Zoran Zaev is meeting with Bilal Kasami today to see if BESA party leader would support his proposal for a “consensual” presidential candidate nominated by the ruling SDSM party but supported by all ethnic Albanian parties.

Zaev is already in talks with the Albanian parties which are in his coalition – DUI, Alternative and DPA, who said that they support the idea in principle. BESA is the first Albanian opposition party which met with him, while the Alliance of Albanians led by Ziadin Sela refused to do so. Sela is angry after the Education Ministry, led by a DUI official, revoked the right of Gostivar Mayor Arben Taravari to appoint heads of public schools in the city.

Opposition VMRO-DPMNE party nominated professor Gordana Siljanovska as its candidate, and the ruling coalition candidate should be known by the end of the week.