MINA’s initial projections from the second round of the local elections show that opposition candidates are replicating their victories from the first round and will secure the key contested seats. These include Skopje, Bitola and Ohrid.
VMRO-DPMNE, which runs its analytical center to compute the election results, is briefing the press that they have secured a win in the capital Skopje, a race on which Zoran Zaev staked his position as Prime Minister. VMRO backed candidate Danela Arsovska, who faced all out dirty attacks in the last days of the campaign, won the first round by 8,000 votes and seems solid as VMRO supporting parts of the city turned out in great numbers. As the preliminary numbers are coming in, Arsovska is already leading by 19,000 votes.
In Ohrid, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Kiril Pecakov declared victory through his social media accounts. He defeated his opponent and incumbent Mayor Konstantin Georgievski by 2,000 votes in the first round, but the city saw a significantly higher turnout today, which caused some uncertainty in the race. In Ohrid, the poorest population in the city, accepted SDSM’s bribes of cash, potatoes, cooking oil and rice, and voted against SDSM. You don’t see that very often…
VMRO reports that Bitola, another narrow VMRO win in the first round, looks strong in the second round for their candidate Toni Konjanovski.
It’s now near certainty that SDSM has lost another large Skopje suburb. This time it is Karposh. GROM’s Stevce Jakomovski, supported by the opposition has taken 1,500 votes lead over SDSM’s Vasko Gerasimovski. SDSM has lost in Kumanovo.
MINA can now confirm DUI’s Teuta Arifi has lost in Tetovo. DUI just lost in Gostivar as well.
