At a press-conference at around 9:30 pm, VMRO-DPMNE Vice-President Vlado Misajlovski said his party was thanking citizens for the “historic” victory in the local elections.
“Mayors have been elected in Kisela Voda, Ohrid, Radovis, Berovo, Gjorce Petrov, Gazi Baba, Pehcevo, Delcevo, Prilep, Bitola, Gevgelija, Sopiste, Stip, Veles, Butel, Aerodrom, Jegunovce, Vevcani, and in many other places”, he stated.
Misajlovski expects the VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition to win more seats than the preliminary assessment of 45-50. At approximately the same time, VLEN Cair mayoral candidate Izet Mexhiti declared a victory as early as the first round.
The VLEN mayoral candidate also stressed that DUI leader Ali Ahmeti had to resign because votes from Albanians had sent him to his political retirement. Later that day, at another press-conference, Central HQ Spokesperson Driton Sulejmani stated that VLEN had won the mayoral races in several municipalities, including Cair, Saraj, Bogovinje, Tearce, Zelino, and Aracinovo, as early as the first round.
VLEN’s Tetovo mayoral candidate, Bilall Kasami, on social media, declared a victory. The DUI-led coalition’s Cair mayoral candidate, Bujar Osmani, congratulated Mexhiti on the election victory. However, the DUI-led coalition, National Alliance for Integration, declared a victory as early as the first round in Gostivar, Lipkovo, Caska, and Plasnica.
DUI Vice-President Arber Ademi stated that the coalition would enter the second round of the Studenicani mayoral race and face an independent candidate, not VLEN.
“The contest has finished as early as the first round. We have new mayors from our ranks in Gostivar, Lipkovo, Caska, Plasnica. We’re the absolute winner in Vrapciste, but the threshold of at least a third hasn’t been met due to the boycott of VMRO-DPMNE and VLEN. Here, there will be a repeat vote. We’re the absolute winner in Kumanovo too with regards to both the mayoral race and the race for Council seats. Allow me to highlight that we will enter the second round in Kicevo, Struga, Studenicani, Tetovo, Dolneni, and Aracinovo”, he emphasised.
Also, also, after midnight, Levica’s Amar Mecinovic, too, held a press-conference, saying he was entering the second round of the Skopje mayoral race. At the same press-conference, Levica leader Dimitar Apasiev called on VMRO-DPMNE’s mayoral candidate in the second round, Gjorgjievski, not to “run away” from televised debates.