On the eve of the commencement of the signature collection period for presidential candidates and deputies, major political parties swiftly unveiled their choices for the presidential race during a one-hour timeframe. The incumbent president, Stevo Pendarovski, secured support for a second term from the top leadership of the ruling SDSM, while the sole candidate listed on VMRO-DPMNE’s public notice is Professor and MP Gordana Siljanovska Davkova. Pendarovski and Siljanovska Davkova were rivals in the 2019 presidential elections (first round on April 21, second round on May 5), with the current head of state emerging victorious in the second round.

Yesterday, SDSM reported that during a leadership meeting, the decision was made to endorse Stevo Pendarovski as the party’s candidate for the presidency. This decision will be presented to the members of the party’s Executive and Central Board in the coming days. Meetings with coalition partners are already scheduled for the next few days, and the official promotional convention is set for March 3rd. Meanwhile, VMRO-DPMNE announced that Professor and MP Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova applied through the party’s public announcement for the presidency. Her candidacy will be decided by the delegates at the Convention for the selection of a presidential candidate, scheduled for March 2, 2024.

Speculation continues about the DUI candidate, with media reports suggesting that the current head of diplomacy, Bujar Osmani, might be the party’s presidential nominee. DUI announced that Ali Ahmeti would share important news today, and he scheduled a press conference at 1 pm at the party’s headquarters in Mala Recica.

Late last night, the central board of GROM expressed its support for the party’s president, Stevco Jakimovski. The European Union for Change revealed that Arben Taravari, president of one wing of the Alliance for Albanians, would be their candidate. Professor Biljana Vankovska declared her candidacy for president of the Left, while Velo Markovski, who announced his candidacy several months ago, is in the process of collecting signatures. The ZNAM party, led by Kumanovo mayor Maksim Dimitrievski, is expected to announce its presidential candidacy today.