English
SDSM leader Venko Filipce addressed his disappointed supporters and acknowledged that the outcome of the local elections was not what they were hoping for. Filipce said that SDSM won in three smaller municipalities outright and hopes to win the only significant prize – Centar – in the second round.
The SDSM victories are reduced to Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani and Bogdanci. In a number of municipalities, SDSM is down to second place, in their former major stronghold of Kumanovo they’re the fourth party and they lost Strumica to VMRO in the first round. In the capital Skopje, SDSM candidate Kaja Sukova is on track to be the third candidate, behind well performing Amar Mecinovic from the protest party Levica.
This is not the result we wished. But, we have significant improvement in our votes in a number of municipalities, that shows consolidation in the party, Filipce said.
Despite expectations that he may resign after a defeat of such magnitude, Filipce said that now is time to begin working harder to build up the party.
