Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi has scheduled a session for 1 pm, whose agenda includes the census postponement and changes to the Electoral Code.
The official agenda of the 38th session includes a draft-law amending the Law on Census of Population and Housing 2021 in a fast-track procedure, and a draft-law amending the Electoral Code in a fast-track procedure.
Earlier on Thursday, Justice Minister Bojan Marichikj in an interview with TV21 confirmed expectations for the session to be held. According to him, although the date is April 1, the census hasn’t started on Thursday, and the law isn’t violated.
Postponing the census until September and amending the Electoral Code was agreed earlier this week by the leaders of the two largest parties in the country, SDSM’s Zoran Zaev and VMRO-DPMNE’s Hristijan Mickoski.
Alliance for the Albanians and Alternativa uphold their position against the census postponement, despite Wednesday’s extraordinary coordination meeting in Parliament.
MP Skender Rexhepi of the Alliance for Albanians/Alternativa told MIA on Thursday they maintain their position against census postponement, as they believe postponement was the result of a political decision rather than due to the epidemiological situation.
Asked whether they would file amendments, Rexhepi said it was most likely, i.e. they would use all democratic means to prevent the census postponement.
Amendments to the Electoral Code provide for the use of fingerprint scanners in the local elections and postponing the local elections for the second half of October, due to the census postponement until September.
