Page 13 - bne_newspaper_May 5 2017

Southeast Europe
May 5, 2017 www.intellinews.com I Page 13
End to Macedonia political impasse a step closer as new speaker takes office
bne IntelliNews
The newly elected speaker of the Macedonian parliament has sent a letter to President Gjorge Ivanov to officially inform him of the new major- ity in the parliament, in a bid to break the politi- cal impasse in the country since an inconclusive election in December.
Talat Xhaferi, a MP from the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), finally took charge earlier in the week after protests by nationalists and the former ruling party VMRO- DPMNE, which has ruled Macedonia since 2006, had tried to block him from taking up the post since this would pave the way for the election of a new government led by the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and backed by par- ties representing the ethnic Albanian minority.
Macedonia has been without a government since the December 11 election after VMRO-DPMNE, which narrowly won the election, failed to form a government. But Zaev, whose SDSM has a ma- jority in parliament with the support of the eth- nic Albanian parties, was denied a mandate by President Ivanov due to his party’s acceptance
of a platform drawn up by the Albanian parties, which seeks greater rights for ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. Ivanov claims the ‘Albanian Platform’ undermines Macedonia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Under the constitution, President Ivanov, who is close to VMRO-DPMNE, has to respond within ten days to the letter that was sent by the speaker on May 4. “Now, the president of the assembly ex-
Macedonia's newly elected speaker Talat Xhaferi.
pects President Gjorge Ivanov to act according to the constitution,” Xhaferi’s office said in a state- ment.
The EU and US urgently want to end the political impasse and restore a functioning government
to Macedonia, whose ethnic mix is another Bal- kan powder keg that could see a repeat of the civil strife of 2001. Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotia- tions Johannes Hahn, in a strong sign that the EU and US are heavily backing Zaev, met on May 4 with the new speaker of Macedonia’s parliament. Hahn reiterated the EU’s strong condemnation of the deliberate attacks on MPs and journalists in the parliament the previous week, in which more than 100 were injured as thugs, many in balak- lavas, assaulted SDSM parliamentarians. Hahn warned that any repeat of such acts would seri- ously endanger the country’s European drive to join the EU.
The commissioner later said he expected that there will be a “full investigation” of the events with “legal consequences”, mentioning that the law enforcement institutions hadn’t done their job for some time. The police said on May 2 that they had filed additional charges against five people for participation in the incidents on April 27.
Xhaferi was elected on April 27 in an unconven- tional procedure in the middle of the parliament hall, as the speaker’s chair was occupied by MPs from VMRO-DPMNE, who tried to prevent his election.