Skopje, 3 June 2024 (MIA) - The first coordination meeting between Speaker Afrim Gashi and representatives of the parties is set to take place on Monday in the Parliament following the constitutive session.

Gashi told MIA on Sunday that the meeting will discuss forthcoming activities, including when the session for laws related to changes in ministries could be held, but he was uncertain about reaching an agreement. 

Party sources told MIA that committees will initially be formed to review these laws before they are brought to a session. The timeline for this process will be discussed at today's coordination meeting.

Regarding when the first parliamentary session will be scheduled, Gashi told Radio Free Europe on Sunday that plenary sessions will be scheduled in consultation with all political parties.

"We already had an informal meeting yesterday with representatives of political parties, we are waiting for the parliamentary groups and coordinators to be formalized, and as soon as we have consensus from the majority of political parties, we will proceed to convene a new session," Gashi said.

As a coalition already in formation between VMRO-DPMNE, ZNAM, and Worth It, he emphasized, "it has been agreed that the new government will begin with a new organization of the state, ministries, and portfolios."

"We aim to enact this law first, enabling the government to be elected in line with its provisions and the new organizational structure. Hence, we will strive together with all political parties in the Parliament to ensure that this law is among the first to be introduced in the plenary session," Gashi said.

He confirmed that in that package, amendments to laws will also be included to prevent early local elections in municipalities where they become MPs.

In addition, the deadline for granting the mandate to form the next government is set to expire on June 7. President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova is to hand over a mandate for the formation of a new government this week, the President’s Office said. 

The mandate holder, within twenty days from the day of receiving the mandate, is required to submit to the Parliament the composition and program of the government. The Government is elected by the Parliament on the proposal of the mandate holder and on the basis of the programme by a majority vote of the total number of MPs.

The government coalition talks between VMRO-DPMNE, the Worth It coalition and the ZNAM Movement are ongoing. At a press conference on Sunday, VMRO-DPMNE spokesperson Naum Stoilkovski, in response to a journalist's question, stated that there is still no concrete information regarding the government composition.

Photo: MIA archive