VMRO-DPMNE

Macedonia's Prime Minister-designate Zoran Zaev - who received a mandate to form a government on Wednesday - accused Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic of running a hostile "campaign", when talking about an alleged "Macedonian scenario" that would then create instability in Serbia as well.

Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov on Wednesday mandated Social Democrat leader Zoran Zaev to form a coalition government with ethnic Albanian parties after holding off for nearly six months, raising hopes for an end to a two-year political deadlock.

Macedonia's parliament is likely to postpone the local elections for the first half of October, and extend the mandates of the current mayors until then.

This was concluded after Monday's talks between the key political parties hosted by the new speaker of parliament, Talat Xhaferi.

Skopje's State Gazette has published the decision for the election of Talat Xhaferi as a new chair of the Macedonian parliament, quoted by BNR.

After Xhaferi's election on April 27 by MPs of the Social Democrats and the Albanian formations, turmoil occurred inside the building of the national assembly with over 100 MPs, administration employees, police and journalists injured.

High-ranking US State Department official Hoyt Yee is expected during his visit to press for an end to the political stalemate in Macedonia and to the institutional blockade that has prevented the election of a new opposition-led government since the December elections.

Macedonia's opposition Social Democrats said Sunday they would push ahead in forming a government with ethnic Albanian partners, following an eruption of violence when protesters who oppose them stormed parliament, AFP reported.

Scores of people were injured as violence erupted in Macedonia's parliament after nationalist protesters stormed the building in anger over a vote for a new speaker, the interior ministry said April 28.

Skopje was peaceful on Friday morning, a day after the police intervened when VMRO-DPMNE supporters stormed the parliament building, N1 is reporting.

After the clashes in the streets and in parliament on Thursday evening, the police are almost nowhere to be seen in the streets this morning, while only four tents remain in front of parliament.

After the rioting in Macedonia when hundreds of people stormed parliament building and beat up MPs after an ethnic Albanian was elected parliamentary speaker, the situation in neighbouring Macedonia was discussed at a meeting in Sofia between Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Stefan Yanev, Interior Minister Plamen Uzunov and heads of security structures, BNR reported.

Photo: Reuters

Dozens of demonstrators fought their way through a police cordon and stormed the Macedonian parliament to protest the election of an ethnic Albanian president of the parliament on Thursday as political tension in the country swells.