The campaign for the second round of the local elections has continued. During Wednesday’s visit to Volino village, located in Debrca Municipality, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski stated that he expected the coalition led by his party to win 60 mayoral seats.
“We will add to that also the victory in the frames of 59 councils in municipalities. That’s a result that puts us under the obligation, but also motivates us to work in an even more committed and stronger manner, even though, as the central government, in the last 16 months, we’ve really invested ourselves too intensively to prove things can be done differently. We don’t promise miracles, nor are ones possible, but rather we believe that we’ve managed, modestly, committedly, and honestly, to secure a historic victory in these elections”, he stressed.
On the other hand, during a visit to Konce, SDSM leader Venko Filipce pointed out that there was no municipality run by a mayor from VMRO-DPMNE’s ranks where over 20% of the respective programme had been implemented.
“It’s like they compete to see who will do less work for citizens”, he noted.
On the other hand, Filipce emphasised, in all municipalities headed by a mayor from his party, the promised respective programmes have been implemented at a 90-100% level.
In the Skopje mayoral race, VMRO-DPMNE’s candidate, Orce Gjorgjievski, regarding his televised debate, hosted by Kanal 5, with his opponent from Levica, Amar Mecinovic, stated on social media that residents of the capital wanted to be run by a person that would solve problems.
“Thank you from my heart for the huge support! It’s been shown the people of Skopje are asking for a person that will be resolving problems, that they want actions and results. Together, we will do a lot for Skopje. Work, commitment, and responsibility towards citizens as early as the first day”, he noted.
However, Levica’s leader, Dimitar Apasiev, criticised what he said was Gjorgjievski’s fake arrogance. According to him, left-wing politicians have the knowledge, ontology, and capacity to expose “your hideous viciousness” for everyone to see.
“You cannot rule forever with evil. That’s a cosmic rule”, Apasiev stressed on social media, adding that the “normal URBAN SKOPJE WORLD” would identify with Mecinovic and elect him to the position.
The Levica candidate himself stated that the second round was opening up a new political reality in Macedonia.
“This is a generational struggle of the unprivileged”, he emphasised.
In Centar, the SDSM candidate, who’s running for a second term, Goran Gerasimovski stated that his programme included also 200 special bins for waste related to pets.
“In them, there will also be free-of-charge small plastic bags for owners. This is an excellent solution. Simple, urban, and ecologically responsible. We plan to set up 200 such bins throughout all settlements and parks”, he emphasised.
The same day, LDP leader Monika Zajkova expressed support for him in the mayoral race.
“Now is the moment to elect results, responsibility, and accountability, not empty promises”, she noted.
However, the Shansa za Centar (Chance for Centar) initiative, which has won two and one Council seats in the frames of Centar Municipality and the City of Skopje, respectively, regarding the Treska plan, asked how 5,000 people would live in an area foreseen for 1,500 residents.
It asked: “Why has no institution mustered up the courage to save the city from this disaster? Neither the Constitutional Court nor the Transport Ministry then headed by SDSM? Could the competition have fixed something? And why hasn’t the current Mayor implemented the competition, which is a decision of the Council!?”.
When it comes to Gerasimovski’s opponent in the second round, ZNAM’s Miroslav Labudovic, he stated that he was optimistic he would be elected.
“I am certain that the people of Centar are recognising my programme. I want to show that a municipality can be run in a prudent fashion”, he underlined.
In the Karpos mayoral race, the candidate endorsed by the Experience for Success coalition, Stevco Jakimovski, who’s running for another term, stated that the Municipality was introducing an e-referendum mechanism, which would enable citizens to be consulted and decide on all relevant topics.
On the other hand, his opponent in the race, VMRO-DPMNE-endorsed Sotir Lukrovski stated that Karpos had become a hostage of those currently heading the Municipality.
“It’s time for change”, he stressed.
In Tetovo, VLEN’s candidate, Bilall Kasami, who’s running for another term, presented plans to reconstruct streets and build new ones, as well as projects to build kindergartens and swimming pools.
In Struga, the DUI-led coalition’s candidate, Arsim Dalipi, said his programme was based on four main pillars: a clean Municipality, a functional and transparent administration sector, full digitalisation of the Municipality, and ruthless fight against corruption and crime. He also denied VLEN’s accusations that he’d received votes from Levica in the first round.
In Stip, the winner as early as the first round, VMRO-DPMNE’s candidate, Ivan Jordanov, officially started his new mayoral term, saying it was a great honour, but also great responsibility to run the most modern municipality in the country.