After EU pressure, Macedonia cancels political pardons

SKOPJE, Macedonia – Macedonia’s conservative president has cancelled pardons for top political and administrative officials, issued two months ago, that triggered international condemnation and weeks of street protests.

Gjorge Ivanov said in a statement Monday that his political opponents had tried to exploit his effort to achieve national reconciliation.

Macedonian politics have been rocked by allegations from the opposition that the government mounted a massive illegal wiretapping operation. The allegations were officially denied.

The European Union had strongly criticized the pardons and urged Ivanov to revoke them. Domestic protests also prompted parliament to postpone general elections that had been planned for June 5.