SDSM official Ljupco Nikolovski dismissed concerns from all the opposition parties and insisted that mayoral elections in Stip and Plasnica will take place in December, despite the huge spike in coronavirus cases.

SDSM has a huge lead in all the polls ahead of the municipal elections in Stip. VMRO-DPMNE and Hristijan Mickoski are afraid of defeat, and we offer better life for Stip and all citizens, Nikolovski said.

VMRO won Stip during the July 15 general elections, which were also marred by very low turnout due to the coronavirus crisis. Since then, the number of daily infections has quadrupled, and Macedonia often registers two dozen deaths a day. As a major textile center, Stip was badly hit by the crisis, as the virus spreads among women workers operating in cramped conditions. Voting under these circumstances guarantees that the virus will spread further and that the turnout will be exceptionally low – where SDSM sees its chance.

Stip and Plasnica are without mayors after one of them was nominated to the Government and the other was elected member of Parliament. Regular municipal elections are expected in November, and the two municipalities could be easily left under temporary management until then, opposition parties have said.

VMRO-DPMNE and the opposition coalition of the Albanian AA and Alternative parties, have announced they will boycott the elections. VMRO contests Stip, while the Albanian opposition – Plasnica. Other smaller parties, such as Levica, have also said they will not participate in the elections.