国际英语新闻:North Macedonia constitutes new parliament

SKOPJE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The first constitutive session of the new Parliament of North Macedonia was held here on Tuesday following the July 15 early parliamentary elections.

The session took place in line with safety health protocols against the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking at the session, former Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi, who will chair assembly sessions until a new speaker is elected, declared that the posts of the head of the government and its members end as of Tuesday according to the Electoral Code.

"In order to ensure the continuity of the work of the government and in line with the Constitution, the government remains in office until new government ministers are elected," Xhaferi said.

According to the Constitution of North Macedonia, the president of the country has ten days after the constitution of a new parliament to hand over the mandate for government formation to the party or parties that have a majority in the parliament.

The candidate for prime minister, on the other hand, must submit to the assembly a plan and proposal for the composition of the government within 20 days from the day of the assignment of the mandate.

In the July 15 early parliamentary elections, the coalition "We Can" between the ruling Social Democratic Union of Macedonia and the Besa Movement won 46 seats, the coalition led by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE 44, Democratic Union for Integration 15, the Alliance for Albanians and Alternativa 12, whereas Levica party and the Albanian Democratic Party won respectively two seats and one seat.

Official talks for the formation of the new government are set to begin on Tuesday.