VMRO-DPMNE

No decision has been taken on whether to form a government between conservative VMRO-DPMNE and ethnic Albanian DUI party in Macedonia, local media report.

The Democratic Union of Albania (DUI) on Sunday is expected to decide whether to join hands with conservative VMRO-DPMNE to form together with it the country's next government.

DUI has been refraining from a decision for days, almost exhausting the week-long deadline VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski has in order to form a cabinet.

VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski has been given a mandate to form the next government of Macedonia, state-run MIA news agency reports.

Gruevski's conservative party, leading a coalition in the snap parliamentary election in December, got the biggest number of votes, but won the poll only by a small margin.

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on Monday entrusted Nikola Gruevski with a fresh mandate to form a new government after his VMRO DPMNE party narrowly won the December 11 elections.

He has 20 days to secure a majority of 61 in the 120-seat parliament and present a new team to parliament, or return the mandate.

Macedonia's President Gjorge Ivanov has until Monday to offer a mandate for the formation of a new government to one of two would-be prime ministers, VMRO DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski or opposition Social Democrat chief Zoran Zaev.

The ruling party in Macedonia VMRO-DPMNE of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is the final winner in the snap parliamentary elections held on December 11 in the country, showed the results published on the website of the Macedonian Election Commission and cited by local media.

A Macedonian court has granted two requests, one from each of the biggest parties, to hold a repeat election in two stations, potentially reshaping the result.

The Administrative Court of Macedonia has ruled in favour of two complaints, by conservative VMRO-DPMNE and socialist SDSM party, setting a new vote on December 25, according to state-run MIA news agency.

Former policeman Johan Tarculovski has entered parliament after being elected as MP in the country's second electoral unit that covers parts of Macedonia's north-east but also parts of capital Skopje.

Macedonia's tight election result has shifted attention to ethnic Albanian parties, which together won 20 MPs and are seen as possibly holding the key to the formation of a new government in Macedonia.

According to the latest results, the ruling VMRO DPMNE party won 51 of the 120 seats in parliament and the opposition Social Democrats, SDSM, won 49.

The ruling VMRO-DPMNE led by long-time Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski has won the most votes in early elections held on Sunday.

Gruevski's party received 38.06 percent of the cast ballots, while opposition leader Zoran Zaev and his coalition around the SDSM won 36,69 percent.