Macedonia Opposition Looks Closer to Forming Govt

After a meeting on Wednesday night, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, confirmed that one key obstacle to backing a new opposition Social Democrat-led government - a new law extending the use of the Albanian language - had been removed.

The party said that in general it now accepted the draft language law previously ironed out with the Social Democrats, SDSM, and that only minor issues remain to be settled with the SDSM before a decision is passed.

The DUI, which has insisted on the new law, did not give any details on what had been agreed with the SDSM.

But the DUI said it had given a green light to its leader, Ali Ahmeti, to decide "at any given moment" on whether to extend formal support to the SDSM and its leader, Zoran Zaev.

Sources from the party told BIRN that a final decision is expected to be reached on Friday, when the party has announced another meeting of its central presidency.

"We still have some issues to settle at that meeting but, on the other hand, the time [to reach a decision] is short," the source said under condition of anonymity.

Macedonia has been without a new government for almost two months, since the December 11 elections ended with a near-tie between the former ruling VMRO DPMNE party and the opposition SDSM.

The SDSM won 49 of the 120 seats in parliament in the elections and so needs the support of at least 61 MPs to command a majority.

Two smaller ethnic Albanian parties, the Alliance for Albanians and the BESA party, which together control eight MPs, have already pledged support.

However, the support of the DUI's ten MPs is crucial if the SDSM is muster the necessary majority.

The DUI - and other Albanian parties - want the Albanian language...