Dauti Halts Parliament’s Proceedings, Demands Mickoski Answer Her Question

The plenary session of the Parliament of North Macedonia devoted to MPs’ questions was interrupted twice today. The disruption was caused by Ilire Dauti, an MP from the Albanian Alliance, who remained at the lectern and demanded that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski answer a parliamentary question that she said had gone unanswered for several weeks.

Tensions began after Mickoski responded to MP and SDSM leader Venko Filipche. Dauti claimed that the prime minister had once again sidestepped her question, prompting her to take the lectern and warn that she would not leave until she received an answer.

Dauti said she would not leave the lectern until she received clarification regarding the question she had raised previously. She called on the prime minister to come forward and respond, stressing that otherwise the session would not continue today.

Amid these developments, MP Rijad Shaqiri requested a procedural intervention. Parliament Speaker Afrim Gashi was unable to continue proceedings normally because Dauti refused to leave the lectern. MP and Alliance for Albanians leader Zijadin Sela also stood beside her in a show of support.

Members of the government who were present in the chamber also reacted. Gashi initially decided to suspend the session for 30 minutes, but procedural clashes continued after it resumed. SDSM MP Fatmir Bytyqi accused the prime minister of deliberately avoiding answering parliamentary questions.