As polls predicted, VMRO-DPMNE presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska – Davkova is enjoying a solid lead in the majority ethnic Macedonian parts of the country.

As the votes are still being tallied, Republika is briefed that Siljanovska is extending a lead in Gjorce Petrov, Butel, Gazi Baba and Aerodrom, some of the key, densely populated, majority Macedonian districts in the capital Skopje. In Gazi Baba, the law professor and opponent of the Prespa treaty, reportedly enjoys a double lead over Stevo Pendarovski, candidate of the ruling SDSM party and its Albanian coalition partner DUI.

Two large cities that went for SDSM in the 2016 early general elections and solidly SDSM in the 2017 municipal elections, have reportedly turned and are backing Siljanovska over Pendarovski.

Many rural, majority Macedonian areas are also dropping SDSM and switching their support to VMRO. In Debarca, in the south-west of the country, where turnout reached solid 50 percent, the majority backed Siljanovska, Republika was told. Also in near-by Vevcani.

Over to the east, Siljanovska carried the rural districts such as Pehcevo but also the regional capital Stip.

In central part of Macedonia, Negotino, Radovis and Veles went back to VMRO after supporting SDSM in the 2017 municipal elections, as did rural districts such as Gradsko, where turnout was also high, over 50 percent, and Siljanovska enjoys a solid lead over Pendarovski.

If he is to narrow down the gap in the ethnic Macedonian districts, Pendarovski will have to compensate in the ethnic Albanian areas, with the help of his coalition partner DUI. The one ethnic Albanian presidential candidate, Blerim Reka, carried a fair portion of the Albanian vote, and the direction these votes take in the second round may decide the outcome.