Macedonian Lawmakers Vote to Disband Parliament, Hold Elections on April 24

Lawmakers in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia voted late on Monday to voluntarily dissolve parliament and dismiss Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski next month to pave way toward snap elections on April 24, local media reported.

BELGRADE (Sputnik) – Gruevski has submitted a resignation letter to the parliamentary speaker last Friday. Ruling VMRO-DPMNR party Secretary General Emil Dimitriev was nominated as interim prime minister.

"VMRO-DPMNE and DUI [Democratic Union for Integration] submitted a written statement calling for the dissolution of the Assembly…The decision enters into force on February 24. Early parliamentary elections will be held in 60 days on April 24," Macedonia’s A1 news website said.

Of the 109 lawmakers present, 72 voted in favor of dissolution, one against and six abstained. Some 30 opposition Social Democratic Union (SDSM) lawmakers walked out during the vote.

Zoran Zaev, SDSM leader and Gruevski’s chief opponent, has expressed opposition to the April elections, saying the timeframe would not allow for objective media coverage of the campaign and voting list inspections. He has previously pointed to thousands of fictitious registered voters as evidence.

Opposition between the two leaders has engulfed Macedonia into a parliamentary crisis and mass anti-government protests last May. The conflict was preceded by a corruption scandal where the opposition published documents implicating ruling cabinet ministers in graft.

The conflicting sides started talks following the protests, brokered by EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and US, UK and other ambassadors to Macedonia.