Macedonian PM calls snap election
Macedonia’s parliamentarians voted early today to dissolve parliament and hold an early election within the next two months.
Conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski called the snap poll after a name dispute with neighbour Greece halted Macedonia’s bid to join NATO. Elections had not been scheduled until 2010.
In parliament, deputies voted 70-0 to dissolve the assembly and hold the first early general election in Macedonia since the former Yugoslav republic gained independence in 1991.
Opposition deputies who opposed the motion walked out of the 120-seat assembly before the vote.
The 37-year-old Mr Gruevski, counting on increased popular support for his VMRO-DPMNE party, said he was frustrated with party squabbles in parliament and wanted to speed up economic reforms.
“There are many reasons for early elections, but the main one is parliament’s inefficacy and incapability to meet the promises we have made,” Mr Gruevski said.
He insisted early elections would not hurt the country’s chances of joining NATO.
“VMRO, the government and I personally, as well as the intellectuals, experts and everybody else in this country will continue to assist Macedonia, to fight for (membership of) NATO and European Union and to do the utmost for our country and national interests,” he said.
Greece blocked plans to invite Macedonia to join NATO at an alliance summit in Bucharest, Romania last week – arguing the country’s name implies a territorial claim to a northern Greek province also called Macedonia.
Talks between the two countries at the United Nations failed to resolve the dispute.
