The SDSM party is again trying to avoid having a meaningful opposition role in the technical Government that will prepare for the general and presidential elections. In the 2020 election cycle, SDSM removed the VMRO-DPMNE nominated Labour and Welfare Minister Rasela Mizrahi, who was supposed to have oversight in the abuse of welfare funds to buy votes for the ruling coalition.

This time around, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski is trying to keep the seats set aside for VMRO empty – these include the powerful Interior Ministry post, the Labour and Welfare post and three deputy minister seats, including in the Finance Ministry. Yesterday, Kovacevski insisted that VMRO should not be allowed to appoint its candidates to these seats, which are set aside for them by law, because the opposition party plans to vote ‘present’ for the Government. VMRO refuses to vote for the candidate SDSM and DUI are nominating for interim Prime Minister – Talat Xhaferi from DUI – because of the rampant corruption in the Albanian party.

Kovacevski’s idea is a cheap trick. We remain firm in our position that we will not vote for the interim Prime Minister. We will reveal our candidates for ministers and deputy ministers next week, VMRO-DPMNE said in response to Kovaceveski’s political maneuver.

Parliament should vote for this interim Government on January 28th and this Government should be in place for 100 days, organizing the first round of presidential elections on April 24th and the general elections and second round of presidential elections on May 4th.