians, including former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who are involved in scandals surrounding alleged wiretapping of some 20,000 people in Macedonia. The information about the illegal tapping was revealed in 2015 and has resulted in a number of legal proceedings.
