Zaev and Gashi agreed on the program aspects, consultations on personnel decisions are underway

Zoran Zaev, Afrim Gashi (1)
Zaev-Gashi meeting / Photo: "Free Press" / Dragan Mitreski

At the meeting of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the President of the political party Alternative, Afrim Gashi, who met with their teams in the Parliamentary Club, an agreement in principle was reached on the program part of possible future cooperation, expressed through political and executive participation of Alternative in the Government.

According to the government press service, the interlocutors agree that the reform and European course for which the citizens and the state are determined must continue and that at this moment the most important is the stability of the state institutions that serve the citizens.
In that way, the statement added, the best solutions to the biggest current challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the global energy crisis will be provided.

-The talks for taking over and sharing responsibilities in the interest of the citizens and the state started, exchanging opinions on possible personnel decisions to be taken over the potential obligations and responsibilities, ie the respective positions, ministers, deputy ministers and other managers within the central government, reads the statement of the government press service.

In the following days, consultations in the parties will continue, followed by a new working meeting between Prime Minister Zaev and the President of Alternative, Gashi with their teams. Before the meeting, Prime Minister Zaev did not want to comment on anything, and announced that a statement would follow.

-We can not say anything before the meeting, said Zaev briefly in response to a journalist question to comment on the requests of Alternative to enter the Government.

The President of Alternative Afrim Gashi before the meeting pointed out that the party's commitment is to give a chance to get out of the political crisis, as well as the energy and health crisis and, as he said, to help the country not to lose the historic chance to start negotiations for EU membership.

- We will see what is the concept of the Prime Minister and his current partners and what they expect from our contribution to the future government. If we manage to build a new concept, bigger changes, I think Alternative is ready to help, said Gashi.

Answering a journalist question how many ministerial posts his party expects, the president of Alternative pointed out that for the party it has never been essential and that it is important for her to discuss the political criteria.

- This question is the second part that is secondary for us and much less important than the first which is normative, about the concept that we will build together and whether we will be able to remove those obstacles in the functioning of the Government so far, he said.

Gashi says the party maintains that it is in the interest of all citizens that there are no quick elections.

Regarding whether it is acceptable for Alternative to have a new prime minister or prime minister, Dimitar Kovacevski from SDSM, who is currently Deputy Minister of Finance, Gashi briefly said that it is important for them to agree on the concept, and not for them to decide on personnel decisions of other political parties.

- We are negotiating with SDSM and other partners and it is very important for us to agree conceptually on how to proceed. What decisions will be made by SDSM and other parties, I think it is irresponsible and unconscionable for us to ask such a question. It is not our responsibility to ask another party who will be the prime minister or prime minister. "I think that matter belongs to SDSM, it is the largest party and they should decide who is their president or prime minister-designate," Gashi said.

This is the second meeting between Zaev and Gashi, after they on the 19th of this month talked on the conditions and the role of Alterantiva in the new parliamentary majority, and the final decision was left to the party bodies.

The Central Presidency of Alternative on Friday authorized Gashi to start talks with all political actors, the Prime Minister and the possible new prime minister to see what is their concept for overcoming the political crisis, while at the session of the Central Board of SDSM, which was held Also Friday, Zaev's resignation from the party's leadership position was confirmed, but he was given the legitimacy to lead the negotiations for a parliamentary majority.

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