The Levica party denied allegations from VMRO-DPMNE that it helped the ruling SDSM party gather the quorum needed to begin a session of Parliament today. SDSM managed to cobble together 61 votes in order to appoint a crony of the Zaev regime, judge Dobrila Kacarska, to the Constitutional Court, and also to adopt a law that will give a major windfall to the politically linked Makpetrol oil company.

While most of the opposition was out of the building, Levica member of Parliament Dimitar Apasiev came to give an angry speech aimed at Speaker Talat Xhaferi and to demand that the Parliament debates the escalating dispute with Bulgaria instead.

We emphasize that the address of our representative Apasiev was at about 13:30, and the vote on Kacarska and Makpetrol was before 16h. These were two different sessions of Parliament. We only attended the first one, and we denounce the fake news meant to confuse the public, Levica said.

VMRO-DPMNE announced it will not attend sessions of Parliament where decisions that are harmful to the nation are discussed. The ruling SDSM – DUI – BESA coalition has only 62 votes in the 120 seat Parliament, and it needs 61 just to open a session.