The Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia is the unicameral legislature of North Macedonia. According to the Constitution, the Sobranie represents the people and is vested with legislative power. It can have between 120 and 140 MPs (currently 120), elected by proportional representation from 6 electoral districts, each contributing 20 MPs, and there are also 3 reserved seats elected from the Macedonian diaspora which are awarded only if the voter turnout was sufficient. MPs are elected for a term of four years and cannot be recalled during their term. The Sobranie is presided over by a President (Speaker). Its organization and functioning are regulated by the Constitution and Rules of Procedure. The Assembly's seat is in the Sobranie Palace in country's capital Skopje.
History The first constitution of the country was adopted in November 1991, declaring it a parliamentary democracy. According to the constitution, the Assembly represents the citizens and has legislative power. The Assembly is the successor of the Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, which was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
On 27 April 2017, protestors stormed the Assembly in an attempt to prevent the election of a new president, the ethnic Albanian Talat Xhaferi, from the Democratic Union for Integration. Due to the inaction of the police, several MPs were injured. In 2018, the MPs passed the Amnesty Law, which granted amnesty to some participants involved in the storming, who were not involved in violence or the organization of the storming. Among those amnestied were MPs from the opposition who later voted in favor for changing the name of the country.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia, In March 2020, an internal protocol for protection against COVID-19 was adopted, based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. It established a procedure for movement of employees and MPs, a schedule of disinfection of the premises, and placement of automated hand sanitizers. The president of the Assembly proposed the realization of the sessions online in December 2020, but this was not supported by the opposition. As a result, the Assembly had to continue its work in person, while also experiencing a block in its work for months due to the absence of a quorum.
2024 election result
Presidents of the Assembly (1991–present)
Parties (1) (3) (1)
(2) (1) (1) Status
№Name PortraitTerm of office Political Affiliation 1 Stojan Andov 8 January 1991 6 March 1996 Liberal Party of Macedonia 2 Tito Petkovski 6 March 1996 19 November 1998 Social Democratic Union of Macedonia 3 Savo Klimovski 19 November 1998 30 November 2000 Democratic Alternative Stojan Andov 30 November 2000 4 October 2002 Liberal Party of Macedonia 4 Nikola Popovski 4 October 2002 8 November 2003 Social Democratic Union of Macedonia — Liljana Popovska 8 November 2003 18 November 2003 Liberal Democratic Party 5 Ljupčo Jordanovski 18 November 2003 2 August 2006 Social Democratic Union of Macedonia 6 Ljubiša Georgievski 2 August 2006 21 June 2008 Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity 7 Trajko Veljanovski 21 June 2008 27 April 2017 Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization–Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity 8 Talat Xhaferi 27 April 2017 25 January 2024 Democratic Union for Integration 9 Jovan Mitreski 26 January 2024 28 May 2024 Social Democratic Union of Macedonia 10 Afrim Gashi 28 May 2024 Incumbent Alternativa
Notes
See also Anti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia
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References