Macedonian opposition MPs to end parliament boycott, ask for no-confidence motion for gov't

SKOPJE, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia's main opposition right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristijan Mickovski told reporters on Sunday that the opposition will end its parliamentary boycott next Wednesday and vote for a no-confidence motion for the ruling Social Democrat-led government of Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

"I expect the no-confidence motion to be successful, followed by early elections," Mickovski told the reporters.

The motion is unlikely to pass as the opposition lacks the minimum of 61 Members of Parliament (MP) needed in the 120-seat parliament to bring down the government.

In November 2017, VMRO-DPMNE MPs stopped attending parliament after police arrested six of their MPs who were suspected of playing roles in the mob attack on parliament nearly one year ago.

Five MPs are now among 30 people facing terrorism charges, for what the prosecution claims as an organized attempt, to destabilize the country.

The Macedonian parliament has only about ten days to pass several key reforms suggested by the European Union (EU), such as the reforms in the judiciary, that need a two-thirds majority to pass.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev welcomed the opposition's expected return to parliament and that dialogue with the opposition was "moving in a good direction."

The no-confidence motion was a legitimate move that should not jeopardize the country's EU-related priorities, underlined Zaev.

Macedonia hopes the European Commission will restore its invitation to start EU accession talks after its latest progress report is published on April 17. Enditem