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TEHRAN, December 21 - Belgium's king on Friday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel but asked the premier to stay on at the head of a caretaker government until elections are held in May, rather than call snap polls.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - After two days of talks with party leaders, King Philippe "notes the political will to guarantee the good management of the country until the next elections," a Royal Palace statement said. Belgium is due to go the polls on May 26.
The king asked the leaders to ensure that the government can smoothly handle a number of files in coming months, chief among them the 2019 budget.
Michel, who turned 43 on Friday, submitted his resignation on Tuesday as pressure built on his government after the biggest party in his coalition party quit over his support for a U.N. migration pact.
Belgium is no stranger to political chaos, and building a coalition and Cabinet that respect the balance between parties from the Dutch-speaking north of the country, Flanders, and French-language Wallonia has proved a trial for many administrations.
The kingdom went for 589 days without a government in 2010-11 — a world record at the time — because politicians in Flanders, the more wealthy part of Belgium that makes up almost 60 percent of the total 11.5 million population, and Wallonia, couldn't agree on a policy program following elections.
Belgium also has a small German-language community.
Source: AP
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