SKOPJE – The ruling party in North Macedonia, VMRO-DPMNE, announced on Sunday the victory of its candidate Orce Gjorgjievski in the mayoral race for Skopje, as well as wins in 21 other municipalities in the second round of local elections.
Citizens across the country voted in the second round of mayoral elections in 33 municipalities, after no candidate managed to secure a majority in the first round , including in the capital, Skopje.
VMRO-DPMNE leader and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski told a press conference that his party had won in 21 municipalities, highlighting the victory in Kičevo, where the party’s candidate Aleksandar Jovanovski defeated Fatmir Dehari of the opposition Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).
Earlier, VMRO-DPMNE’s governing partner, the Albanian coalition VREDI (VLEN), declared victory in four municipalities — Tetovo, Bogovinje, Debar, and Dolneni, as well as in Struga, where it supported the independent candidacy of businessman Mendi Çura.
The opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) claimed victories in the municipalities of Centar, Makedonska Kamenica, and Zrnovci in the second round. Together with its first-round wins in Kriva Palanka, Bogdanci, and Krivogaštani, SDSM secured a total of six municipalities.
SDSM leader Venko Filipče said that, based on the election results, his party remains the second strongest political force in the country and the leading party within the opposition bloc. He accused the government of pressuring SDSM candidates in all 17 municipalities where the party made it to the second round and said he would not resign from his leadership position.
According to the State Election Commission, with 97, 6 percent of ballots processed, voter turnout stood at 45,71 percent nationwide.
