The opposition won, Zaev resigned

The Prime Minister and leader of SDSM Zoran Zaev resigned from both positions after the candidates of the coalition "For Better Macedonia" were convincingly defeated in yesterday's second round of local elections. In the City of Skopje, the independent candidate Danela Arsovska, supported by VMRO-DPMNE, won. The opposition declared a landslide victory and announced a fight for a new parliamentary majority and early parliamentary elections.

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski last night at a press conference said that the party won a great victory and that today is the day when the changes for a better Macedonia begin.

- Macedonia, from tonight you start living our great dream for a new future, hope for every single person. Many doubted that success was possible, but hope prevailed. Macedonia must change, and the changes started tonight. Hope overcomes apathy and its strength will grow, all together with a new future to jointly and harmoniously realize the dream we have been dreaming of for 30 years, but never to achieve it. Tell our brothers and sisters from all over Macedonia, from Tetovo to Bitola and Ohrid and Kocani, from Skopje to Gevgelija. This is the day when change begins. Changes for the better, changes in the image of the state, changes to protect the interests of every single person. Changes for unification, for a better life, for a strong standard. Changes that will bring the future we are fighting for. This is a convincing victory. This is a victory of the people of Macedonia - said Mickoski.

He thanked the support of all opposition parties and added that the cooperation showed that a broad opposition front is possible, which establishes the basis for future cooperation and future government coalition based on the principles and values ​​of merging and mutual respect and understanding. He thanked the coalition partners, but also the political parties that supported them as Alternative, Alliance of Albanians, Left.

- We won in Bitola, Brvenica, Vasilevo, Vevcani, Gevgelija, Demir Hisar, Zelenikovo, Konce, Kocani, Kratovo, Lozovo Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Ohrid, Pehchevo, Radovish, Resen, Cheshinovo-Obleshevo, Rankovce - list.

Regarding the new parliamentary majority, Mickoski said that time will show how things will go, and stressed that it is best for the government to leave for early elections. Mickoski asked the SDSM leader to receive the message from the people and leave.

SDSM leader and Prime Minister Zoran Zaev congratulated the victory of the political rival, as well as all progressive citizens and wished the elected mayors from SDSM to consistently perform the mayoral function. He announced his decision to resign as Prime Minister and as President of SDSM, which, as he said, takes responsibility for the poor results of these elections.

He added that personally as a person he is part of SDSM and the progressive people and stressed that he remains part of the party. He said, however, that he was not in favor of early parliamentary elections and that a reshuffle of the government, which has two more years to complete its term, was imminent.

He stressed that he is proud that, under his leadership, Northern Macedonia has become a member of NATO, and that negotiations with the EU may begin soon. He reminded that a successful census was conducted, that he united the people and that he cooperated with all five neighbors.

Zaev said that these elections in the country received large sums of money from abroad, which ended up in some companies, and as he said, affected the election result.

- I am sorry that people are coming who four years ago went to kill in the Parliament, now they have been elected mayors. We have seen an alliance of victims and thugs just for power. It is not difficult to lose power. I am convinced that we have brought freedom and democracy, and freedom and democracy mean responsibility. I may not be right, but it is time for the people to support politicians who make bold decisions. I took the responsibility on myself, so that the progressive forces can continue the fight - said Zaev.

He said there should be no early elections and that he would stay in the party to reorganize the new government. Addressing the people, Zaev said that he was honored to be able to serve and work for the people.

The independent candidate for mayor of the City of Skopje, Danela Arsovska, declared victory in the second round of elections, before the SDSM candidate Petre Shilegov, in her address thanked the people of Skopje for the confidence that for the first time after 30 years of independence Skopje gets a woman mayor.

- After difficult battles, if I may say so, in this campaign my opponent was not only the old mayor, but also the outgoing prime minister and to my great satisfaction I emphasize that for the first time in 30 years independent Macedonia Skopje has a woman mayor - said Arsovska .

She said that the difference with her opponent is over 20 thousand votes and announced that she will transform Skopje into a clean, green and modern city.

The president of the Besa Movement, who won the mayoral election in Tetovo, Bilal Kasami, said last night from the Tetovo town square that for the great support he received from all ethnic communities he will pay back with a lot of work for which he expects the city to be a better place to live. four years.

- Once again, great thanks to all citizens, from all political parties, from all ethnic and religious groups who supported me and thus gave me a great obligation to work together for Tetovo, said Bilal Kasami.

His opponent Teuta Arifi congratulated Kasami on his victory.

DUI leader Ali Ahmeti reminded that in the first round the party won three municipalities, Lipkovo, Saraj and Plasnica, and in the second, according to party counts, won in Struga, Kicevo, Dolneni, Chair, Bogovinje, Tearce and Aracinovo. He congratulated the victory of the opponents in Tetovo and Gostivar.

The current mayor of Gostivar from the ranks of the Alliance for Albanians (AA), Arben Taravari declared a convincing victory in the municipality of Gostivar.

- I received 18.000 votes, and Ali Ahmeti about 12.000 votes. We had opponents from the whole government, who were in Gostivar these two weeks, but in any case, if they want another round, we will go to another one - said Taravari.

Arben Zeqiri from the Alliance for Albanians thanked the citizens for the level and resistance they showed in these elections, faced with, as he said, a hybrid regime, which did not choose methods of blackmail and threats against citizens.

- Tonight begins the fall of the regime of SDSM and DUI. This regime lost in the Polog region and in many other municipalities. The result is satisfactory for us, we won in Gostivar, in Vrapciste, in Debar, where unfortunately there are still attempts to change the result, but these are the last efforts of this regime - said Zeqiri.

Independent candidate Maksim Dimitrievski declared victory in Kumanovo and thanked all the people of Kumanovo who went to the polls.

- Today Kumanovo won, Maksim Dimitrievski did not win. Macedonia also won. The difference is more than six thousand votes - said the future mayor of Kumanovo.

The candidate for mayor from the GROM party, Stevcho Jakimovski, who had Dushko Veskovski from SDSM as an opponent, also declared victory in the Skopje municipality of Karpos.

- I feel great satisfaction, but not triumphalism. I want to tell the citizens that you are all welcome in the Municipality, regardless of whether you voted for me, said Jakimovski.

According to the records of the SEC, the turnout in the second round of local elections by 18:30 was 48,61 percent and 640.076 voters exercised their right to vote, out of 98,58 percent of processed votes. Voting in some polling stations was extended after the official end of the elections at 19:XNUMX. These are separate polling stations in Centar, Saraj, Karpos, Cheshinovo-Obleshevo, Zelenikovo, Probistip and Dolneni, and in some cases the voting will be extended for almost three hours, as in the Skopje municipalities.

- We had a successful and peaceful election day, with isolated incidents. We are waiting to see what it is about. The voting was fair and democratic, and the biometric voting devices worked flawlessly - said the President of the SEC, Aleksandar Dashtevski.

739 complaints were submitted, of which 642 were accepted and 45 were rejected.

Source: Sloboden Pecat