It is a day of reflection in North Macedonia, but the campaign continues today

According to the electoral law in North Macedonia, today is a day for reflection before tomorrow’s voting in the first round of the country’s presidential elections. And although, according to the decision of the State Election Commission, the day of reflection does not interrupt the campaign for parliamentary elections, which began on April 18, the presidential candidates yesterday officially sent their last messages to the voters, BTA reported.

The presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski, supported by SDSM and the “For a European Future” coalition, ended the campaign for the first round with a rally in Bitola, and before that there were meetings with citizens in Demir Hisar and Resen, the media in North Macedonia summarized.

“Let us now on April 24 show them that we know who is the right option, the number one option, and determine the winner on May 8 in both the presidential and parliamentary elections,” said Pendarovski, who is number one on the ballot.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, nominated by VMRO-DPMNE and the “Your Macedonia” coalition, also called for voter turnout. She ended the campaign with a rally in Shtip.

“Let us unite our nation, build consensus. Only unity can take us forward, only together we can make you proud and us proud. And above all, let’s turn this small country into a respected European country,” said Siljanovska.

Pendarovski and Siljanovska, who according to the studies are the most likely participants in the second round of the presidential elections, gave two interviews each in the last hours of the last day of their campaign – for Channel 5 and the state-owned MRT1.

Stevco Yakimovski, nominated by GROM, ended his campaign with rallies in the Gyorce Petrov district in Skopje and the village of Vlae, where he lived. Until the last minute of the last day of his campaign, Jakimovski was a guest on a podcast, commenting that “if EU enlargement is geopolitics”, as Buyar Osmani claims, the mistake is that the country has not learned to say “no”.

On the last day of his campaign, DSI and “European Front” candidate Buyar Osmani held a meeting with young people in Skopje, stressing that “who will lead the country and what kind of future he offers” will depend on their decision.

“Voting is not only a right, voting is a pillar of democracy, but also a great responsibility, especially in this election, when the country will decide whether we will choose isolation or integration,” Osmani said.

At rallies in Gostivar and Skopje, the candidate of the Albanian opposition coalition “Deserves” Arben Taravari called for mobilization during the vote. At the rally in Gostivar, whose mayor he is, he called for the difference with the DSI candidate to be at least 7,000 votes.

ZNAM candidate Maxim Dimitrievski finished his election campaign for the first round with visits to Vasilevo, Bosilovo, Novo Selo and a rally in Strumitsa.

“We want to see (Northern) Macedonia where it belongs in the EU, but respecting our dignity, integrity, Macedonian language, culture, continuity, self-confidence, our own history and everything that is Macedonian,” Dimitrijevski said in Strumica .

The candidate of the Left, Bilyana Vankovska, also visited Gostivar. There were no rallies in her campaign. She has banked on meetings with small groups of voters, but the expectations of her staff are that she will reach the second round of the elections, which will be held together with the parliamentary elections on May 8.