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This page contains the full text of the PARLINE database entry on the selected parliamentary chamber, with the exception of Oversight and Specialized bodies modules which, because of their excessive length, can be only viewed and printed separately.

Parliament name (generic / translated) Sobranie / Assembly of the Republic More photos  >>> Structure of parliament Unicameral Affiliation to the IPU Yes Affiliation date(s) 1994 - LEADERSHIP President Talat Xhaferi (M)  Notes Elected on 27 April 2017. Secretary General Cvetanka Ivanova (F)  Notes Appointed on 15 July 2017. COMPOSITION Members (statutory / current number) 123 / 120 PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN More statistics  >>> Women (current number) 46 (38.33%) Mode of designation directly elected 123 Term 4 years Last renewal dates 11 December 2016 (View details) CONTACT INFORMATION Address Sobranie na Republika Makedonija Bul. 11, Oktomvri B.B. 1000 SKOPJE (Export mailing lists) Phone (3892) 3112 255 3113 753 3119 825 (International Cooperation Department) Fax (3892) 3111 675 3135 401 (International Cooperation Department) E-mail sobranie@sobranie.mk Website http://www.sobranie.mk/

Parliament name (generic / translated) Sobranie / Assembly of the Republic Structure of parliament Unicameral LEGAL FRAMEWORK Electoral law 21 September 1990 Last amended: 20 May 2016 (Gazette no.99/2016) Mode of designation directly elected 123 Constituencies - Six multi-member constituencies in the country (20 seats each; 120 seats in total); - One constituency abroad which covers Europe, Africa, North and South America, Australia and Asia. Voting system Proportional: - 120 members are elected by party list proportional system, using closed lists. Each voter votes for a list and seats are distributed on a proportional basis, according to the d'Hondt formula. There is no threshold for parliamentary representation. - Up to three candidates may be elected from the constituency abroad. A candidate is elected if a list received a minimum number of votes equal to the MP elected in-country with the lowest number of votes during the previous elections. The second and third candidates of the same list are elected if their list obtains twice and three times as many votes respectively. - Vacancies arising between general elections are filled by the "next-in-line" candidates of the same party. Voting is not compulsory. Voter requirements - Age: 18 years - FYR Macedonian citizenship (including naturalized citizens) Disqualifications: civil incapacity to perform legal acts, holders of temporary entry permits and undocumented immigrants CANDIDATES Eligibility - Qualified electors - Age: 18 years - FYR Macedonian citizenship (including naturalized citizens) Ineligibilities: persons sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than six months and those who are serving a term of imprisonment for a criminal offence, holders of temporary entry permits, undocumented immigrants, executives of the Electoral Commission, members of the Electoral Commission Incompatibilities - President of the Republic - Prime Minister - Ministers - Judges of the Constitutional Court - Public prosecutor - Ombudsman - Mayor or member of a council in a municipality or the city of Skopje - Holders of other elective office - Holders of offices appointed by the Assembly or the Government - Persons in charge of administrative matters in state administration bodies Candidacy requirements - Nomination by registered political parties, individually or two or more parties, which can jointly submit a party list of candidates - At least 40% of the candidates shall belong to whichever sex is underrepresented. That is, for every third place at least one shall belong to that sex. At least one place in every ten shall also belong to that sex - Nomination by a group of voters: at least 1,000 signatures of the voters of the constituency concerned - Submission of candidatures at least 40 days prior to polling

Parliament name (generic / translated) Sobranie / Assembly of the Republic Structure of parliament Unicameral BACKGROUND Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 11 December 2016 Timing and scope of renewal No party won an outright majority in the 123-member Assembly of the Republic, which led the country to months of political uncertainty. Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition won two more seats than the coalition led by the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) of Mr. Zoran Zaev. On 9 January 2017, President Gjorge Ivanov (VMRO-DPMNE) tasked Mr. Gruevski with forming a new government. However, the VMRO-DPMNE and its coalition partner, the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), failed to secure a coalition agreement within the 20-day deadline. The Prime Minister stated that early elections would be the only way to solve the political stalemate and initially rejected the SDSM leader Zaev's request to form a new government, on the basis that, in accordance with Article 90 of the Constitution, the mandate to form a new government can only be given to a party or coalition that has secured a majority in the parliament. On 27 April 2017, Mr. Talat Xhaferi from the opposition DUI was elected as the new Speaker, thereby becoming the country's first ethnic Albanian to assume the post. Demonstrators subsequently stormed parliament. Over 100 people, including SDSM leader Zaev, were injured during the violence. The European Union (EU) and the United States condemned the violence. On 17 May, President Ivanov gave Mr. Zaev the mandate to form a government. The proposed coalition government comprising the SDSM, the DUI and the Alliance of Albanians, was approved by the Assembly of the Republic on 31 May, triggering the first powershift since 2006 when Mr. Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE assumed power. The early elections in 2016 followed a two-year long political turmoil in the country. In February 2015, SDSM leader Zaev started releasing a stream of recordings, accusing the government of wiretapping 20,000 people, including politicians, journalists and religious leaders. The leaked recordings reportedly revealed corruption at the highest levels of government. That triggered street protests, demanding the resignation of the Government. Prime Minister Gruevski rejected the allegations. In July, the major parties signed the Przino Agreement, brokered by the EU, which set out a roadmap for ending the crisis, including early elections by April 2016. These ended up being held in December further to additional mediation of the EU and the United States, and the agreement known as Przino 2 was reached between major parties in May. During the election campaigning, the major parties focused on economic reforms, anti-corruption measures and promised more investment in infrastructure. On 18 November, the Special Prosecutor's Office announced it was investigating 10 current and former members of the secret service for taking part in the illegal wiretapping of nearly 6,000 citizens between 2008 and 2015. Date of previous elections: 27 April 2014 Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 17 October 2016 Timing of election: Early elections Expected date of next elections: December 2020 Number of seats at stake: 123 (full renewal)* *Including 3 seats reserved for Macedonians abroad. No candidates surpassed the required threshold to win these seats. Number of candidates: 1,092 Percentage of women candidates: About 41% Number of parties contesting the election: 6 Number of parties winning seats: 6 Alternation of power: Yes Number of parties in government: 3 (including two coalitions) Names of parties in government: SDSM-led coalition, Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), Alliance of Albanians Date of the first session of the new parliament: 30 December 2016 Name of the new Speaker: Mr. Talat Xhaferi (Democratic Union for Integration, DUI) STATISTICS Voter turnout Round no 1 11 December 2016 Number of registered electors Voters Blank or invalid ballot papers Valid votes 1'784'416 1'191'854 (66.79%) Notes Distribution of votes Round no 1 Political group Candidates Votes % of votes VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition SDSM-led coalition Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) BESA Movement Alliance of Albanians Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) Distribution of seats Round no 1 Political Group Total of seats VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition 51 SDSM-led coalition 49 Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) 10 BESA Movement 5 Alliance of Albanians 3 Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) 2 Distribution of seats according to sex Men Women Percent of women 82 38 31.67% Distribution of seats according to age Distribution of seats according to profession Comments Sources: Assembly (28.12.2016, 01.06.2017, 02.11.2017, 30.08.2018) https://rezultati.sec.mk/Parliamentary/Results?cs=en-US&r=r&rd=r1&eu=All&m=All http://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/fyrom/288186?download=true http://www.ifimes.org/en/9167 http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_21036-1442-61-30.pdf?161201152443

Parliament name (generic / translated) Sobranie / Assembly of the Republic Structure of parliament Unicameral APPOINTMENT AND TERM OF OFFICE Title President of the Assembly of the Republic Term - duration: 4 years (term of House); - reasons for interruption of the term: resignation, death, dissolution of Parliament Appointment - elected by all MPs - election is held at the first constitutive session of the Assembly - election is held after Members' mandates have been validated Eligibility - any MP may be candidate - formal notification of candidatures have to be submitted by the Assembly Commission for Issues on Elections and Appointments or by at least 20 MPs - candidatures are proposed at the first sitting of the new Assembly Voting system - formal vote by public ballot (by show of hands) or secret ballot if the Assembly so decides - a majority of votes cast of the MPs present is required in the first round - if no candidate obtains the required majority in the first round, several rounds are held; the second and subsequent rounds are held between the two candidates having obtained the largest number of votes Procedures / results - the oldest MP presides over the Assembly during the voting - all MPs supervise the voting - the oldest MP announces the results without any delay - the results are confirmed by the Assembly - the results can be challenged if the vote has been public and if one MP, with the support of 10 other MPs, requests a verification STATUS Status - ranks second in the hierarchy of State after the President of the Republic and he is called upon as acting Head of State in the event of a vacancy - represents the Assembly with the public authorities - represents the Assembly in international bodies - is ex officio member of the Council of Inter-Ethnic Relations - in the absence of the President of the Assembly, one of the Vice-Presidents can assume his/her role and functions Board Material facilities - same salary as the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister - official car - body guards FUNCTIONS Organization of parliamentary business - convenes sessions - proposes the agenda which can be altered at the request of MPs and Government - organizes the debates and sets speaking time, with the agreement of MPs - refers texts to a committee for study - may propose to set up committees of enquiry, but the Assembly will take the final decision The MPs examine the admissibility of bills and amendments Chairing of public sittings - can open, adjourn and close sittings - ensures respect for provisions of the Constitution and Standing Orders - takes disciplinary measures in the event of disturbance, and lifts such measures - establishes the list of speakers, gives and withdraws permission to speak - calls for a vote, decides how it is to be carried out, verifies the voting procedure and cancels a vote in the event of irregularities - checks the quorum - authenticates the adopted texts and the records of debates - interprets the rules or other regulations governing the life of the Assembly together with the Vice-Presidents Special powers - is responsible for establishing the Assembly's budget - recruits, assigns and promotes staff together with the Secretary General - plays a specific role in the appointment of the Secretary General - organizes the services of Parliament together with the Vice-Presidents - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the security service in the event of disturbance in the Chamber Speaking and voting rights, other functions - is responsible for relations with foreign Parliaments - is responsible for safety, and in this capacity, can call the security service in the event of disturbance in the Chamber

Parliament name (generic / translated) Sobranie / Assembly of the Republic Structure of parliament Unicameral NATURE Nature of the mandate · Free representation (Art. 62 (3) of the Constitution of 17.11.1991, as amended up to and including 06.01.1992) Start of the mandate · When the mandates are validated (Art. 20 (1) of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, see Validation of mandates) Validation of mandates · Validation by the Assembly (Art. 63 (1) of the Constitution) · Procedure (Art. 5 to 11 of the Temporary Regulations of the Assembly of the Socialistic Republic of Macedonia) End of the mandate · On the day when the newly elected Parliament meets (for early dissolution, see Art. 63 (5) of the Constitution) Can MPs resign? Yes · Yes, of their own free will (Art. 65 (1) of the Constitution) · Procedure (Art. 65 (2) of the Constitution): the representative submits his resignation in person at a session of the Assembly. · Authority competent to accept the resignation: the resignation does not need to be accepted Can MPs lose their mandate ? Yes (a) No revocation before expiry of mandate (Art. 62 (4) of the Constitution) (b) Definitive exclusion from Parliament by the latter (Art. 65 (4) of the Constitution): - Commission of a criminal offence making the person unfit to perform the office of a representative - Absence from the Assembly for longer than 6 months for no justifiable reason - General procedure: decision of the Assembly by a two-thirds majority vote of all representatives (c) Loss of mandate by judicial decision: sentence for criminal offence for which a prison sentence of at least five years is prescribed (Art. 65 (3) of the Constitution) STATUS OF MEMBERS Rank in hierarchy · Within Parliament: 1. The President 2. The Vice-Presidents 3. The Chairmen of permanent and temporary working bodies 4. The Co-ordinators of parliamentary groups 5. The other MPs Indemnities, facilities and services · Diplomatic passport (Law on Travel Documents of the Citizens of the Republic of Macedonia) · Basic salary (Art. 64 (6) of the Constitution, Law on Salaries and Other Indemnities of the Representatives in the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia and Other Elected and Appointed Officials in the Republic of Macedonia): MKD 18.977, if chosen + Representative Allowance: MKD 5.360 per month · The basic salary is not tax exempt. The Representative Allowance is taxed with personal income tax, but exempt from contributions. · Pension scheme · Other facilities: (a) Secretariat/assistants (see also Art. 62 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia): Service of the Assembly; cabinet for the President and Vice-Presidents; technical secretaries for the Co-ordinators of parliamentary groups and for the parliamentary groups (c) Official housing for the representatives who receive a salary in the Assembly (d) Official cars of the Assembly, for official duties and for the President and the Vice-Presidents (e) Travel and transport: free railway and bus transport Obligation to declare personal assets No Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary non-accountability · The concept does exist (Art. 64 (1) and (2) of the Constitution). · Parliamentary non-accountability is limited to words spoken or written by MPs and votes cast within Parliament. · No derogations are foreseen. · Non-accountability takes effect on the day when the mandate begins. Parliamentary immunity - parliamentary inviolability · The concept does exist (Art. 64 (1) and (3) of the Constitution). · It applies only to criminal proceedings, covers all offences with the exception of minor offences (infringements) and protects MPs only from arrest and from being held in preventive custody. See also Loss of mandate - (b), and (c). · Derogations: when caught in flagrante delicto, committing a criminal offence for which a prison sentence of at least five years is prescribed, a representative can be detained. · Parliamentary inviolability does not prevent MPs from being called as witnesses before a judge or tribunal. · Protection is provided from the start to the end of the mandate. Since it does not cover judicial proceedings in general, it does not cover judicial proceedings instituted against MPs before their election. · Parliamentary immunity (inviolability) can be lifted (Art. 64 (3) of the Constitution): - Competent authority: the Assembly, on recommendation of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Issues of Mandate and Immunity - Procedure (Art. 64 (4) of the Constitution). · Parliament cannot subject the prosecution and/or detention to certain conditions. · Parliament cannot suspend the prosecution and/or detention of one of its members. EXERCISE OF THE MANDATE Training · There is no training/initiation process on parliamentary practices and procedures for MPs. · Handbooks of parliamentary procedure: - Temporary Regulations of the Assembly of the Socialistic Republic of Macedonia - Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia Participation in the work of the Parliament · It is compulsory for MPs to be present at plenary sittings, meetings of working bodies and other meetings (Art. 26 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia). For leave of absence, see Art. 28 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. · Penalties foreseen in case of failure to fulfil this obligation (Art. 65 (4) of the Constitution): loss of mandate · Body competent to judge such cases/to impose penalties: the Assembly Discipline · The rules governing discipline within Parliament are contained in Art. 108 to 111 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. · Disciplinary measures foreseen: - Warning (Art. 109 and 110 (1) and (3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia) - Order to cease speaking (Art. 109 and 110 (2) and (3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia) - Adjournment of the sitting (Art. 111 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia) · Specific cases: - MPs cannot be accused of offending or insulting Parliament. · Competent body to judge such cases/to impose penalties (Art. 108 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia): the President · Procedure (Art. 109 to 111 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia) Code (rules) of conduct · This concept does not exist in the country's juridical system. Relations between MPs and pressure group · There are no legal provisions in this field.

This page was last updated on 30 August 2018
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