2024-02-13 18:07:44
The Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia, Jovan Mitreski, will officially schedule the date of the presidential elections in the country for April 24, when the first round will take place, and May 8 will be the date for the runoff. In an interview with the MIA news agency, Mitreski said he was still holding consultations, but if possible, the parliamentary elections due to be held on May 8, along with the second round of the presidential elections, would also be scheduled tomorrow.
The dates of the elections to be held in North Macedonia were set in December last year at a leadership meeting. Signing them by the speaker of the parliament is the formal act of announcing them, but this is his duty, according to the country’s constitution, BTA reported.
In the meantime, the parliament must make decisions directly related to the conduct of the elections – filling the State Election Commission and adopting the changes to the Electoral Code.
According to the laws, there are seats in the State Election Commission designated for the opposition, and one of them remained vacant after the Alliance for Albanians entered the government a year ago, and its representative on the commission became the Minister of Justice. The Albanian opposition has been demanding that its representative take this seat even while Talat Xhaferi was the speaker of the parliament. There is still no decision, which is why the deputies from the Albanian opposition parties refused to participate in the coordination meetings with the chairman of the legislative body.
In response to a question when this problem will be solved, Mitreski replied that there is still no consensus in the parliamentary Commission on Elections and Appointments.
“At the moment, the situation is at a standstill in the Commission on Elections and Appointments, where there are two proposals. My proposal was that both proposals enter the plenary hall, open a discussion and make a decision in the parliament, because the election of a member of the State Election Commission happens with a two-thirds majority, i.e. 80 people’s representatives are needed. If I receive information that there is a two-thirds majority secured for one of the proposals, I would put it to a vote so that the last member of the State Election Commission is also elected,” says Mitreski.
He also expects a consensus between all parliamentary groups regarding changes to the Electoral Code.
“Regarding the recommendations of the OSCE (for changes to the Electoral Code), I have not heard any comments so far. When I receive a text signed by all the coordinators of parliamentary groups, which means that consensus is secured, I would immediately put this proposal to the vote at the next meeting. Although the OSCE recommendations are bound by a deadline for adopting its changes, there are practices from previous elections. In 2020, for example, changes to the Electoral Code were voted on on the day Parliament was dissolved. So whenever the proposal comes, I will immediately put it up for consideration at a meeting of the parliament so that we can make a final decision,” says Mitreski.
According to him, the parliament of North Macedonia will work at full capacity until the day the election campaign begins, in “the first days of April”.