Macedonian general election

This happened without a debate on amendments, with 64 votes in favor, and none against or abstained.

This legal act introduces the Albanian language as the second official language in the country.

Assembly Speaker Talat Xhaferi, from the Albanian DUI party, thus carried out his plan and rejected a debate on amendments.

The session of the Macedonian Assembly, that will once again debate the act, has been scheduled for January 29.

Tanjug is on Tuesday quoting the website Telegraf to report that in his explanation of the decision, Ivanov wrote that "the European flag was abused" during the adoption of this piece of legislation, and that it was passed by a simple majority.

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.

Macedonia's main opposition leader cried foul over local election results after gains for the ruling party in a second round of polls on Sunday, and demanded a snap parliamentary vote, reported Reuters. 

Macedonia's SDSM, led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, confirmed its widespread support, winning 18 of the 35 municipalities in which voting took place Sunday. The first round already suggested widespread support on October 15 (SDSM won 39), which together with Sunday's vote means that in total the party now controls at least 57 out of Macedonia's 81 municipalities.

The second round of voting on Sunday won't change the big picture from the first round, at which the main ruling Social Democrats, SDSM, won a big victory over their bitter opponents from the opposition right-wing VMRO DPMNE party - but the contest in the ethnic Albanian bloc is expected to be a lot more exciting.

The prosecution confirmed on Wednesday that it is taking seriously allegations made by the main opposition VMRO DPMNE party and its leader Nikola Gruevski of wiretapping and election fraud place during the ongoing local election process.

"Actions are being taken which are currently at a pre-investigation phase," the prosecution told 24 Vesti TV in a statement.

FYROM's (Macedonia) ruling Social Democrats (SDSM) have won a sweeping victory in the first round of local elections and delivered a severe blow to the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party that ruled much of the country for more than a decade.

The right-wing VMRO DPMNE party of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in elections for 81 mayors and municipal councils, completely losing its former dominant position in local government.

Macedonia's ruling Social Democrats, SDSM, celebrated a convincing victory Sunday night during the first round of local elections, widely regarded as a key test of the new government's popularity.