Government cabinet restructuring concludes, Zulfiqar Zejnulla takes post of minister without portfolio

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski finalized today the announced process of restructuring the executive. Parliament approved the appointment of Zulfiqar Zejnulla, leader of the Turkish Democratic Party, to the post of minister without portfolio.

This appointment came as a result of the coalition agreement between the Turkish Democratic Party and VMRO-DPMNE. Under this agreement, MP Bejxhan Iljas, who had been elected from the ranks of the European Front led by the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), switched to the parliamentary majority camp. Now, the majority led by VMRO-DPMNE has 59 MPs, not counting the other governing coalition partners, VLEN and ZNAM.

The vote for Zejnulla was conducted separately from the appointment of other new ministers, in order to respect the constitutional rule that allows the prime minister to change no more than one-third of cabinet members without it being considered a new government. Otherwise, the procedure would be treated as the election of a different government.

Defending his proposal before lawmakers, Mickoski stressed the importance of institutions being led by responsible individuals who are committed to solving citizens’ concerns, adding that the country needs a policy that unites, not divides.

On the other hand, the opposition criticized the appointment, calling it yet another political deal and arguing that more than ethnic affiliation, what matters is the candidate’s vision and abilities to carry out the task.

According to his official biography, Zejnulla has a career in state administration and the security field. From 2021 to 2024, he served as deputy director in the Directorate for Protection and Rescue. Previously, he was a municipal councilor in Gostivar and worked in the legal department of the Turkish Democratic Party, as well as having experience in the private sector.

He graduated in Criminology from the Faculty of Security at the “St. Clement of Ohrid” University in Bitola. In addition to his native Turkish, he also speaks Macedonian, Albanian, German, and Serbian.