Skopje, 18 August 2023 (MIA) – Parliament concluded Friday the discussion on the need to amend the Constitution in order to add the Bulgarians and five other ethnic communities to the Preamble of the Constitution.

SDSM party whip Jovan Mitreski was the last to speak, after which Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi adjourned the 123rd session of Parliament and said the MPs will be informed over when it will resume.

Opposition MPs, who voted against the session’s agenda, expressed dissatisfaction with the session’s adjournment. 

The adoption of the need to amend the Constitution requires the support of at least 80 MPs. It represents the first of three stages of the constitutional amendments procedure. During the vote for the agenda of the 123rd plenary session, 70 MPs voted in favor, while 47 were against. 

Adding the Bulgarians to the Constitution is a prerequisite for the continuation of the country’s EU accession talks and the holding of the second intergovernmental conference.

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