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Macedonia political parties reach agreement on solving political crisis

Xinhua, July 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Macedonian major political parties reached an agreement on Wednesday in an attempt to solve the political crisis in the country with the help of the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn.

The agreement included the resignation of Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski by January 2016 and early elections in the country on April 24th 2016.

Under the agreement the opposition should return to Parliament by September 2015, terminating the boycott of the institution that was imposed because the opposition party SDSM did not recognize the results of the last parliamentary elections.

EU Commissioner Hahn called the agreement "historic", adding that it will open the EU and NATO perspective for Macedonia.

"This is an important step in overcoming the current crisis and towards addressing key challenges facing the country. Political leaders in the country must now swiftly implement the agreement in good faith. We stand ready to work with all parties to ensure the full implementation of all aspects of these commitments, including the Commission's urgent reform recommendations on systemic rule of law issues," Hahn stated after the long meeting with the leaders of the four major parties in Skopje.

The agreement will allow the opposition to have two ministerial posts - for interior affairs and for labor and social policy, as well as three deputy ministers with veto power in the interim technical government in the lead-up to the country's elections.

The interim Government will be introduced as a systematic solution and the Prime Minister is to resign 100 days before parliamentary election in order to ensure conditions for fair elections, Gruevski explained.

"I know that majority of the citizens will give their confidence to us again in the April elections and this will be a historic support and a historic victory, because we have never failed them and because they know which is the team that brings success and prosperity for Macedonia," he said on Wednesday in Skopje.

The opposition leader Zoran Zaev said he was also satisfied with the agreement.

"We have fulfilled the promise. This is an agreement in the interest of the Republic of Macedonia and in the best interest of its citizens," Zaev said at a press conference on Wednesday in Skopje. Endit