Roundup: Macedonian Parliament dissolves, premature elections on April 24

Macedonian Parliament adopted a motion for self-dissolution on Monday evening in order to open the way towards premature elections in the country.

The motion was supported by 72 from the total of 120 members of the Macedonian Parliament.

According to the adopted decision, the dissolution of the Parliament will be effective from Feb. 24, and the elections will be held on April 24.

The motion was supported by the members of the Parliament from the three major parties -- VMRO-DPMNE, DUI and DPA.

"Republic of Macedonia has been living in a fierce political crisis for months. Now it is our obligation to hear the opinion of the citizens, the ones that keep asking us every day when will this crisis end," MP Ilija Dimovski from VMRO-DPMNE said, presenting the motion for dissolution.

"The only way to end the deep political crisis in the country is to have premature elections on April 24th. This is the only way that the people get chance to decide whom to give the mandate to form the new government," MP Talat Xhaferi from the main Albanian party DUI added.

On the other hand, the main opposition party SDSM is against elections on this date claiming that there are no preconditions for organizing free and fair election process.

"This action of the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski shows that he doesn't want to have free and fair elections. He doesn't want revision of the election lists and free media. For SDSM, elections on these bases are unacceptable," MP Gjorgi Sugarevski from SDSM said before the MPs of this party left the parliamentary session in protest.

According to the Macedonian Constitution, self-dissolution vote of the Parliament majority is the only option for premature termination of the mandate of the ruling Government. But the MP of the Democratic Alliance and former Minister of Interior Pavle Trajanov, warned that the parliamentarians have the right to vote for dissolution of the Parliament, but the decision can't be taken with postponed effect.

"This is not according to the Constitution. If you vote for dissolution, it becomes effective immediately. There is no example in the world political history for postponed dissolution once the decision is taken. We simply can't vote today and the decision to become effective on February 24th. What will be the authority of the MPs until February 24th, once this decision is taken?" Trajanov commented in Skopje.

Political analyst Mersel Biljali doesn't expect that the premature elections without the support of the opposition will lead to solution of the ongoing political crisis in the country.

"Elections in April are simply impossible without the participation of the opposition. The ruling majority will face boycott of the opposition of the elections and this will only lead to deeper political crisis," Biljali told Xinhua in Skopje.

Contrary to this, Professor Aleksandar Dashtevski thinks that there are no obstacles to have free and fair elections in Macedonia on April 24. "We can work to meet the necessary conditions until the last day before the elections, until the election lists are completely closed. We can engage additional people, if necessary, to update the data in the election lists. The country should not suffer because of this," Dashtevski told Xinhua.

EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Johannes Hahn in his initial reaction on the decision of the Macedonian Parliament called upon all political parties in the country to work to ensure free and fair elections on April 24.

"I would prefer that the decision on the elections is taken with consensus from all political parties. But now it is important that all political actors collaborate to ensure free and fair elections. In spite the failure to reach consensus on the election date, I expect now that all political parties cooperate constructively and stick to their obligations from the Przino agreement," Commissioner Hahn commented in Brussels for the Macedonian state news agency MIA.

Prior to the adoption of the self-dissolution motion, the Parliament verified the letter of resignation of the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. He also announced that his party is ready for elections to be held on April 24.

"We will end the destructive policy and the country will move forward. Our country is moving toward a resolute end of the political crisis and brave towards the future. This all will begin with the elections on April 24," Gruevski said.

With the Parliament's verification, Gruevski's resignation became effective. In the period up until the premature elections the Macedonian Government will be led by an interim Prime Minister, proposed by the ruling VMRO-DPMNE -- Emil Dimitriev. Dimitriev received the Prime Minister mandate Monday evening from the Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov. Endit