The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) is holding its 29th Congress on Sunday. According to party sources, members will discuss the reasons for their recent election defeat.

After the defeat, former SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski officially resigned from his position as party president during a May 22 session of the party’s executive board. He had previously announced his resignation on May 8, citing moral reasons and the party’s Statute. Kovachevski also called for a congress to allow party members to analyze the election results.

The deadline for SDSM members to submit their bids for party president closed on June 6. Between May 31 and June 6, several candidates entered the race for party leader, including former Minister of Defense Slavjanka Petrovska, former Minister of Health Venko Filipche, Free Zones Authority director Jovan Despotovski, and current Deputy Minister of Information Society and Administration Aleksandar Bajdovski.

The internal party election for SDSM president is scheduled for June 30. The central election committee, along with 80 municipal election committees and polling station boards, will oversee the election. All SDSM members who register to vote through the SDSM website or the party’s municipal organizations will be eligible to cast their votes.

Additionally, the SDSM central board has proposed amending the party Statute so that the party president elected in extraordinary elections will serve a four-year term.