Skopje, 8 January 2025 (MIA) - Based on the positions expressed by the parliamentary parties from the ruling majority and the opposition, the motions of no-confidence submitted by European Front MPs against deputy Prime Ministers Izet Mexhiti and Ivan Stoilkovikj, Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski and his deputy Astrit Aseni, are not expected to receive the necessary support at a session of Parliament on Friday.

Friday’s session will also see Parliament vote in a motion of no-confidence submitted against Ilire Dauti, the chair of the Committee on Social Policy, Demographics and Youth, by Levica. The outcome of the vote on this motion remains uncertain, with lawmakers saying they intend to make their position clear in the coming days. However, according to MPs, even if the motion passes, Dauti, can once again be nominated for the post by her party – the DUI-led European Front.

According to SDSM spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzeska, the party’s MPs won’t support the four motions against Mexhiti, Stoilkovikj, Toshkovski and Iseni. Regarding the motion against Dauti, Kuzeska said SDSM’s MPs would meet to draw up their position. 

“We won’t support and won’t vote in favor of the motions submitted by DUI [European Front]. We don’t need new divisions on an ethnic basis. A motion of no-confidence requires that we examine the criteria and all arguments related to the bad conduct of each minister in order to submit it and support it. At a meeting, SDSM’s parliamentary group will coordinate its approach to the session,” SDSM’s spokesperson said. 

According to Levica MP Amar Mecinovikj, the party, whose MPs submitted the motion against Ilire Dauti, expects it will receive broad support in Parliament since “the legislation she is blocking was submitted by SDSM, while VMRO-DPMNE, through their spokesperson Marija Miteva, said they would be in favor of replacing her”. 

“The ball is in the court of the majority now. This is a key step if we want to put an end to the arbitrariness of MP Dauti and the blockade of parliamentary procedures through violations of the Rules of Procedure,” Mecinovikj said.

He said Levica would not support the motions submitted by the European Front against the four members of the Government. 

“We believe they are ethnically motivated and guided by internal partisan interests with the end goal of creating ethnic and political tensions through which they function best. Levica will continue to seek Panche Toshkovski’s resignation since he isn’t carrying out his ministerial duties properly, and he has allowed countless scandals and shortcomings to occur in half a year – such as Grubi’s escape, the incidents with Gashi’s security detail and his wedding processions – however, our arguments don’t align with DUI’s,” Mecinovikj stressed in a statement for MIA.  

The VLEN coalition, which is a part of the ruling majority, dismissed the motions against the four members of Government immediately after they were submitted. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski was also quizzed about the motions. He said he expects a session of Parliament with “unfounded criticism” and “attacks” by the opposition that will polarize and incite feelings of interethnic intolerance. 

“But I think this will be fruitless and unsuccessful, and this attempt will fail. I expect unfounded criticism and criticism that has nothing to do with reality. But, that’s the kind of opposition we have at the moment. I hope they will learn something and restructure themselves soon, since we can see non-credible people there. We have institutional memory, and we know everything they did in the past,” Mickoski told journalists in Shtip. 

Nine MPs from the DUI-led European Front submitted no-confidence motions against Mexhiti, Stoilkovikj, Toshkovski, and Iseni in early December.

Photo: MIA Archive