SDSM is declining in the polls relative to VMRO-DPMNE to the point that they will themselves ask for early general elections, predicted Arben Taravari from the opposition Alliance of Albanians. Municipal elections are expected next fall but due to the inconclusive division in Parliament, calls are growing to have early general elections at the same time.

Look at the ruling SDSM – DUI coalition, they can’t put together 61 members of Parliament to adopt a law. They have problems dividing the lower tier offices among them. VMRO-DPMNE bottomed out at these elections. They had some of their former members of Parliament working against them, the Mayor of Kavadarci Mitko Jancev worked against his own party, and VMRO still won there.

Their 320,000 votes are the bottom for VMRO-DPMNE. But there is enormous dissatisfaction inside SDSM. Their members are fuming. The polls will reveal this growing divide and SDSM will call for early elections itself, Taravari said.

He predicted that SDSM will try to bolster its votes by adding DUI as a pre-election partner, despite the huge price tag that DUI is already adding to their continued support for the Zaev led Government. Taravari said that in response, the opposition Albanian parties like the Alliance of Albanians will team up with VMRO. “The opposition bloc will win three quarters of all municipalities”, Taravari predicted.