 |
| Gordana Silyanovska and Stevo Pendarovski |
The name of the new president of the republic of North Macedonia will be learned on May 5 after the second round of the runoff. After Sunday's vote, none of the three candidates received the majority of the vote, out of the total number of voters who participated in the process.
According to preliminary results published by the State Election Commission, 99.96 percent of the counted votes are led by SDSM and Coalition candidate Stevo Pendarovski, with 42.85 percent and second, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovska Davkova with 42.24 percent . Third, the candidate supported by alliance for Albanians and Besa, Blerim Reka, with 10.57 percent or 79.913 votes."I expect to start working for the benefit of the republic of North Macedonia and its Euro-Atlantic ambitions as well as for the economic development of the country, based on the president's position, as it's been 10 years that this country has no president." Pendarovski said.
"I know the battle has started. But if we managed to secure such a vote, and if we add the votes of Mr. Blerim Reka as an independent candidate backed by two Albanian opposition parties, the message is very clear. Both of us talked about the rule of law in order to give an end to the corruption and criminality," said Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.
The second round will be held on May 5, where will compeete the first ranked candidates, Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova. If in the runoff, the required number of voters will be reached (40 %) the winner is declared the one who receives the most of the votes.
Otherwise, new presidential elections will be announced. The two candidates facing the run-off are now targeting the votes of the Albanian candidate out of the race, Blerim Reka, the votes which will be crucial for determining the winner in the presidential election.
As often happens, the attention is again going to the Albanians.