With Parliament set to convene early next week, President Stevo Pendarovski said that he will give the mandate for the creation of the next Government to the candidate who will assure him he can get to 61 votes.

Article 90 of the Constitution is crystal clear – the mandate goes to the candidate of the party or the parties who have majority in the Parliament and the President here has no room to maneuver, Pendarovski said.

No major party has a clear path to forming a Government and talks are believed to be going on away from the public eye. Pendarovski is tasked with giving the mandate to a candidate within 10 days after the Parliament convenes. This candidate will then have 20 days to form a ruling coalition and propose a list of ministers and a program to the Parliament. If the mandate holder fails, Pendarovski then needs to give the mandate to another candidate.