Main Section Ivanov hands over mandate to Gruevski, he now has 20-day deadline to...

Ivanov hands over mandate to Gruevski, he now has 20-day deadline to form a government

Today the deadline begins of a period of 20 days when the new government needs to be formed, VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski should submit a draft program and composition of the Government to Parliament.

President Gjorge Ivanov, announced this afternoon, twenty minutes after 13:00 pm, that in a short ceremony at Vodno Villa, he handed the mandate over to VMRO-DPMNE.

The Government, upon the proposal of President and based on the program, has to be elected by Parliament and by a majority vote of MPs.

In the early parliamentary elections on December 11, VMRO-DPMNE won the most seats – 51, SDSM – 49, DUI – 10, the Besa Movement – 5 Albanian Alliance – 3 and DPA won 2 MPs.

Gruevski now has 20 days to put together a government that will have the support of the majority of the Members of Parliament, ie at least 61 MPs.

Albanian parties DUI , the Besa Movement, and the Albanian Alliance, said on Christmas they adopted a joint platform, which will be their basis for negotiations for participation in the new government.