Government benches empty as Assembly debates contested tender law

The parliamentary chamber saw empty seats for the prime minister and cabinet today as MPs from the opposition again demanded answers — while the ruling majority pushed a controversial tender law to a vote.

After months of requests from opposition deputies that Speaker Afrim Gashi secure the attendance of the prime minister and ministers for sessions reserved only for questions from opposition MPs, Rina Ajdari rose when she noticed the government benches empty and asked for a one-hour pause so Gashi could find and bring them into the hall.

Procedural dispute and timing

Speaker Afrim Gashi responded: "All right, but you are only shortening your time for opposition questions." Opposition MP Dimitar Apasiev criticized the decision as an abuse of the rules, arguing that by counting the break as working time Gashi was effectively reducing the floor time available for questions.

When the break ended, the session again descended into conflict. Daniel Stojchevski of ZNAM requested another one-hour pause, claiming that the prime minister and ministers had been present; members of the opposition shouted back, "They weren't here, they didn't come!"

The standoff took place as the ruling majority moved ahead with putting the disputed tender law to a vote — a development opposed by several opposition deputies who say the measure requires wider public and parliamentary scrutiny before final approval.

Parliamentary sources say similar absences and procedural pauses have recurred in recent weeks, deepening tensions between the majority and opposition over oversight and accountability of the executive.

Photo: SDK.MK)