Gruevski Asked to Form Macedonian Government

President Ivanov gives the mandate to Gruevski

Gruevski will now have 20 days to wrap up talks with his junior ethnic Albanian partner, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, after which his proposed government will be put to a vote in parliament.

Sources from both parties briefed that the sharing of ministerial seats between the two parties was a done deal, and that all that remained now was filling in the ministerial posts with actual candidates.

Vice-Prime Minister Abdulaqim Ademi, of the DUI, said on Monday that a joint government platform had been already agreed.
 
“For the first time in plural [i.e. democratic] Macedonia, the governmental programme is jointly composed of the electoral programmes of the two parties that won the elections," Ademi said, declining to divulge details.

It is known that the DUI will hold five ministries and will name two vice-prime ministers, an increase on the party's allocation in the last coalition.

The post of Vice-Prime Minister in charge of monitoring the 2001 Ohrid peace deal stays in DUI hands. The deal ended the brief insurrection among Albanians in the west of the country.

The current Vice-Prime Minister, Abdulaqim Ademi, is likely to stay in this post.

The DUI will most likely also get the Vice-Prime Minister in charge of European affairs, which was previously reserved for VMRO-DPMNE. The DUI spokesperson, Ermira Mehmeti, is mentioned as the most probable choice for this post.

Mehmeti said the initial distribution of posts and ministries in the new government would be 2:1 in favour of the DUI's senior partner. She did not comment on the possibility of her own appointment to the government.

“The DUI during the [government] talks made a detailed and comprehensive analysis about how to fully satisfy the needs of the Albanian community," she recalled. "We have decided to concentrate on the executive power that will ensure proper quantitative and qualitative participation of Albanians in government."

According to unconfirmed party sources, the DUI will also now get the Defence Ministry as well as the Justice Ministry, which previously went to VMRO-DPMNE nominees.

The DUI retains the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Local Governance, as well as having one minister without portfolio.

According to sources, the DUI will also appoint the new head of the Public Revenue Office.

However, it is looking increasingly unlikely that the DUI will get the Finance Ministry, which it wanted. This appears destined for Zoran Stavreski, who occupied this position in the last government.

Another key post, the Police Ministry, will also remain under VMRO-DPMNE. It will most probably be held by the current minister, Gordana Jankulovska, or by the current chief of the Public Revenue Office, Goran Trajkovski.

According to unconfirmed sources, Gruevski is most probably keeping on the Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki, the Transport Minister, Mile Janakieski as well as the Education Minister, Nikola Todorov.

Gruevski is the sixth Macedonian Prime Minister since the country gained independence 20 years ago. He receives the mandate for the third time in a row as he won the 2006 and 2008 elections as well as this year’s early elections.

The block led by Gruevski won over 56 of the 123 seats in parliament. Together with the DUI the ruling coalition is expected to have some 70 legislators.