Goran Gerasimovski, the Mayor of Skopje’s Centar district, announced that he will not follow his fellow SDSM party Mayor Kostadin Kostadinov from Strumica in leaving the ZELS association of municipalities.

Kostadinov and Skopje’s Karpos Mayor Stevco Jakimovski announced the move earlier this week, as they are protesting the level of cooperation they are getting from the central Government. ZELS brings together all mayors in Macedonia, in defending their joint interests, in relation to the Government and other institutions.

I am aware of the possible pressures and political influences. But I believe that Kostadinov’s decision is hasty, Gerasimovski said.
Gerasimovski is the only other SDSM Mayor of a major municipality. He and Kostadinov belong to different factions of the party, Gerasimovski is close to the elitist Skopje faction, while Kostadinov is very close to former Prime Minister and SDSM leader Zoran Zaev. Kostadinov objected to the investigation in the water quality in Strumica, which found large concentrations of mangane, and citizens have been asked to buy bottled water for drinking for over a week. Kostadinov insists that the water is fine.