The Parliament of North Macedonia approved two new ministers in Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi’s government cabinet after dismissing the Health and Information Society ministers last Friday. The new ministers, Ilir Demiri for Health and Naim Bajrami for Information Society and Administration, received the votes of 63 lawmakers. They were proposed to lead these positions by the right-hand man of the former chairman of the Alliance for Albanians, Ziadin Sela.
The changes in the government cabinet followed the rifts between Sela and the chairman of the Alliance for Albanians, Arben Taravari, after the latter decided to join the Albanian opposition in the elections scheduled for May 8.
This created two factions, one led by Taravari supported by two lawmakers and the other by the former head of the Alliance for Albanians, Ziadin Sela, who has the support of six party lawmakers.
Ilir Demiri is an infectious disease doctor who until now held the position of hospital director in Tetovo. Meanwhile, Naim Bajrami is a professional in Information Technology Engineering.
Lawmakers of VMRO-DPMNE opposed the changes in the technical Government, calling them “political maneuvers that undermine the stability of executive power”.
Before approving the new ministers, the Parliament in Skopje made changes to the law on vehicle registration, an issue that has raised significant concerns among the country’s citizens. Although the issue is part of the obligations of the Prespa Agreement with neighboring Greece, there has been a lack of awareness campaign regarding the expiration dates of documents containing the old name of the state “North Macedonia”.
Just a few days ago, law enforcement authorities said that personal documents, including driving licenses with the name “Republic of Macedonia”, expire on February 12, 2024. This has caused a lot of dissatisfaction and concern among citizens.
The new law will allow citizens of North Macedonia to use driving licenses with the old name until December 31 of this year, but only within the country. The use of documents with the new name “North Macedonia” is mandatory under the Prespa Agreement, and being an international agreement, it requires full implementation by the signatory countries.
