Macedonian parliament will be dissolved on February 24, paving the way for early elections in April, the parliament speaker, Trajko Veljanovski, said in a statement.

Holding early elections was part of the Przino agreement, reached in July 2015, for overcoming the political crisis in Macedonia, which emerged after the opposition party, SDSM, accused government officials for corruption by releasing a number of tapes with recorded conversations. However, SDSM later warned that it will boycott the elections if proper conditions were not met. Main conditions include media reforms and clearing of voters’ registry.

The dissolution of the parliament was agreed with a majority vote in the parliament, Veljanovski said in the assembly's statement, after he met members of the Council of Europe in Skopje.

Meanwhile, the ambassadors of the EU member states and the US in Skopje should decide by February 20 whether the country is ready to hold fair and democratic election on April 24.

The Council of Europe’s representatives were interested how the decision for the dissolution of the parliament will be affected, if the EU won‘t give the green light for early election in Macedonia, the statement added.

Veljanovski believes that the EU’s assessment on Macedonian progress will be properly received by the leaders of the four main political parties and expects fulfilment of the agreement by all parties, and therefore the elections to be held on the agreed date.

Holding fair and regular vote with the participation of all parties is the main goal, Veljanovski said.

The parties, which participate in the talks are the governing VMRO-DPMNE, its minor ethnic Albanian partner DUI, main opposition party SDSM and ethnic Albanian, DPA.

Veljanovski said that obligations from Przino agreement, in terms of the work of the Assembly, are fulfilled with some delays.