The presidential elections are likely to be announced on February 8, and the first round will be held on April 21, and the second round on May 5, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said at today’s press briefing.
“The Parliament is prepared for the elections and will work until the beginning of the election campaign, to hinder the MPs to go campaigning in the Parliament,” says the Parliament Speaker.
If a 40% census is not reached in the second round, the election will have to be re-run in 6 months, and in the meantime Xhaferi would be the acting president of the country, something he says he is ready to do.
“According to the Constitution, there can be no gaps in office. Having taken the responsibility to be Parliament Speaker means that I have assumed all responsibility, and one of those responsibilities is just that,” Xhaferi said.
When asked whether he might be the DUI’s candidate in the presidential elections, he replied briefly that he is already the Parliament Speaker.
Xhaferi says that the country right now doesn’t need snap parliamentary elections, because there are processes that need to be completed. Regarding the demands made by VMRO-DPMNE for snap parliamentary elections along with the presidential elections, he says the deadline for introducing a technical government 100 days before the parliamentary elections, according to the Przino Agreement, has passed.
