The new Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, who took office on Monday, said that his cabinet will commit to fair elections, according to the highest standards, for the well-being and dignity of North Macedonia and its citizens. her.
On the other hand, the attacks against him and against the governing parties by the opposition VMRO have continued.
The new Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Talat Xhaferi, started work today after a usual ceremony of taking office by the former Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski. The two political leaders expressed their satisfaction for the cooperation so far, while Mr. Xhaferi then told the journalists that he assumes the office of prime minister with great responsibility and that he is ready for all the challenges that power may bring.
Meanwhile, without taking the office of the prime minister, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE came out with a communiqué calling Mr. Xhaferi a deserter, while the ruling Social Democratic League a “traitorous party that gave the state to DUI”.
“The Social Democratic League allowed a humiliation of the Macedonian people, just to save them from the couches and corrupt actions”, it is further stated in the reaction, while noting that the position of the Macedonian people has been put in that of the tenant. “The DUI does not have the number of deputies nor the votes to have the prime minister of the state”, continues the reaction of the Macedonian opposition party.
However, VMRO-DPMNE has two ministers and three deputy ministers in Talat Xhaferi's cabinet. Its lawmakers abstained during yesterday's technical government vote.
Analyst Seladin Xhezairi estimates that VMRO will continue its disrespect towards Mr. Xhaferi, but that its ministers will not be able to avoid the commitments defined by law.
“As for the objections, let me say this conditionally, the ministers from the ranks of the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE have been warned for days that they will not consider Mr. Xhaferi, but at the same time according to the so-called Perzhina agreement, the powers of opposition ministers are defined and from this, I think there will be no avoidance”, said Mr. Xhezairi.
Meanwhile, journalist and analyst Isen Saliu says that there were no such harsh reactions, because protests by Macedonians dissatisfied with the election of an Albanian prime minister had been announced.
“It is interesting that there was only one discussion of the opposition and the fact that in their presentation, they emphasized that their objections are based on principles towards the figure of Talat Xhaferi, towards his party, but they also emphasized that they do not have any objections to the Albanians. This makes me think that even the Macedonian opposition parties are aware that the role of the Albanian voter will be very important in who will form the government after the elections on May 8. And for this reason, they do not want to present themselves with provocative positions that could to direct the Albanian voter to the political entities that do not prefer cooperation with the Macedonian opposition”, said Mr. Saliu.
Talat Xhaferi became the first Albanian prime minister in North Macedonia. He was also the first Albanian speaker of the Parliament after the country's independence from the Yugoslav Federation and Minister of Defense, as well. Macedonian nationalist circles have shown impatience towards him as an Albanian, but also for his role as a member of the former National Liberation Army in 2001, where he came after a career as an officer in the Macedonian army. Mr. Xhaferi was also a soldier in what was known as the People's Army of the former Yugoslavia. He has completed his master's studies in legal sciences. His colleagues appreciate him for his professionalism and principled work.
The technical government, headed by Prime Minister Xhaferi, has as its main task the preparation and smooth running of the electoral process on April 24, when the first round of presidential elections will be held, and on May 8 the parliamentary elections together with the second round of presidential elections.