Off the wire
• China to hand over underwater drone to U.S. in appropriate manner  • Roundup: Chicago agricultural commodities end lower over the week  • Albania to adopt 27 draft laws till March 2017  • Ireland urges poultry owners to remain vigilant against bird flu  • Half one million documented migrants live in Greece: survey  • ECOWAS condemns Burkina Faso attack that kills 12 soldiers  • AU, UN launch Somali operation to restore supply routes  • 12 killed in Al-Shabaab clashes with locals in Somalia  • Roundup: Italy remains on frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2016  • Benin to ratify charter on improving public services  
You are here: 　 Home

Roundup: Citizens looking forward to creation of new gov't in Macedonia

Xinhua, December 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

There has been no sign of the creation of a new government in Macedonia, almost a week after the country held its snap parliamentary elections.

The ruling party VMRO-DPMNE led by Nikola Gruevski has won the majority of seats in Macedonian 120-seat parliament.

VMRO­-DPMNE defeated its major opponent, Social Democratic Union (SDSM) led by Zoran Zaev with only a slim lead of two seats as they got 51 and 49 seats respectively.

Soon after the publication of the preliminary results, Gruevski told a press conference here that he would start immediately working on the creation of the new government.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov also said in a press statement that the political class here should respect the citizens, and he noted that he would soon give the mandate for the creation of a new government.

About six days have passed since the elections day. Citizens here have been looking forward to the creation of the new government since they saw these elections as a way out from the prolonged political crisis in the country.

The State Elections Commission (SEC) has continued to discuss and consider the claims and objections made by the main opposition party SDSM and other parties.

SDSM and other parties have filed complaints asking for repeated voting in several polling stations, which according to them, could alter the outcome of the elections.

The supporters of the VMRO-DPMNE held a protest on Friday night in front of the SEC offices, asking the commission not to consider such claims any more but publish the final results of the elections and conclude everything.

They claimed that their party won the elections so there is no reason to delay the process.

In another statement, the VMRO-DPMNE asked the ministry of interior here to investigate the attacks against Gruevski's supporters during these days.

According to the VMRO-­DPMNE, coalition building depended on both the VMRO-­DPMNE and other political parties.

Meanwhile, EU Ambassador to Macedonia Samuel Zbogar said earlier in a press statement that Brussels was waiting for the creation of the new government, which would continue to implement the necessary reforms for the country to continue its European integration path.

Business community in Macedonia has requested the politicians here to create the new government as soon as possible in order to deliver the promises made during the campaign for the improvement of the business climate in the country. Endit