SKOPJE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev submitted his proposal on government reshuffle to the Macedonian Parliament on Tuesday in a bid to increase his slim majority by adding two small ethnic Albanian parties to his ruling coalition.
According to the declaration made to the local media, Zaev will propose to give one ministerial post and one deputy minister to the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) which has two seats in parliament.
The DPA's Bardhyl Dauti will be appointed as a minister without portfolio in charge of foreign investments while Musadik Beqiri will be appointed deputy minister for transport.
Moreover, another small party, BESA will take over the post of the Culture Ministry. BESA's Asaf Ademi will be the new culture minister, replacing Robert Alagjozoski who comes from the ranks of Zaev's main ruling Social Democrats.
BESA is also to get deputy ministerial posts in the Foreign Ministry and in the Labour Ministry.
According to Zaev, the proposed reshuffle also includes change in the Education Ministry where current minister from the ranks of the Social Democrats Renata Deskoska would be shifted to lead the Justice Ministry.
The new proposed education minister will be her current deputy Arbr Ademi from the junior ruling Democratic Union for Integration.
Earlier this week, Zaev told the local media that he hopes that the government reshuffle will pass in parliament by the end of May.
The proposed reshuffle, which will bring five more MPs to back the government, will ease pressure on Zaev's thin majority in parliament. Since his election in April 2017, Zaev has relied on the support of just 61 of 120 MPs.
The reshuffle proposed by Zaev on Tuesday is the first since the election of his government last year aiming to boost its support in the assembly.
