SDSM official Viktorija Madic said that the party wide vote to elect a new leader, who will replace Zoran Zaev, is proceeding well today. All 194 polling stations across the country opened at 8 in the morning, Madic said, and until 11h turnout was 12 percent.

About 51,000 party members registered to vote in the election today – a drop of over 17,000 compared to the election in March this year, when Zaev won. Zaev decided to leave the helm of the party after the devastating defeat in the local elections in October, and now three candidates a vying to replace him. Zaev endorsed Deputy Finance Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, who faces challenges from the representative of the Sekerinska wing of the party – Jovan Despotovski, and from disgraced former Vice President of the party Frosina Remenski.