MACEDONIA'S PRESIDENT ON FRIDAY APPOINTED NIKOLA GRUEVSKI, HEAD OF THE VMRO DPMNE PARTY, AS PRIME MINISTER-DESIGNATE, THE MAKFAX NEWS AGENCY REPORTED, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. AFTER A MEETING WITH MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT BRANKO CRVENKOVSKI, GRUEVSKI SAID THE NEW CABINET WOULD BE PUT BEFORE THE PARLIAMENT IN 20 DAYS, WHICH IS THE LEGAL DEADLINE. HE SAID THE BATTLE AGAINST CORRUPTION AND ORGANIZED CRIME, AND IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC SITUATION IN MACEDONIA WOULD BE THE GOVERNMENT'S TOP PRIORITIES. THE NEW MACEDONIAN PARLIAMENT WAS CONSTITUTED ON WEDNESDAY, THREE WEEKS AFTER PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, WITH THE COALITION LED BY THE INTERNAL MACEDONIAN REVOLUTIONARY ORGANIZATION-DEMOCRATIC PARTY FOR MACEDONIAN NATIONAL UNITY (VMRO-DPMNE) HOLDING THE MAJORITY. THE COALITION SPEARHEADED BY VMRO-DPMNE, WHICH WAS IN OPPOSITION UNTIL THE JULY 5 ELECTIONS, HAS 45 SEATS AND INCLUDES THE LIBERALS, SOCIALISTS AND THE DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE.
