Northern Macedonia: Zoran Zaef submits his resignation
Zaef resigns as prime minister. He expects the new leader of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SDSM), Dimitar Kovacevski, to succeed him as prime minister.
The Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia , Zoran Zaef, announced that he will submit his resignation from the post of Prime Minister and his government to the Parliament next week.
According to Skopje media reports, Zaef 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 he said is the most suitable person to face primarily the economic challenge facing the country.
Zoran Zaef resigned from the leadership of SDSM late last month, giving the "ring" 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 Northern Macedonia held on October 31, for which Zaef 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 in which the country is.
"Early elections are not always the best solution, but in the current situation in the country, with 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.
The Minister of Defense will not participate in the new government
In another development, the Minister of Defense of Northern 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 told reporters today that she resigned from the post of vice-president of the Social Democratic Party eight months ago because she did not agree with some policies, which she said had contributed to the party's defeat in the recent municipal elections, while noting that does not expect things to change in the near future.
"Unfortunately, my impression is that we did not learn from our mistakes and that we did not hear or understand some of the messages sent to us by the people, and therefore I think the only right and honest decision is not to join the next government." Sekerinska noted.
According to APE-MPE, Sekerinska's departure from the post of SDSM vice-president eight months ago was then interpreted as a clear separation and distancing from Zoran Zaef, with whom she was a close associate and "No. 2" of the party.
