The independent mayoral candidate in Kumanovo, incumbent Maksim Dimitrievski, accused his former SDSM party of pressuring him, after the ruling party aired secretly recorded tapes showing Dimitrievski apparently trying to buy votes.

Using wiretaps and secretly made recordings is well established practice in SDSM. Dimitrievski, who defied his party and started an independent mayoral run, said that this is another of the “numerous forms of pressure that individuals in the Government use against me, abusing the state institutions for their partisan goals”. Dimitrievski said that this attack comes after he revealed evidence that SDSM activists are buying votes in Kumanovo.