Zoran Zaev, the incumbent prime minister of North Macedonia yesterday in a late night press conference resigned from his prime ministerial post and also from the post of the president of the SDSM political party, after the defeat of his party in the second round of the local elections. However, he remains adamant that early parliamentary elections are not an option. Zaev is convinced that there are excellent working conditions for a government from the ruling coalition and also assured that he will stay in his positions until a new parliamentary majority is formed.
“Let me congratulate our opponents to their victory in these elections. I accept the responsibility and I resign as a prime minister and president of SDSM and also congratulate all the progressive citizens who strived for an integrated North Macedonia,”, Zoran Zaev said a few hours after the closing of the polls.
He said that these elections have seen lots of money from the opposition in the field, money that mostly arrived from abroad, but also from domestic construction companies’ owners.
Zaev also noted he is proud that North Macedonia became a NATO member and also proud of last year’s decision of EU to nod starting accession negotiations with North Macedonia, promulgating that the country has a fair share of prospects to start the negotiations.. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the government conducted a successful census, and built successful friendships with all of the five neighbors.
Zoran Zaev expressed his frustration of the fact that the majority of the citizens have elected the same people and politicians who four years ago wanted to go in a killing spree (the storming of the parliament on the 27th of April 2017). He said that some of those villains ere even elected to mayor and local councilor posts.
“We have seen even alliances between the victims and the perpetrators of the 27th of April violence, associating without shame for the sake of power and money,” he said.
Zoran Zaev said that he rests assured he has done much for the country.
“I’m unhesitant that I have brought freedom and democracy in this country and the rule is that when we are talking about freedom and democracy, the rule is that one must accept responsibility,” said Zoran Zaev.
He said that he took responsibility for the poor results and the results of those choices, in order to enable the progressive forces to survive and fight on in the future.
Also, tonight the incumbent mayor Petre Shilegov congratulated his opponent Danela Arsovska for her victory. Shilegov expressed his gratitude to all the citizens and activists who gave their support. He said ” the SDMS will not allow “rapes” of Skopje, as was the case in the past.
SDSM in yesterday’s runoff local elections received a harsh blow, losing the power in much of the municipalities it governed before, with VMRO-DPMNE winning 20 mayoral posts, while SDSM and DUI seven each.
In the first round of the local elections, VMRO-DPMNE also won most of the mayoral posts.
