Skopje, 24 July 2023 (MIA) - Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi met Monday with coordinators of MP groups, except for VMRO-DPMNE, ahead of tomorrow's start of the session of the Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs focused on the proposal for constitutional changes.

MIA learns that Speaker Xhaferi reiterated the procedure on the course of the session and is expected to communicate with VMRO-DPMNE whip Nikola Micevski in the meantime.

According to the Parliament's Rules of Procedures, the committee discussion can last for up to ten working days.

After adoption of the session agenda, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski will elaborate the proposal, followed by discussion by committee members. VMRO-DPMNE MPs are expected to take part and explain their position against the constitutional revision.

The Committee discussion is expected to finish between August 7 and 9, followed by a plenary Parliament session that can last for another ten working days. The Parliament will adopt a decision on commencing the constitutional changes through a two-thirds majority, i.e. 80 votes. Otherwise, the procedure cannot move forward.

If the decision is adopted, the Parliament will forward the conclusion to the Government, identifying the deadline within which the petitioner, namely the Government, drafts a text of the constitutional amendments that is submitted to the Parliament Speaker, which marks the start of the second stage of the procedure.

At least 30 days must pass from the submission of the draft-constitutional amendments to the Parliament until a plenary session takes place. Discussion on each draft-amendment can last up to three days in the Committee and during the plenary session. Once the Parliament confirms the draft-amendments through a simple majority (61 'yes' votes), they are forwarded for a public discussion. Afterwards, the Government compiles the draft-amendments, and again submits them to the Parliament, where a plenary session is again scheduled after at least 30 days.

The final decision on the adoption of the amendments is taken by at least 80 'yes' votes, including a Badinter majority.

Considering the shortest possible deadlines, the three stages require a minimum of three and a half months.