According to 99.45% of counted votes and according to unofficial and incomplete data from the State Election Commission’s website, SDSM has won in the first round or will have an advantage in the second circle in 50 municipalities, VMRO-DPMNE in 9 and DUI in 12 municipalities.
The ruling SDSM is a winner at the elections for the first man of the city of Skopje, with a convincing advantage by Petre Shilegov over Koce Trajanovski of VMRO-DPMNE, who led the capitol in the last two mandates.
VMRO-DPMNE’s catastrophic defeat at the local elections, according to preliminary and incomplete results from State Election Commission, can be also seen in the loss of enormous number of municipalities that were previously seen as bastions of VMRO-DPMNE and in several previous mandates were in their hands or in the hands of their coalition partners such as Prilep, Bitola, Karposh, Aerodrom, Kisela Voda, Gazi Baba, Shuto Orizari, Kratovo, Makednski Brod, Vevchani, almost all of Eastern Macedonia and a big part of the southeastern part of the country and the Tikvesh region.
SDSM has managed to win the mayoral seats in Arachinovo, winning over the candidates of DUI, Besa and the Alliance of the Albanians who all together have fewer votes than Milikije Halimi of SDSM.
VMRO-DPMNE has one in the first round or will have an advantage in the runoff in the municipalities of Ilinden, Petrovec, Sopishte, and is leading in Shtip, Brvenica, Zrnovci, Kavadarci, Novaci, Probishtip and in Cheshinovo – Obleshevo.
Surprisingly, in Tetovo, the city which several years back was facing with many problems, such as plumage and polluted air, including overcrowded building and the enormous traffic, Teuta Arifi of DUI who has led the city in the previous mandate, has won again.
It is expected that SEC will announce the first official results from yesterday’s local elections.
