Legal Changes concerning Term of Acting Mayors Adopted in Parliament

Tuesday saw Parliament adopt, with 83 votes in favour and 17 against, the changes to local self-government legislation enabling acting mayors to head municipalities for up to two years.

DUI Parliamentary Group Coordinator Blerim Bexheti, whose party, too, supported the changes, said the goal was to prevent citizens from being bothered when it came to voting in early elections, as well as to save budget funds.

The changes will avoid early local elections in three municipalities because after the May double elections, then-Gostivar Mayor Arben Taravari became the Health Minister, the then-Saraj Mayor, the aforementioned Bexheti, became an MP, and then-Aerodrom Mayor Timco Mucunski became the Foreign Minister.

Commenting on the adoption, SDSM fiercely criticised VMRO-DPMNE, saying it could be seen every day that its “coalition” with DUI functioned.