December 6 (SeeNews) - North Macedonia's outgoing prime minister Zoran Zaev said it has reached an agreement with Afrim Fashi, chairman of small opposition ethnic Albanian party Alternative, for a new majority in parliament that would form the country's next government following Zaev's resignation.
Under the agreement, Alternative will name new ministers of health, information society and administration, and a minister without portfolio in charge of diaspora in the new cabinet for the period until 2024, Zaev told a news conference streamed on the government's YouTube channel on Sunday.
Alternative will also appoint three deputy ministers in the new government and take over the management of a number of public institutions, including power transmission company AD MEPSO, the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund, the national railway operator and the Foreign Investments Agency, Zaev said.
Zaev announced in late October that he was stepping down as prime minister after the ruling left-wing SDSM party suffered a defeat in the local elections. Ever since, SDSM has been trying to put together a new parliamentary majority, as Besa, a junior partner in the current ruling coalition, withdrew its support for a new cabinet.
Zaev's coalition government comprising the SDSM-led coalition Mozeme and the Albanian Democratic Union of Integration (DUI) was voted into office in August 2020 by 62 members of parliament. Alternative holds four of 120 seats in parliament, while Besa has three.
The proposed cabinet lineup needs the support of at least 61 MPs in order to pass.
At the end of November, SDSM's decision making central committee accepted the resignation of Zaev as party leader and prime minister and scheduled elections for the position of SDSM leader on December 12. Zaev said earlier that SDSM's new leader will also be the party's nomination for prime minister.