Macedonian Parties Fail to Reach Agreement on Resolving Political Crisis

Working groups of the main Macedonian parties failed to reach an agreement on resolving the country's political crisis.

According to media reports, parties continue to disagree over the competencies of the new ministries and the deputy-ministers nominated by the opposition, MIA news agency informs.

An agreement, which had been reached in June/July, stipulated that the new interior and labour and social policy ministers as well as the deputy ministers of finance, agriculture and administration and information society should have been elected by Tuesday midnight.

EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, who visited Macedonia on Tuesday, called on party leaders to show responsibility and take care of the country's interests and future.

US ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily pointed to the political will needed to deal with the remaining issues of the June/July agreements.

In compliance with the agreement, the largest opposition SDSM party returned to parliament.

The agreement provides for the resignation of the incumbent government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the appointment of a new cabinet on 1 January 2016.

The ruling VMRO-DPMNE party will nominate a new prime minister, who will oversee the organisation of the early parliamentary elections scheduled to take place on 24 April 2016.