Democratic Union for Integration

The former partners in the last coalition government in North Macedonia, the Social Democrats, SDSM, of Zoran Zaev, and the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, led by Ali Ahmeti, are engaged in substantial talks on a new government, amid speculation that talks might be stuck over the DUI's insistence on an ethnic Albanian prime minister.

Skopje Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced Democratic Union for Integration, DUI party officials Ejup Alimi and Ismet Guri to three-and-a-half years in jail each for the "destruction of electoral materials" in Skopje's municipality of Cair during the 2013 local polls.

The junior ruling ethnic Albanian party in North Macedonia has reacted with dismay to the announcement of a new election alliance between its senior partner and another ethnic Albanian party.

A senior official from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, said the new agreement between the Social Democrats and BESA would only damage the Albanian vote in the April general elections.

Efforts to pass a long-awaited law in North Macedonia on the prosecution before the Sunday deadline expires continued on Friday, after a tense day in parliament saw the main ruling Social Democrats frustrated by the conduct of their junior partners in the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.

In what looked like a closely coordinated move, the junior partner in the coalition government in North Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, and the main opposition VMRO DPMNE party, on Thursday submitted thousands of amendments to the proposed change to the electoral law.

The smaller ethnic Albanian parties in the country can only hope to defeat the hegemonic force of the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, in next year's early elections if they band together.

President Stevo Pendarovski defended Erol Musliu on Thursday, calling him a "a top professional", after the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI party, the junior partner in North Macedonia's ruling coalition, criticised his appointment as the new National Intelligence Agency chief.

Polling stations opened on Sunday in the presidential election run-off in North Macedonia, amid fears that if the turnout is as low as it was in the first round, two weeks ago, the election process is in danger.

A total of 3,480 polling stations opened at 7am for an election in which some 1.8 million people have the right to vote.

People casting ballots in North Macedonia. Photo: EPA/EFE GEORGI LICOVSKI

The vice-president of Macedonia's main ruling Social Democratic Party, Petre Shilegov, on Wednesday confirmed that his parliamentary group has begun talks with its opposition rivals in parliament to persuade them to vote for the historic "name" agreement with Greece.