Macedonian parliament approves draft constitutional amendment

25/11/2008

SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Lawmakers approved a proposed amendment to the article of the constitution Monday (November 24th) that covers presidential elections. The amendment to Article 31 will lower from 50% to 40% the turnout threshold necessary to deem a presidential vote valid. The proposal will be available for a ten-day public debate after its publication in the official state gazette. After that, it moves to parliament for discussion.

In other news, more than 30,000 people, roughly 95% of all public schoolteachers and workers in state scientific and cultural institutions, staged a strike Monday to demand higher salaries and benefits. They launched their protest after trade unions failed to reach a deal with the government at the weekend. The cabinet says the current global financial crisis means no raises until 2010 at the earliest. (Utrinski Vesnik - 25/11/08; Kirilica, Makfax, AP, MIA - 24/11/08)