Skopje, 14 February 2023 (MIA) – Ruling majority MPs focused on the results and the country’s EU path on Tuesday’s parliamentary debate over the dismissal of Alternativa’s ministers, rejecting the claims of the opposition and their demands for elections. On the other hand, VMRO-DPMNE MPs, who dominated the discussion, reiterated their calls for elections and accusations of corruption and crime.

The debate over the dismissal of Alternativa’s ministers, i.e., Minister of Health Bekim Sali, began with replies to Monday’s address of Alternativa MP Safije Sadiki Shaini.

VMRO-DPMNE MPs indicated that they had warned Alternativa that they would be dismissed the moment they were no longer needed.

VMRO-DPMNE MP Micevski reiterated the call for elections, stressing that Macedonia needs new progressive people.

“The Government has shown all of its abnormalities, incompetence and failures. A series of shortcomings come to light every day, various bureaucratic procedures because of which patients are dying, society is paralyzed by crime, while corruption is simply reigning. The citizens are disappointed and are barely making ends meet. And the promises of increased wages and pensions remain only on paper,” said Micevski.

In response to Micevski’s address, SDSM MP Darko Kaevski said that the Government managed to increase the production of electricity by 40 percent and for the first time in 70 years, all capacities for the production of electricity are functional.

“A large number of businesses are now on the regulated electricity market, which helps maintain jobs and the economy. Furthermore, 760 million euros of direct aid has been provided for the citizens during an economic and an energy crisis,” said Kaevski adding that unemployment is going down, despite the growing wages of pensions.

VMRO-DPMNE MP Jovan Jauelski said that Alliance for Albanians (AA) leader Arben Taravari sold the struggle of the Albanians for “a handful of directorial posts that will last ten months.” According to him, the party which spoke against DUI, turned out to be nothing more than collaborators of DUI.

Surija Rashidi from AA, responded to Jauleski with a message to the younger politicians to distinguish between the politicians who have brought more harm to the country than positive things.

“The consequences of the criminal rule with Gruevski left you unable to find the strength to distinguish. My question is what your concept for the fight against crime and corruption is,” said the AA MP.

Zhaklina Lazarevska from SDSM said that VMRO-DPMNE only has a desperate desire to return to power so that they can steal and continue where they left off in 2017.

MP Bojan Stojanovski from VMRO-DPMNE pointed out that he personally told outgoing Health Minister Bekim Sali that he was sitting next to those who brutally robbed him of his votes at the local elections in Chair.

Alliance for Albanians MP, Halil Snopche replied to Stojanovski, saying “the day passes, while justice remains forever,” stressing that VMRO-DPMNE is only playing daily politics and that the parties in the country cannot accept their mistakes.

A total of 44 MPs have registered to speak, with more than thirty MPs yet to speak on this item of the agenda. The election of new ministers from AA is also set to be discussed at the 104th session of Parliament. ad/sk/