Outgoing Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said that he will not interfere in the coalition making process between SDSM and his DUI party and will not call for a new session of the Parliament.

Xhaferi announced a session las week, on the day when SDSM leader Zoran Zaev was expecting the mandate from President Stevo Pendarovski, which would have exposed the fact that Zaev doesn’t have the necessary majority. Under pressure, Xhaferi called off the session, citing the birth of his grandson as an excuse. Speaking with Sitel TV, he now says that he will allow the negotiations to run their course, including possibly replacing him with a different candidate, before calling a new session.

If in 20 days since the mandate was given there is the required parliamentary majority, and a proposal for a Government is given to the Parliament, then in 15 days the Parliament will vote, Xhaferi said.

DUI demands the position of Prime Minister for its candidate Naser Ziberi, or for any ethnic Albanian – this was the party’s key promise in the elections. If SDSM insists that Zaev is Prime Minister and are now willing to part with the seat even for one year of the expected four year term, them it is expected that DUI will demand other major concessions – such as very important departments including those of the interior and finance.