(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, DEC 23 - North Macedonia's Prime
Minister Zoran Zaev formally resigned Thursday, weeks after the
embattled leader announced plans to step down following the
drubbing of his party in municipal elections. The country's
parliament formally ratified Zaev's resignation a day after he
sent a letter to the legislative body, paving the way for his
exit. Zaev's resignation announcement late October came after
months of sliding popularity as he struggled to keep the
country's pandemic-hit economy on track. The turmoil came amid
stalled talks over possible accession to the European Union. The
resignation came as a surprise to his political allies, who
pleaded with him to reconsider after his government survived a
no-confidence vote and added seats to his razor-thin majority in
the parliament. "It would be politically irresponsible and
unjustified in front of my people and my country to continue to
lead the government on its Euro-Atlantic path," Zaev wrote in
the letter delivered to the legislature. The country's deputy
finance minister Dimitar Kovacevski is set to replace Zaev in
the coming days. (ANSA-AFP).
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