One week after the voting for the second round of the Local Elections 2021, the parties called on the citizens to come out en masse and support their candidates for mayors. In the second round of the Local Elections, which will be held on October 31, 2021, voting will take place in a total of 44 municipalities.

The State Election Commission announced the final results of the first round yesterday, informing that mayors were elected in a total of 32 municipalities, and the voting will be repeated in Mavrovo-Rostuse and Centar Zupa, because the legal voting threshold is not met to turn out at least one third of the registered voters in the Voters' List.

The President of SDSM Zoran Zaev yesterday in Ohrid, said that in principle SDSM in the second round will support the candidates of the coalition partners.

- Wherever SDSM does not have a candidate for mayor in the second round of local elections 2021, and the opposition is the opposite, the support of our membership will be for the coalition partner, said Zaev.

In the municipalities where only the coalition partners are present, such as Dolneni, Aracinovo, Caska, Zaev clarified that in such circumstances they will try to win as SDSM with a positive campaign and promotion of their projects.

"Where the coalition partners DUI and BESA are, we leave the citizens, of course they decide for themselves, of course our members are instructed to vote freely on what is best for their city," said Zaev.

The Vice President of VMRO-DPMNE, Aleksandar Nikoloski, after the session of the highest party bodies yesterday in Ohrid, informed that the party issued a proclamation calling for unity, harmony and unification of all citizens and progressive forces in the country for a better future and change, in struggle against the government.

- For that purpose, VMRO-DPMNE reaffirms its support for the mayoral candidates from the Alliance of Albanians and Alternative. In the places where we do not have our own candidates in the second round, we will naturally support the candidates who are in opposition to the government and are fighting against this government which is corrupt and criminal, said Nikolovski.

The Vice President of VMRO-DPMNE also added that the party's proclamation calls on the citizens to come out freely and openly and everywhere to support the candidates who are sincerely fighting against the government.

Meanwhile, the party coalitions continued with rallies and meetings with citizens. The ruling SDSM and the Coalition "The Best for My Municipality" held a unifying rally in Skopje, where Zaev asked for support for a new term in the capital for Petre Shilegov, as well as mayors in Karpos, Centar and Suto Orizari. At the same time, he called for unification in the second round of elections on values, warning that otherwise the damage could and would be common. - I heard everyone who voted, we started action and correction. No key policy will be pursued without asking you, said Zaev, emphasizing that Skopje deserves the best and nothing less.

VMRO-DPMNE, on the other hand, asked for support for the candidate for mayor of Ohrid Kiril Pecakov at a rally in Ohrid, where the leader Hristijan Mickoski also again called for unification and mass turnout, pointing out that the solution is behind the screen. He assessed that for the Prime Minister and leader of SDSM "this is the last straw for salvation" and pointed out that it is not undeserved because, as he said, the people are against him and that it is a consequence of many disappointments and unfulfilled promises - Nothing is impossible to win is within reach. Turnout is the key, said Mickoski.

The leader of the political party Democratic Union for Integration Ali Ahmeti, on the other hand, at a pre-election rally in Cegrane, Gostivar, asked the membership and the citizens to mobilize for the second round and to support the DUI candidate, Nevzat Bejta.

- If we were not close to victory, I would not have come before you tonight. I do not want to lose in Gostivar to VMRO or in Kicevo. "I am asking the people of Cegra to mobilize and not to allow VMRO to win," said Ahmeti.

The candidate for mayor of the Municipality of Struga from the Alliance for Albanians and Alternative, Idri Istrefi, on the other hand, through a video address called on all Struga residents to support him in the second round of local elections on October 31, by rounding the number 6 on the ballot.

- The time has come to call every citizen of Struga for a voice and commitment, with or without party affiliation from the Alliance of Albanians and Alternative, Besa and DPA, VMRO-DPMNE and SDSM from the Liberals and the Left, members of all ethnic and religious communities , of all ideological affiliations and of any group, said Istrefi.

Source: MIA