The Parliament of North Macedonia elected today Talat Xhaferi as acting Prime Minister of the country. The 61-year-old politician is the first member of the Albanian minority to be elected to the leadership of the North Macedonian government.

Talat Jafferi, whose government will also include ministers from the opposition, was elected with 65 votes of the 120-member parliament. MPs from the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE abstained.

“I intend to defend ethnic balance and harmony between our communities,” said Talat Xhaferi, speaking in Macedonian and Albanian.

About a quarter of North Macedonia’s 1.8 million inhabitants belong to the Albanian minority and after the independence of the former republic of Yugoslavia in 1991 there had been tensions between the communities.

In 2001, tensions led to six months of clashes between Albanian militants and government forces. The conflict ended with the intervention of the international community.

The peace agreement provided for more rights for the Albanian minority, which protested discriminatory treatment.

Tensions eased over the years as well representatives of the Albanian community were elected or appointed to important positions. But none of them had ever led a government.

Talat Xhaferi, a member of the Democratic Union for Integration, the largest party of the Albanian minority, which has been part of the governing coalition for 20 years, has previously served as defense minister and speaker of parliament for six years.

He will lead the government for about 100 days, until elections are held on May 8.

“It is indifferent whether it is a government of one day or a hundred days. I intend to do my job in a completely professional manner and not allow any kind of manipulation of the electoral process”, assured Talat Jaffery.