Skopje, 22 January 2024 (MIA) - The Parliament's calendar remains unchanged, the Office of Speaker Talat Xhaferi said after Monday's coordination meeting, in light of the preparations for the formation of the caretaker government.

As stated by the Office on January 9, the formal preparations for the caretaker government will take place in the Parliament between January 22-28. Representatives of VMRO-DPMNE and opposition parties of ethnic Albanians have not attended coordination meetings, with the latter saying it will boycott the Parliament due to the failure to elect their candidate as member of the State Election Commission.

Starting on January 22 and up to January 28, the following proceedings will take place: resignation of the Prime Minister and the Parliament Speaker, informing the President on presenting a mandate to the new PM, election of a government, ministers, deputy-ministers and additional deputy-ministers, as well as cessation of an MP term and election of a new lawmaker, said the Speaker's Office.

According to reports from the ruling majority, the resignations of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi should be handed over in the days prior to the session scheduled for January 26, when the new Speaker, current SDSM whip Jovan Mitreski, is to be elected to the post. The caretaker government should be elected on Sunday (January 28).

Parliament sources say the latest statements by PM Kovachevski and DUI, as well as announcements from VMRO-DPMNE, could alter the course of the activities related to the caretaker government. After today's coordination meeting, the Speaker's Office said Xhaferi would not comment on statements coming from political parties.

After VMRO-DPMNE said it would not vote for the caretaker PM (Talat Xhaferi), Kovachevski said over the weekend that the ministers' seats that belong to the opposition in the caretaker government should remain vacant until the opposition party voted for it.

VMRO-DPMNE has again said it would not vote for the caretaker PM and added it would release the names of the ministers and deputy ministers in the course of the week.

DUI has also said it would not support the VMRO-DPMNE nominees in the caretaker government, with LDP following suit yesterday.

The caretaker government is formed 100 days prior to the parliamentary elections slated for May 8, preceded by the first round of the presidential elections on April 24.

MIA file photo