Macedonia conservatives struggle to form cabinet at deadline
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Macedonian conservative leader Nikola Gruevski is uncertain of getting an ethnic Albanian party to join his coalition just hours before his mandate to form a government expires.
Democratic Union for Integration leader Ali Ahmeti has set two conditions for his party's participation. One is for Albanian to be made a second official language throughout Macedonia. The other is for Gruevski to allow the investigation into the wiretapping scandal that shook the country to continue.
Gruevski's VMRO-DPMNE party has rejected both conditions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The conservatives gained 51 seats in the December election, and need the DUI's 10 seats to secure a majority in the 120-member Parliament.
Gruevski has until midnight Sunday (2300 GMT) to form a cabinet. If he fails, the Social Democrats, with 49 seats, will get the mandate from President Gjorge Ivanov.