Skopje, 15 February 2023 (MIA) - Alternativa leader Afrim Gashi says he is pessimistic that the process of constitutional amendments will be implemented this year.

Gashi told Alsat TV late Tuesday that the party will support the constitutional changes if its amendment in terms of the fight against corruption is accepted, which stipulates that such criminal acts won't be time-barred. 

According to him, the question of why Alternativa is no longer a part of the Government should be asked to the Prime Minister and the coalition partners. 

"We stressed that staying true to the agreement is particularly important to us. We joined the Government at the end of 2021 with a published agreement and we stayed true to that agreement, and our entire political path in the Government during 2022 was oriented towards the realization of those points of the agreement. In the end, the Prime Minister decided to change direction and replace Alternativa with another partner," said Gashi. 

He believes that Kovachevski and Ahmeti, in addition to committing political suicide, killed the country's European future. 

As regards former Alternativa member Skender Rexhepi-Zeid, Gashi said Rexhepi has not been part of the agreement. 

"When we joined the Government, both Kovachevski and Zaev knew that talks are held with three MPs, and one MP made an agreement on his own with Zaev. So that package and this agreement was signed for three MPs. They know this well," Gashi added. 

Regarding Deputy Minister of Culture Daim Luchi, whom he still considers a member of Alternativa, Gashi said that if he is not dismissed, then him remaining in the Government will be another confirmation that there is some kind of agreement.

"The party has to decide on what to do with the people who leave it and don't respect its decisions, because the decision to depart from the Government and go into opposition was unanimously adopted at the Central Assembly. We will discuss his move in the party and decide what we will do because it is a violation of the party's decision," Gashi said. што ќе правиме бидејќи е прекршување на одлуката на партијата, вели Гаши.

The Government reshuffle proposal that PM Dimitar Kovachevski submitted to Parliament doesn't include Deputy Minister Daim Luchi, elected at Alternativa's proposal, on the list of ministers to be replaced. The list includes three ministers and two deputy ministers from the ranks of Afrim Gashi's party proposed for dismissal. 

According to the agreement between Gashi and Zaev, in order to join the Government in 2021, Alternativa got three ministerial posts, three deputy ministers and directors in several institutions at central and local level.