English
After SDSM refused to endorse a candidate in the mayoral race in Karpos, VMRO-DPMNE leader and Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski called out SDSM leader Venko Filipce for his tacit support for incumbent Mayor Stevco Jakimovski – a controversial politician who is on a US black list because of corruption. Jakimovski has been mayor of Karpos on and off since 2000, and has expressed support for Russia in the past. The US blacklisted him in 2024, as he was running for President, for corruption allegations – Jakimovski is notoriously close to real-estate developers operating in Karpos.
His opponent in the second round is pharmaceutical executive Sotir Lukrovski from VMRO-DPMNE, who won more votes than Jakimovski, but not enough to win in the first round. SDSM candidate Maja Mojsova ranked third and did not qualify for the run-off, but recently she met with Lukrovski, who shared their picture as tacit endorsement of his candidacy. SDSM issued an angry statement denying that the party will support Lukrovski against the controversial incumbent Mayor. Jakimovski is hoping to win the votes of the populist Levica party, which takes similar positions on Russia and Macedonia’s NATO membership.
The citzens of Karpos decided not to support a man who is on the black list of our strategic partner – the United States. They chose not to support a man who is sentences in the first instance at the Skopje court. I expect that the other candidates will also agree that they can’t support a candidate who is on a black list, and who is again using his old tricks, said Mickoski.
