Small Albanian Parties Ready to Boost Macedonian Govt

Up to ten MPs from smaller ethnic Albanian parties could soon boost the government's narrow majority in parliament, but settling their petty feuds so that they can all join his administration poses a challenge for Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

The first problem is an ongoing split between members of the small opposition BESA party who together control five MPs in the Macedonian legislature.

Although both factions - who both insist they are the true BESA - say they would consider joining Zaev's government, one says it is not willing to share space in his administration.

The BESA faction led by Afrim Gashi, which controls three MPs, was adamant that it would not share power with their former colleagues from the rival faction.

"If there was any room for cooperation with them, the split would not have happened," said Orhan Murtezani from the BESA faction led by Gashi.

The other part of BESA, however, which controls two MPs and is led by Bilal Kasami, sounded more conciliatory.

"We would not mind if Gashi's BESA joins the government, considering that [one of BESA's primary opponents in the ethnic Albanian bloc], the Democratic Union for Integration is already there," an unnamed high-ranking official from the faction told the Plus Info news website on Monday.

But the same source was categorical that they would mind if another small opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, and its three MPs, joins the government.

The DPA also hinted at its readiness to join the government after Zaev over the last weekend told media that he is working to boost parliamentary support for his administration soon. Unnamed high-raning sources from the DPA told Telma TV they were willing to consider joining...