Local Macedonian elections took place today throughout the country. Current Prime Minister and leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), Zoran Zaev, has claimed that, “Today is a great day for democracy and freedom in Macedonia.” His party has claimed victory in forty municipal elections today and expect to will all fifty municipalities. (24 Vesti)
Meanwhile, Nikola Gruevski, the leader of the VMRO-DPMNE party and former Prime Minister, has denounced the elections asserting that they have taken place under irregular circumstances including that voters were bussed in, external pressure and intimidation, and there was bribery of citizens, according to Kurir. The internal politics of VMRO-DPMNE took center stage with opposition claiming that “The time of Gruevism in Macedonia has ended” as a result of their poor showing today.
Finally, Radio Free Europe and Start are reporting that the largest ethnic Albanian party, DUI, will contest the mayoral elections in ethnically divided Tetovo and Skopje’s majority Albanian Chair municipality. They will face off with the second largest ethnic Albanian party, the Alliance for Albanians, in Gustivar, Vrapčište, Debar, and Bogovinje in the second round.
