The head of the SDSM branch in Kumanovo Martin Kostovski initiated a call to get Zaev to give up on his promise to resign as Prime Minister and SDSM party leader. Zaev made the announcement yesterday, as his party lost the local elections across Macedonia, including its once key stronghold of Kumanovo.

We begin collecting signatures to support our President Zoran Zaev to remain as leader. We call on all other local branches of the party to follow suit, Kostovski said.

Some predicted such theatrics, considering that Zaev has pledged to resign a number of times before, but always went back on the promise. Especially as he did not give a deadline for the resignation, but said that he will do so once he secures the transition to a new Prime Minister under the same SDSM led coalition.