Zaev Proposes Local Elections to be Held on 31 October

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced that he had already met with Menduh Thaci and Bilal Kasami regarding the upcoming local elections, and by the end of this week he should see Ali Ahmeti, in regard of SDSM supporting the coalition’s candidates. In general, as he said, everyone is realistic in terms of positioning and confirms mutual assistance. According to Zaev, the coalition setting is logical and probably result in 50 percent in the first round of elections, while 25 or 30 percent in the second round. However, he added, local elections are different from parliamentary elections and depend a lot on the candidates. When asked who SDSM will support in Tetovo, BESA or DUI, Zaev said that it is best for everyone to come up with their own candidate in the first round, and then to support the one from the coalition that will enter the second round. He also announced that there have been talks, that there is enough time until the election for it to be held on 31 October, so that the campaign does not coincide with the Census. Zaev notes that all political parties should state their opinions on the matter, and if there is agreement, the proposal shall be incorporated in the Electoral Code.