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Roundup: Political deadlock in Macedonia deepens as new gov't is not formed yet

Xinhua, April 25, 2017 Adjust font size:

Around four months after the general elections of Dec. 11, Macedonia is still struggling to re-establish political stability and pave the way for the forming of the new government.

Many developments have taken place during these four months but unfortunately, the political stalemate has'nt been solved yet.

The conservative VMRO-DPMNE led by the former Prime Minister, Nikola Gruevski, called Tuesday for a meeting between the leaders of the main political parties in order to solve the crisis that the country is going through.

But, for the Social Democrats (SDSM) of Zoran Zaev, such a meeting would not solve the protracted crisis here.

Gruevski won 51 seats in the snap elections of Dec. 11, SDSM won 49 out while the largest ethnic Albanian party, DUI won 10 seats out of the 120-seat Parliament of Macedonia.

Sixty-one members of the parliament are needed to form a government here.

President Gjorge Ivanov mandated Gruevski in early January to form a coalition and then the new government but Gruevski failed to reach an agreement with the head of DUI party Ali Ahmeti.

Afterwards, it was Zaevs turn to get the mandate and form the new government. He managed to secure 69 votes of MPs and asked the President to give him the mandate but the latter refused to do so, arguing that the platform he had presented to him was that of the ethnic Albanian parties signed in the neighboring country capital, Tirana.

In fact, the so-called Tirana Platform has been the main obstacle that has further deepened the political crisis in Macedonia.

It was proclaimed in Albania's capital, Tirana, by all ethnic Albanian parties of Macedonia at the presence of Albanian PM, Edi Rama.

Therefore, the President said in his official response that he couldn't and would never mandate a candidate who wanted to implement a platform that threatened the country's unity and sovereignty.

The Macedonian Parliament is continuing to debate such a platform where the representatives of VMRO-DPMNE keep asking Zaev to drop such platform while Zaev insists on the fact that he should be mandated given that his platform only protected countrys interests and focused on reforms.

The filibuster on Tirana platform has continued since more than a month in parliament.

VMRO-DPMNEs MPs have requested the holding of fresh elections in Macedonia as according to this party, the citizens need to be given the chance to show by their vote which platform they will support.

But, SDSM has reacted by saying that fresh elections would not lead the country out of crisis as Macedonia already had a parliamentary majority, secured by SDSM.

The head of SDSM Zaev has requested the President and head of VMRO-DPMNE to give up their attempts to delay the formation of new government.

Meanwhile, protests by United Macedonia movement continue almost every day. This movement is protesting against the so called Tirana Platform and against a coalition reached between SDSM and Albanian parties. Enditem