VMRO DPMNE

VMRO DPMNE spokesperson Ivo Kotevski on Monday said the opposition party, which suffered a crushing defeat in just finished local elections, will not give up the few mayoral seats it won.

Asked whether he would resign if his party loses the October 15 local elections in Macedonia, former PM Gruevski - whose VMRO DPMNE party ran Macedonia for 11 years until recently - said only that he would assume responsibility for the result, whatever it was.

At a meeting which took place on Saturday afternoon, the party's central presidency formally nominated Zaev to run for prime minister. Zaev will go on to claim the mandate to form a new government from the head of state, President Gjorge Ivanov.

The Democratic Union for Integration, DUI - the ethnic Albanian party with the most MPs in parlliament - has sent out conflicting signals about joining a new government coalition led by former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, the leader of the VMRO DPMNE.

The legal changes failed to pass on Tuesday after only about 30 MPs in the 123-seat parliament, mainly from the opposition Social Democrats, SDSM, voted in favour.

The US embassy in Macedonia has dismissed claims made in the pro-government newspaper, Vest, that the US is hoping former prime minister and ruling party leader Gruevski will win the early elections in June.

Days before Sunday’s early general and presidential elections in Macedonia, the opposition Social Democratic Party, the SDSM, has presented documents from the land registry that it says show the ruling party recently purchased over 20 apartments, office spaces and building lots worth some €1.6 million.