Kurto Dudus, Mayor of Suto Orizari (Sutka) – the only majority Roma municipality in Macedonia – is facing criminal charges of abuse of office.
Skopje police filed the charges after Dudus appointed new management to a kindergarten even though both managers were not already working at the institution. The law mandates that the head of a kindergarten will be appointed from among the already employed workers. The decisions were made in 2020 and in 2024.

Dudus is head of the Union of Roma party, which was allied with SDSM, then part of smaller SDSM alligned parties, and will run in the coming elections together with DUI. DUI moved to bring non-Albanian parties to its coalition, to reduce the danger from the growing Albanian opposition bloc VLEN, and Dudus’ party is one of Ahmeti’s new allies.

The Mayor is known for several violent attacks, and has avoided prison time even though one of the attacks, which he carried out against a municipal employee, was caught on audio tape.