According to former Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, there is no justification for the planned increase in the number of deputy speakers of Parliament. The Parliament is set to vote on this today, with a proposal to have as many as five deputies to Speaker Talat Xhaferi.

Since 2006 the Parliament has had only three deputy speakers, only to have the number increased to five starting in 2016, once SDSM took over the majority.

It seems that only in Macedonia apply the rule that the more expensive the Parliament is, the more democratic it is. There is no reason or economic justification to having so many deputies, Veljanoski said, citing the example of other countries that have far less deputy speakers, or the same number but in much much larger parliaments.

It’s estimated that the cost to maintain these extra offices, which come with a driver, a secretary and an office, are at least 240,000 EUR a year. The Parliament was also called upon to reduce the travel expenses it is handing out to members of Parliament who don’t live in Skopje, a program that was often abused to the extent that a representative could collect enough money to buy an apartment in Skopje in a four year term. Instead of a thorough reform, the ruling SDSM party had its leader Zoran Zaev and his deputy Ljupco Nikolovski give up on collecting the travel expenses- days before announcing they are leaving the Parliament anyway to be nominated in the next Government.