Northern Macedonia: Zoran Zaef resigns as leader of Social Democratic Party
Following the defeat in the recent municipal elections in Northern Macedonia, Zoran Zaef is ready to resign from the leadership of the Social Democratic Party.
The resignation of the leadership of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM) will be presented tomorrow, Tuesday, by Prime Minister Zoran Zaef, while opening the process of electing a new president who will succeed him as Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia.
At the same time, Zaef is continuing negotiations with the Albanian opposition party "Alternative", in order for it to switch to the governing coalition that will lead to the formation of a new government. Otherwise, the possibility of early elections remains open.
Zoran Zaef had a long meeting last Friday with the leader of the "Alternative" party, Afrim Gassi, and it was agreed to have a new meeting within days regarding the possibility of this small Albanian party joining the government, in order for it to regain a majority in the Parliament.
Zaef said after the meeting that he would submit his resignation from the SDSM leadership to his party on Tuesday, adding that the new leader must also lead the country's new government in order to continue until 2024.
Zaef announced that the new government could be formed by mid-December.
The Deputy Minister of Finance of Northern Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, was also present at the Zaef-Gassi meeting on Friday. . Asked about this, Zaef said that these decisions will be taken by the SDSM party organs.
The new government is expected to include Afrim Gassi, the current Albanian opposition party "Alternative", in place of Bilal Kasami's Albanian "BESA", which has said it is leaving the government.
At the present stage and with the departure of "BESA", the government of Zoran Zaef does not have a majority in Parliament, as it is supported by only 59 deputies, out of the 120 that number in the entire Parliament.
The Albanian "Alternative" party, which is expected to move to the government camp, has four deputies, while the government could be supported by MP Kastriot Rexhepi, who was expelled from "BESA" because on November 11 and at the last minute he literally decided to abstains from the meeting of the Parliament in which the motion of censure against the government that was submitted by the opposition was to be considered and in this way had given the "kiss of life" to the government of Zaef.
In such a case the new government would be strengthened with five deputies and would have the support of 64 deputies.
These developments take place after the heavy defeat of the Social Democratic Party in the recent municipal elections in Northern Macedonia, for which Zaef took responsibility and had stated that he would resign as party leader and prime minister.
