Skopje, 10 January 2025 (MIA) — With four votes in favor and 62 against, lawmakers rejected the no-confidence motion against Deputy Minister of Interior Astrit Iseni moved by the European Front coalition claiming he was not doing his job.

European Front MP Dijana Toska elaborated on the motion, demanding Iseni resign.

She said that during the Nov. 28 flag desecration incidents "only Albanian citizens were arrested and no steps were taken against those who burned the Albanian flag."

"You failed to maintain security, you contributed to inciting tensions, you showed passivity and irresponsibility. Your failure to ensure equal treatment by the institutions is clear evidence of your inability to perform this duty," Toska said.

Iseni said the no-confidence motion did not correspond to reality and was an attempt to distract the public from the past 20 years' worth of abuse of power.

He also said the motion had nothing to do with his work, adding that he had never been involved in any corruption scandals unlike politicians whose "priority was opening casinos, lotteries and games of chance to get rich."

"This no-confidence motion is an attempt to cover up the past of those who abused every position they held in the past two decades," Iseni said.

During the parliamentary session, the first this year, lawmakers also voted on the no-confidence motions moved by the European Front against First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment and Physical Planning Izet Mexhiti; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Inter-Community Relations Ivan Stoiljkovikj; Minister of Interior Panche Toshkovski; and the no-confidence motion moved by Levica against Committee on Social Policy, Demography and Youth chair Ilire Dauti. All won the confidence votes except Dauti. mr/