Elections in the Republic of Macedonia

The main ruling party, the Social Democrats, SDSM and its ethnic Albanian junior ruling party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, have confirmed that they are on the verge of making official their deal to support each other's candidates for the local elections on October 15.

Authorities in the Macedonian capital have denied claims that they are scrambling to collect the cash to complete the 18.5 million euro project for a London Eye-style big wheel on their own, after the new government cut funding for what it calls unproductive investment.

The parliamentary speaker and the ruling majority are being urged to take action to curb the stalling tactics of the opposition VMRO DPMNE party which have been blocking parliament's work for the past month and a half.

The Macedonian prosecution team tasked with investigating high-level crime has confirmed it intends to challenge the Skopje Criminal Court decision not to freeze the assets of the former ruling party VMRO DPMNE before the Supreme Court.

The opposition VMRO DPMNE party has begun what appears to be a campaign of no-confidence motions in parliament, although they are not likely to succeed, as the Social Democrats and their ruling coalition partners hold a small but solid majority among the 120 MPs.

Long-standing members of the former ruling right-wing VMRO DPMNE party - which is now in opposition after 11 years in power - have launched a bid to 'democratise' the party.

Macedonia's new government was elected Wednesday night with the support of 62 MPs in the 120-seat parliament. Its establishment is expected to put an end to the prolonged political crisis in the country. The previous government, led by the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party stood accused of allegations of wiretapping and corruption.
 

Zoran Zaev revealed the composition of his cabinet late Sunday, which parliament is expected to approved this week. Speaker of Parliament Talat Xhaferi has set the date for the session to start on Tuesday.

The key posts are to be shared between Zaev's Social Democratic Party, SDSM, and Macedonia's main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.

The video, captured by security cameras inside the Macedonian parliament shows Krsto Mukoski and Saso Vasilevski, two MPs from the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party, removing the security bars from the main gate just seconds before the crowd of angry VMRO-DPMNE supporters enter parliament going on to attack their bitter political opponents.

The Social Democrats' vice president Radmila Shekerinska and the party's secretary general Oliver Spasovski are almost sure candidates for key ministerial posts in the new government led by the Social Democrat head Zoran Zaev, BIRN has found out.