Govt. consultations begin in Macedonia

Macedonian Prime Minister-elect Nikola Gruevski has started talks with ethnic Albanians parties. The talks are focused on the possibility of the two Albanian parties entering the future government. Govt. consultations begin in Macedonia Gruevski, who has received a mandate from Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski to form a new government, met with Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) leader Menduh Thaci and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader Ali Ahmeti. Macedonian government spokesman Ivica Bocevski said after the meeting that Gruevski had opened talks with the Albanian leaders over their possible participation in the ruling coalition. Bocevski did not go into any further details, but announced that talks would continue over the following 20 days, which was the deadline for forming a new government. The three parties’ working groups will also discuss adjustments to the party manifestos, and try to settle divisive issues. Thaci, who was in a coalition with Grueski prior to the June 1 parliamentary elections, said that it was still early for him to say whether his party would participate in the new government. "We’ve begun talks and consultations. There are issues we agree upon, such as Euro-Atlantic integration, and the solution for the country’s name. I believe that a solution should be reached that would not jeopardize Macedonians’ national identity,” Thaci stressed. The DPA does not recognize the results of the elections after the re-votes at certain polling stations, where the party won 11 seats in parliament. That was the reason MPs from that party did not attend parliament’s constitutive session on Saturday. Asked whether his party would return to parliament, Thaci told journalists that he would begin by calling for a response from the president of the State Electoral Committee as well as the annulment of the election re-vote. Thaci repeated that he would not enter a government with the DUI. "The DUI is a criminal structure and we do not recognize the votes that party has,” he said, adding that the possible participation of the DPA in government would depend primarily on who Gruevski invited to join his cabinet, after which, the party’s board would make a final decision. DUI leader Ahmeti, whose party won 18 seats in the Macedonian parliament, did not wish to talk to journalists, but said that the DUI would issue an official statement. At the parliamentary elections in Macedonia, the VMRO-DPMNE coalition won 63 seats, the Social Democratic Party 27, the DPA 11, the DUI 18, while the Party for a European Future (PEI) won one seat.

Govt. consultations begin in Macedonia

Gruevski, who has received a mandate from Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski to form a new government, met with Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) leader Menduh Thaci and Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader Ali Ahmeti.

Macedonian government spokesman Ivica Bocevski said after the meeting that Gruevski had opened talks with the Albanian leaders over their possible participation in the ruling coalition.

Bocevski did not go into any further details, but announced that talks would continue over the following 20 days, which was the deadline for forming a new government.

The three parties’ working groups will also discuss adjustments to the party manifestos, and try to settle divisive issues.

Thaci, who was in a coalition with Grueski prior to the June 1 parliamentary elections, said that it was still early for him to say whether his party would participate in the new government.

"We’ve begun talks and consultations. There are issues we agree upon, such as Euro-Atlantic integration, and the solution for the country’s name. I believe that a solution should be reached that would not jeopardize Macedonians’ national identity,” Thaci stressed.

The DPA does not recognize the results of the elections after the re-votes at certain polling stations, where the party won 11 seats in parliament. That was the reason MPs from that party did not attend parliament’s constitutive session on Saturday.

Asked whether his party would return to parliament, Thaci told journalists that he would begin by calling for a response from the president of the State Electoral Committee as well as the annulment of the election re-vote.

Thaci repeated that he would not enter a government with the DUI.

"The DUI is a criminal structure and we do not recognize the votes that party has,” he said, adding that the possible participation of the DPA in government would depend primarily on who Gruevski invited to join his cabinet, after which, the party’s board would make a final decision.

DUI leader Ahmeti, whose party won 18 seats in the Macedonian parliament, did not wish to talk to journalists, but said that the DUI would issue an official statement.

At the parliamentary elections in Macedonia, the VMRO-DPMNE coalition won 63 seats, the Social Democratic Party 27, the DPA 11, the DUI 18, while the Party for a European Future (PEI) won one seat.