A record number of nine candidates will be running in North Macedonia’s presidential elections. Analysts attribute this large number to a decision to hold the presidential run-off simultaneously with the parliamentary elections on May 8. They argue that the results from the first round of the presidential elections on April 24 will impact the parliamentary elections.
The outcome of the elections will also be arguably influenced by the decision of the State Election Commission not to suspend the canvassing for the parliamentary election during the days of reflection for the first round of the presidential elections.
On Friday, the presidential candidates are due to start collecting the 10,000 signatures needed to be registered for the elections by the State Election Commission.
There are two options for the candidates: submit a petition signed by 10,000 voters or submit the signatures of 30 MPs.
Only SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE have the required number of 30 MPs in Parliament. VMRO-DPMNE's candidate, constitutional law professor Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, however, said she would be collecting voter signatures. Incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski, who has not yet been officially nominated as the SDSM candidate, plans to do the same. All media outlets in North Macedonia report that SDSM has confirmed that Pendarovski will be their presidential candidate.
With the collecting of signatures set to begin on Friday, the political parties have been rushing to announce their candidates in the last two days.
Two of the candidates are professors: Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (VMRO-DPMNE) and Biljana Vankovska (Left). There are two mayors: Stevco Jakimovski (GROM) and Maxim Dimitrievski (ZNAM). Three of the candidates are physicians: Bujar Osmani (Democratic Union for Integration), Arben Taravari (nominated by the coalition of Albanian opposition parties in the country) and independent candidate Velo Markovski, who announced his bid back in the autumn. The Bosnian Democratic Union in North Macedonia made a last-minute announcement that they would field lawyer and civil rights activist Mersiha Smailovic.
SDSM will announce officially its candidate by the end of the month, party leader Dimitar Kovachevski said earlier in this week. Pendarovski was indirectly confirmed as the party’s choice by Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Maricic.
Signatures for the presidential candidates will be collected in all 34 regional units of the State Election Commission until March 8.
/KK/
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