In the Macedonian Parliament representatives are preparing for a vote on the proposed new Government led by Zoran Zaev. The mood over the two days of discussions was heated, with the members of Parliament from the would-be opposition often quoting comments the ruling majority parties, SDSM and DUI, made about each other during the election campaign – calling each other criminals and “worthless”.

Strong comments came from Marija Petrusevska from VMRO-DPMNE. She said that she doesn’t expect a quick end to the ruling majority, despite its narrow margin in the Parliament of just one vote over the bare minimum that is needed, because SDSM showed it is capable to use any means necessary to cling to power.

But I wish it, because our people deserve a legitimate Government that will represent its views, Petrusevska said. She also had an exchange with Zekir Ramcilovic, a representative of a small Bosniak party, who was elected in 2016 on the VMRO ticked only to switch sides, join with Zaev, vote in favor of the imposed name change and eventually be nominated on the SDSM ticket in 2020. Petrusevska said that for the people he will be remembered as a traitor, sparking an angry response from Ramcilovic. This prompted Speaker Talat Xhaferi to say that the Parliament will get nowhere if it continues to debate like this, calling it an “English style” of debating – referring to the frequent loud exchanges in the Parliament in London.

Dafina Stojanoska from VMRO-DPMNE noted that Zoran Zaev was once pardoned in a clean cut case of corruption in Strumica, where he was Mayor, once received a very dubious “not guilty” verdict for an almost identical case from a cowed court, and was also not investigated for his involvement in the Racket scandal and the wiretapping affair. “This thrice pardoned criminal will be Prime Minister, even after President Stevo Pendarovski said that he wants clean candidates in the Government who are not involved in corruption scandals”, Stojanoska said.

SDSM relied on its spokesman Kostadin Kostadinov to praise the proposed new Government, touting the entry into NATO that was achieved in the previous SDSM – DUI term, after a humiliating name change. Surija Rashidi from the Alliance of Albanians replied that the Government is violating all principles of the institutions it is trying to join by trying to buy votes in the Parliament using intimidatin and bribery.

I call on you to stop trying to get the votes of the opposition Albanian bloc. We will sue you for vote buying. Instead of reforming DUI, SDSM is turning into DUI, Rashidi said.

Dimitar Apasiev from the populist far left Levica party noted that the Zaev regime is marked by concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the ruling party, arbitrary use of the judiciary and rule bby fear, incompetence and an atmosphere of conspiracy mongering. “Zaevism is the highest form of Gruevism, a type of hybrid regime”, said Apasiev, who was part of the Zaev led Colored Revolution before turning on him.