Skopje’s Prime Minister, Zoran Zaev, has announced that he will submit his resignation and government to parliament next week.

According to Skopje media reports, Zaev will submit his resignation next Wednesday or Thursday. He said he expects the new leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM), Dimitar Kovacevski, to succeed him as Prime Minister, who is the most suitable person to face primarily the economic challenge facing the country.

Zoran Zaev resigned from the leadership of SDSM late last month, giving his position to Dimitar Kovacevski, who was elected the new leader of the ruling party last Sunday.

These developments take place after the heavy defeat of the Social Democratic Party in the municipal elections in North Macedonia held on October 31, for which Zaev took responsibility and had announced that he would resign as party leader and Prime Minister.

VMRO calls for early elections in May or June

Meanwhile, the leader of the main opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, Christian Mickoski, today called for the formation of a caretaker government in February or March and for early parliamentary elections in May or June.

According to him, early parliamentary elections are the only solution to get out of the general crisis the country is facing.

“Early elections are not always the best solution, but owing to the current situation the country is facing with all the serious problems, there is no way or any opportunity for this government to change anything. That is why early parliamentary elections are the only solution to get out of this political, economic, energy, diplomatic, general crisis in the country,” Mitskoski said.

Also read: Skopje | Political crisis after Zaef’s resignation – Results, scenarios and first reactions

The Minister of Defence will not participate in the new government

In another development, the Minister of Defence of North Macedonia and one of the most recognized officials of the government and the Social Democratic Party, Radmila Sekerinska will not participate in the new government, which is expected to be formed by mid-January 2022.

Sekerinska, in a statement to reporters today, recalled that eight months ago she resigned from the post of vice-president of the Social Democratic Party because she did not agree with some policies which, according to her, contributed to the defeat of the party in the recent municipal elections, while she noted that she does not expect things to change in the near future.

“Unfortunately, my impression is that we have not learned from our mistakes and we did not hear or understand some of the messages sent by our people, and therefore I think that the only correct and honest decision is not to participate in the next government,” Sekerinska noted.

Sekerinska’s departure from the post of SDSM vice-president eight months ago was then construed as a clear separation and distancing from Zoran Zaev, with whom she was a close associate and “No. 2” of the party.

Source: AMNA

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