Skopje, December 24, 2012 – Several groups of citizens gathered early Monday in front and near the Parliament – ones protesting against the budget blockade by the opposition and others supporting the opposition stance.

The Parliament is under heavy police security and traffic in the downtown has been redirected. A buffer zone has been created in front of the Parliament. A number of followers of initiative "Front of the People, Front for Macedonia" is located near gate "Macedonia", including people from all walks of life – farmers, actors, artists, professors, civil society representatives, social cases, pensioners, students – who ask for immediate stop to the blocks in the Parliament and adoption of the budget.

On the opposite side, a smaller group of opposition followers, headed by SDSM leader Branko Crvenkovski, oppose the holding of a plenary budget session in the Parliament. Opposition MPs have been in the Parliament since yesterday afternoon, saying they would block the budget debate.

Police units have prevented contact between the opposing groups. The situation is under control, and the police has not allowed its escalation.

Meanwhile, a coordination meeting was held in the Parliament without the SDSM coordinator.

Speaker Trajko Veljanoski, vice speakers and MP group coordinators attended the meeting, except for the SDSM coordinator, similar to the situation over past seven months.

Opposition MPs are blocking the entries to the plenary hall, preventing other MPs to enter and start the 49. session.

An incident occurred in an attempt by Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanoski and MPs from the ruling majority to enter the hall. Veljanoski was surrounded by the opposition resulting in intervention by the security. Afterwards, Veljanoski left the hall.

Ruling MPs eventually managed to enter the hall, but opposition colleagues occupy the stand.

The protests follow a month-long debate in the Parliament over the 2013 Budget, with the opposition submitting over 1,200 amendments towards reducing budget expenditures by EUR 204 million.

The Government has accepted a portion of the amendments, which the opposition rejected. According to the ruling majority, the budget must be passed, since its blockage would jeopardize the payment of pensions, social benefits, agriculture subsidies, public administration salaries, and implementation of government projects.

The Government reviewed and adopted late Sunday the supplemented 2013 draft-budget and has submitted it to the Parliament. The Government adopted the supplemented draft-budget after Speaker Trajko Veljanoski returned the draft-Budget saying there had been no conditions in parliamentary committees for its debating.

"The Government works in a constructive and responsible way, in line with the laws and citizens’ interests", reads a press release.

The timeframe for the 2013 Budget adoption is 31 December 2012. /mia/