Presidential pardon ends parliament crisis in Macedonia

03/08/2008

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- President Branko Crvenkovski pardoned a key opposition figure accused of corruption, paving the way for opposition parties to return to parliament Saturday (August 2nd). Pardoned was Zoran Zaev, vice president of the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) and mayor of Strumica. He had been arrested for abuse of power in the tender for a local shopping mall. The coalition led by the SDSM announced it will return to parliament Monday. A separate group, the Democratic Party of Albanians, also agreed to end its boycott after Crvenkovski threatened to delay signing a bill that makes Albanian the country's second official language. (Makfax, A1, MIA, MINA, AP - 02/08/08)