Maksim Dimitrievski, the Mayor of Kumanovo who won respectable 80,000 votes in the first round of the presidential elections, urged his supporters to turn out in the second round and clearly stated that he will support the VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova.

This is his response to the direct calls from VMRO officials that all opposition parties, including his ZNAM, and Arben Taravari’s VLEN coalition, should endorse the only remaining opposition candidate, Siljanovska, who trounced SDSM candidate Stevo Pendarovski in the first round.

I call on the voters that, considering the fact Macedonia could face unsuccessful presidential elections which would lead us into a political and institutional crisis, that they come out in large numbers and support the candidate who they believe deserves their support. As for me, I have already apologized to the voters for my share of support for Stevo Pendarovski in the previous presidential elections and he certainly won’t receive my support. I will also not submit and invalid ballot, Dimitrievski said, leaving only one option – a vote for Siljanovska.

The DUI party, which faces a painful process of removal from power after two decades, is considering a boycott where they will ask their supporters to ask only for a general elections ballot, but not for a ballot for the presidential elections. While difficult to pull off, this could lead to invalid presidential elections, which require that at least 40 percent of all voters turn out – especially if SDSM secretly joins this process after their disastrous showing in the first round.