Katica Janeva

On his visit to Macedonia, Commissioner Hahn is expected to try to end the political games over the dissolution of parliament in time for elections in December, as well as boost efforts to change the law in order to help the new Special Prosecution investigate high-level crime.

Activists have called on Macedonians to protest in Skopje on Monday at 5pm in defence of the Special Prosecution, SJO - which they say is again being smeared and attacked by the government and by the media under control of the ruling VMRO DPMNE party.

After Chief Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva repeated her plea for a change to the law on witness protection, Macedonia's parliament - set to dissolve on November 11 ahead of snap elections - looks set to ignore the initiative.

Macedonia's chief Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva on Thursday said her work was far from over and that her team was investigating more cases of alleged crime.

"We are here and we are working? I believe that justice will prevail," Janeva told a press conference attended by several EU ambassadors in Skopje.

With 30 cases under investigation and 80 suspects being probed for crimes ranging from election-rigging to large-scale bribery and tax evasion, the Special Prosecution is fulfilling its assigned task of digging into alleged criminal activity by high-ranking state officials, observers told BIRN.

The Special Prosecution formed in Macedonia to investigate allegations of high-level wrongdoings and corruption has flatly denied allegations that its members have intimidated or molested potential witnesses and thus abused their office.

EU Ambassador Aivo Orav and US Ambassador Jess Baily said on Friday in Skopje that more work needed to be done before Macedonia faced April elections.

The opposition Social Democrats, SDSM, on Friday blamed the government for the fact that the National Prosecutors Council only approved seven out of 14 proposed deputy special prosecutors, again delaying investigations into the alleged mass illegal wiretapping that sparked the ongoing political crisis in Macedonia.

The opposition Social Democrats, SDSM, said they were withdrawing from the talks after the National Prosecutors Council on Wednesday gave the green light to just seven out of the 14 proposed deputy special prosecutors who will investigate alleged mass illegal wiretapping by the Macedonian authorities.

The overdue National Prosecutors Council session comes after the European Union delegation to Skopje and the United States embassy urged it on Tuesday to stop delaying and allow the team proposed by recently-appointed Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva to start working as soon as possible.