VMRO Leader to Begin Immediate Negotiations on Forming New N. Macedonian Government

Skopje (Photo: PrintScreen/YouTube)

Following victories in North Macedonia’s parliamentary and presidential elections, the oppositional Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VRMO, according to the shortened original acronym) and its presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska Davkova were congratulated by Dimitar Kovacevski and Stevo Pendarovski, the leader and presidential candidate, respectively, of the country’s outgoing ruling party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia. Meanwhile, VMRO leader Hristijan Mickoski has stated that the party will very soon commence talks on forming a new cabinet.

Addressing a news conference after announcing the double win, Mickoski said that the elections “finally defeated the crime, corruption, ineptitude, [rigged] tenders, captured state, nepotism and myriad of other repercussions for which the country suffered and which left the people disillusioned.”

According to the projections published by the N. Macedonia’s electoral commission late on May 8, the coalition led by the VMRO will hold 59 of the 120 seats in the country’s Assembly. Tied for runner-up, with 19 seats each, are the Coalition for a European Future, led by the incumbent Social Democrats, and the European Front coalition, led by the Albanian Democratic Union for Integration. The oppositional Albanian bloc Vredi (It’s Worth It) won 13 seats, followed by the Levica (Left) party with 6 seats, and the Znam – Za Nasu Makedoniju (I Know – Four Our Macedonia) movement, which can expect 5 seats.

Based on 70.09 percent of ballots counted, the second round of presidential elections – held concurrently with the parliamentary vote – was won by VMRE’s Siljanovska Davkova (64.4 percent of votes), while Social Democrat candidate Pendarovski was supported by 29.51 percent of voters.