Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski gave VMRO-DPMNE leader Nikola Gruevski the mandate for formation of the Government, the President's office informed.

Crvenkovski invited Gruevski to give him the mandate, because he assessed that the Government should be formed as soon as possible so that the institutions in Macedonia could function normally. The president did not want to go into the various expert interpretations concerning the dilemma whether he should give the mandate after the chairperson of the Assembly is elected or after the constituting of the Parliament.