SEC: Total of 297 Candidates to Run for Mayor on 17 October

A total of 297 candidates will run in the upcoming local elections on 17 October for mayors in 80 municipalities and the City of Skopje, and 546 lists for councillors have been submitted, according to the results of the list published Sunday by the State Election Commission. Most registered candidates for mayor – 12 are for the City of Skopje. For the municipality for Centar, seven candidates have been registered for mayor, for Aerodrom five, for Butel two, for Karpos six, Kisela Voda six, Gazi Baba four, Gjorce Petrov six, Cair five, Aracinovo three, Saraj four, Suto Orizar six, Ilinden four, Petrovec three, Sopiste two, Studenicani three, Zelenikovo three and Cucer Sandevo four candidates for mayor. Of the other municipalities in the country, the fewest mayoral candidacies, only two are in Mavrovo Rostuse. For the local elections, 546 lists with councillors were submitted throughout the country. 15 lists for councillors were submitted for the City of Skopje, for the Municipality of Aerodrom nine, Aracinovo four, Butel 13, Gazi Baba nine, Gjorce Petrov eight, Zelenikovo eight, Ilinden four, Karpos 10, Kisela Voda nine, Petrovec five, Saraj six, Studenicani 10, Center nine, Chair nine, Cucer Sandevo eight and Suto Orizari nine lists for councillors. VMRO-DPMNE Leader Hristijan Mickoski says he is pleased that more than 20 political parties, including the Alliance of Albanians and Alternative, have joined the united opposition bloc, which he is confident will defeat the ruling coalition. Mickoski claims that his party will present a dignified and positive campaign with a vision for the future. SDSM is also expected to win the local elections. Hence, they answered that as in the previous election cycles, so now, they will lead a positive campaign. According to analysts it is good that more names from different profiles are running in the election as candidates for mayors and councillors. Due to the diversity of the political offer, communicologist Bojan Kordalov expects the parties and the independents to offer a positive campaign. According to him, the ice will be broken in the larger municipalities with more candidates, where he expects the most interesting political battle.