VMRO-DPMNE to File No-Confidence Motion against Speaker Xhaferi

The Parliamentary Group of VMRO-DPMNE and its coalition will file a no-confidence motion against Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi. “MPs were locked in the plenary hall on an order of his,” Coordinator Nikola Micevski said on Thursday. According to Hristijan Mickoski’s party, all of that happens with SDSM’s knowledge and approval. The opposition’s stand is that Parliament is no longer a democratic institution. “It is an institution captured by an autocrat that allows himself to act like he is the private owner of Parliament,” its members pointed out. In response, the Speaker’s Cabinet said the intention of the opposition to paint a false picture of Xhaferi’s work was see-through. As Parliament’s service explained, the Rules of Procedure allow for a possibility to close the hall’s door upon a request of the Speaker or one MP, supported by at least 10 parliamentarians. Xhaferi, too, said there had been no violation of the Rules of Procedure. The session for parliamentary questions focused on the audio in which Xhaferi is using curse words.