Skopje, 29 January 2024 (MIA) - Parliament elected on Sunday the caretaker Government led by Talat Xhaferi with 65 votes in favor and 3 against. The transitional government will lead the country 100 days until the general elections on May 8, and will remain in charge until the election of a new government.

 

Sunday's session was attended by 111 MPs. VMRO-DPMNE’s MPs abstained from voting for the caretaker Government, while European Alliance for Change MPs did not attend the session. 

 

 

A handover ceremony is to take place at the Government on Monday, as caretaker Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi will take over duties from outgoing Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski. Kovachevski and Xhaferi are set to hold a brief meeting. 

 

 

In his address to the MPs at the Parliament’s session Sunday on the vote for the caretaker government, Xhaferi said that for him, as a Prime Minister designate of the Government, it makes no difference if it is 1 or a 100 days, or if it is a caretaker Government.

 

"I want to assure you that at no moment will I permit a deviation from that which represents a functional and reliable institution for the citizens, and an institution with clear responsibilities defined by the Constitution in relation to the other branches of power in the Republic of North Macedonia," Xhaferi said.

 

Xhaferi reiterated that he accepts the mandate with pleasure and full responsibility, with the pledge that responsibly, and on the basis of the Constitution and the laws, he would lead the Government and negotiations for its creation in a way that corresponds to the political need and the situation in the country, with the hope that the proposed ministers will meet the expectations of the current situation, and above all, do so with responsibility towards the citizens.

 

The priority of the caretaker Government is the holding of regular presidential and parliamentary elections in a fair and democratic manner, but Xhaferi said he and the Government he leads pledge to continue the adopted policies of the previous Government of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski.

 

The Government, he said, has a mandate to realize the outlined priorities on the basis of the strategic commitments for the complete and accelerated integration and the country’s full-fledged membership within the European Union by 2030; for a successful functioning and contribution to the joint national, regional, and European collective security within the frameworks of the NATO Alliance; for efficient implementation of the successful policies for the promotion of the living standard of the citizens and the acceleration of growth and economic development through clear indicators in 2024, as well as complete continuation of the successful policies, instruments and decisions in support of the social, health, educational, cultural, civil needs and priorities of all citizens.

 

 

The first Deputy Prime Minister in the caretaker Government and Deputy Prime Minister for European affairs will be Bojan Marichikj, while Artan Grubi will hold the post of Minister of Political System and Inter-Community Relations. VMRO-DPMNE’s Panche Toshkovski is set to be the Minister of Interior, while Gjoko Velkovski will hold the post of Minister of Labor and Social Policy.

 

 

Several ministers from SDSM, DUI and the Alliance for Albanians will retain their current posts: Justice Minister Krenar Lloga; Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani; Finance Minister Fatmir Besimi; Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi; Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy Ljupcho Nikolovski; Health Minister Fatmir Mexhiti; Education Minister Jeton Shaqiri; Local Self-Government Minister Risto Penov; Culture Minister Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska; Minister of Information Society and Administration Azir Aliu; Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bochvarski; Minister of Environment and Physical Planning; as well as Fatmir Bytyqi, Minister without portfolio in charge of economic affairs; and Slavica Grkovska, Minister without portfolio in charge of good governance policies.  

 

Parliament held another session Sunday during which it verified the mandate of new MP Musa Ibraimi, who replaces Talat Xhaferi in Parliament, and voted to elect deputy ministers and additional deputy ministers in the caretaker Government.

 

With the vote, Parliament named SDSM's candidate and former Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski’s chief of staff, Mitko Bojmacliev, as additional Deputy Minister of Interior, and Jovanka Trenchevska as additional Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Policy.

 

It also approved VMRO-DPMNE's candidates for additional deputy ministers - Elena Petrova as additional Deputy Minister of Finance, Stefan Andonovski as additional Deputy Minister of Information Society and Administration, and Cvetan Tripunovski as additional Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy.

 

Eight MPs took part in the debate on the election of the third caretaker Government, including DUI leader Ali Ahmeti.

 

VMRO-DPMNE MP Antonijo Miloshoski said his party will not vote for the caretaker government because a prime minister's post, he noted, cannot be taken by a party that has been associated with the largest number of high corruption scandals and it is not legal for a party with a smaller number of MPs to win it.

 

Democratic Alliance leader Pavle trajanov said he won't support the caretaker gGovernment, adding that, according to him, it is contrary to the Constitution.

 

"It is more than clear that the situation has not changed significantly, on the contrary, it has worsened and that is why we are forming such a caretaker government which is contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia," said Trajanov. 

 

 

The DUI leader addressed the MPs from the opposition, Antonijo Miloshoski and Pavle Trajanov, asking whether the situation was better when the Albanians were not equal or when in 2001, he and some of the Albanians were prosecuted by the state as terrorists. Ahmeti called for coexistence and decision-making in the interest of the country.

 

SDSM MP and spokesperson, Darko Kaevski, said the SDSM, as a progressive and pro-European party, together with the MPs of the majority, will support the caretaker Government. According to him, SDSM has shown in the past years that it is a democratic party that knows how to protect the voice of the citizens and their indisputable right to freely express their will.

 

Alliance for Albanians MP Elmi Aziri said not choosing to vote was due to the ethnicity of the candidate for prime minister. According to him, that was not a good sign, especially from those who claim to lead an inter-ethnic state.

 

According to Levica MP Borislav Krmov, SDSM's inferior approach is most blatantly demonstrated by the election of the Parliament Speaker. Talat Xhaferi, he said, cannot be the prime minister of all citizens, the most he can be is the prime minister of his party DUI.

 

The transitional government will lead the country 100 days until the general elections on May 8, and will remain in charge until the election of a new government.

 

Xhaferi’s government is set to be the country’s third transitional or caretaker government since 2016. The caretaker government in 2016 was led by Emil Dimitriev, while the one in 2020 was headed by Oliver Spasovski.

 

Photo: MIA