The President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, signed dismissal, appointment and recall decrees in the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia. President Pendarovski acted upon the decision of the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption, which established that the former President of the State, Gjorge Ivanov, with the appointment decrees in the Army signed on February 25, 2019, during the election period, committed acts not allowed in the electoral process and thereby violated the provision of Article 8-a, paragraph 1, line 2 of the Electoral Code and the provision of Article 34 paragraph 1 line 2 of the Law on Prevention of Corruption and Conflict of Interest. In accordance with the new decrees:
1. Brigadier General Jordev Dragan Orce, is dismissed with a decree and appointed as Deputy Commander of the Joint Operational Command in the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.
2. Brigadier General Gjorgoski Tito Mirce is recalled from the Military Representative of the Republic of North Macedonia to NATO in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium.
3. Colonel Kovacki Gjorgi Dragan is dismissed from the Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in the Joint Operational Command of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.
4. Colonel Emini Sabedin Besnik is dismissed from the Head of the Joint Operations Command in the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia and is appointed as Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in the Joint Operational Command of the General Staff of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia.
5. Colonel Jurisic Miroslav Marijo is recalled with a decree and appointed as Defense Attaché of the Republic of North Macedonia in Paris, the French Republic.
6. Chief of General Staff, Vasko Gjurcinovski, with a decree of February 25, 2019, was promoted from the rank of Major General to the rank of Lieutenant General. The Law on Defense does not contain a legal basis to strip someone of the rank, unless the holder of the rank is personally responsible for certain unlawful acts, such as criminal offenses or severe disciplinary violations.
