Polio Plus held a press conference Civic initiative stuck in bureaucratic procedures   “The first successful civic initiative in Macedonia for passing a law for protecting the rights and the dignity of the people with disabilities is stuck in the bureaucratic procedures”, said Zvonko Savreski, Polio Plus president, at the press conference that took place on 15 May this year. Just as a reminder, between June and December 2005, Polio Plus managed to gather about 19,000 signatures from the citizens. The members of the parliament have acclaimed the need for passing such a law. At a request of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Polio Plus withdrew the proposal-law from parliament procedure so that the content of the text is adjusted to the government institutions’ capacities. Unfortunately, instead of adjusting, several unproductive working meetings took place at which the new officers were being introduced to the regulations of the proposal-law. At the request to update the work, Polio Plus received a “polite” request wait until the law for social protection is passed since it would “make the whole thing easier”. In the meantime, the United Nations have passed the Convention for protecting the rights of the handicapped. According to Savreski, the proposal of the law is in accordance with it. Macedonia is to ratify the Convention. At the request, what would happen if the whole thing does not get “unstuck”, Savreski replied that Polio Plus will submit the proposal law to the Parliament, without adjusting it being adjusted with the Ministry. They stated several drastic examples at the press conference on discrimination in the existing regulations. “According to article 5 of the Measures for improving the conditions for employment and work of a person with disabilities, that person can perform a managerial job if they get a positive opinion from the commission, whereas for performing responsible political duties no examination is requested”, says Savreski,. Polio Plus presented the list of 48 regulations submitted to the government within the campaign “Regulatory guillotine”.