2017 Macedonian local elections

Local elections were held on October 14–15 and 28–29, 2017, in the Republic of Macedonia to elect mayors and members of municipality councils of the 80 municipalities in Macedonia. These were the sixth local elections since the independence of Macedonia.

2017 Macedonian local elections

14-15 October 2017 (first round)
28-29 October 2017 (second round)

80 municipalities and Skopje
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Zoran Zaev Ali Ahmeti Nikola Gruevski
Party SDSM BDI VMRO-DPMNE
Mayoralities won 57 10 5
Change Increase 53 Decrease 4 Decrease 51

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Ziadin Sela Bilal Kasami Menduh Thaçi
Party AS Besa PDSh
Mayoralities won 3 1 1
Change Increase 3 Increase 1 Decrease 1

  Seventh party Eighth party
 
Leader Beycan Ilyas
Party DPTM Independent
Mayoralities won 1 3
Change Steady Increase 1

The mandates of the current mayors and municipality councils ran out on May 22, and unlike those of government ministers, they are not automatically prolonged until new ones are elected. The delay in this respect prevented institutions under municipal authority, such as schools, kindergartens, public enterprises, fire-fighting units, to execute their duties. The new parliamentary majority extended the mandate of the local councils and mayors until new election are held.

On June 3 the newly established government set October 15, 2017 as the date of the upcoming local elections. On August 6, Macedonian parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi announced that local elections would be held October 15, 2017.

The local elections were held as scheduled, on October 15, 2017. The election started in 7AM (local time) and the process was held in relatively peaceful mood, with several minor incidents throughout the country. The polling stations were closed 12 hours later. However, only 45 municipalities elected a mayor in the first round, and 35 had to vote again on October 29.

The second round of the local elections was held as scheduled, October 29, 2017. The election started in 7AM (local time) and the process was held in relatively peaceful mood, with several minor incidents throughout the country. The polling stations were closed 12 hours later.

In both of the first two rounds, voting was held a day early (October 14 and 28) for hospitalized and disadvantaged persons, and those in home detention or prison. A third round re-vote was held on November 12 in the municipality of Čair only.[1]

Results

Municipality Candidate Party % Round won in
Aerodrom Zlatko MarinSocial Democratic Union 52.03% First round
Aračinovo Milikije HalimiSocial Democratic Union 57.81% First round
Berovo Zvonko PekevskiSocial Democratic Union 60.96% First round
Bitola Nataša PetrovskaSocial Democratic Union 59.77% First round
Bogdanci Blaže ŠapovSocial Democratic Union 55.37% First round
Bogovinje Aljbon DžemailiAlliance for Albanians 53.70% Second round
Bosilovo Zoran ZimbakovSocial Democratic Union 53.80% First round
Brvenica Enver PajazitiIndependent 55.38% Second round
Butel Velimir SmilevskiSocial Democratic Union 57.02% Second round
Valandovo Pero KostadinovSocial Democratic Union 55.31% First round
Vasilevo Marjan JanevSocial Democratic Union 52.52% First round
Vevčani Sašo JankoskiSocial Democratic Union 53.15% First round
Veles Ace KocevskiSocial Democratic Union 53.51% First round
Vinica Ivica DimitrovSocial Democratic Union 52.23% Second round
Vrapčište Isen ShabaniAlliance for Albanians 51.25% Second round
Gazi Baba Boris GeorgievskiSocial Democratic Union 53.57% Second round
Gevgelija Sašo PockovSocial Democratic Union 54.55% First round
Gjorče Petrov Aleksandar NaumoskiSocial Democratic Union 53.75% First round
Gostivar Arben TaravariAlliance for Albanians 50.12% Second round
Gradsko Robert BešovskiSocial Democratic Union 53.51% Second round
Debar Ruždi LjataDemocratic Union for Integration 52.04% Second round
Debarca Zoran NogačeskiSocial Democratic Union 56.70% First round
Delčevo Goran TrajkovskiSocial Democratic Union 51.83% First round
Demir Kapija Lazar PetrovSocial Democratic Union 56.12% Second round
Demir Hisar Marjanče StojanovskiSocial Democratic Union 55.43% First round
Dojran Ango AngovSocial Democratic Union 58.19% First round
Dolneni Džemil KjamiliDemocratic Union for Integration 53.90% Second round
Želino Bljerim SejdiBesa Movement 51.27% Second round
Zelenikovo Borče GievskiSocial Democratic Union 59.22% First round
Zrnovci Blaže StankovVMRO-DPMNE 57.11% Second round
Ilinden Žika StojanovskiVMRO-DPMNE 57.34% First round
Jegunovce Darko BlažeskiSocial Democratic Union 61.79% Second round
Kavadarci Mitko JančevVMRO-DPMNE 52.65% Second round
Karbinci Jordan NasevSocial Democratic Union 56.94% Second round
Karpoš Stefan BogoevSocial Democratic Union 57.70% First round
Kisela Voda Filip TemelkovskiSocial Democratic Union 54.89% Second round
Kičevo Fatmir DehariDemocratic Union for Integration 60.36% First round
Konče Blagoj IlievSocial Democratic Union 55.23% First round
Kočani Nikolčo IlijevSocial Democratic Union 55.80% First round
Kratovo Ljupčo BojadžievSocial Democratic Union 57.11% First round
Kriva Palanka Borjančo MicevskiSocial Democratic Union 57.97% First round
Krivogaštani Rubinčo ŠefteroskiSocial Democratic Union 53.90% First round
Kruševo Tome HristoskiSocial Democratic Union 60.63% First round
Kumanovo Maksim DimitrievskiSocial Democratic Union 52.53% First round
Lipkovo Erkan ArifiDemocratic Union for Integration 58.55% Second round
Lozovo Aco VelkovskiSocial Democratic Union 55.18% First round
Mavrovo and Rostuša Medat KurtovskiSocial Democratic Union 55.85% First round
Makedonska Kamenica Sonja StamenkovaSocial Democratic Union 54.24% Second round
Makedonski Brod Živko SiljanoskiSocial Democratic Union 66.46% Second round
Mogila Jasmina GulevskaSocial Democratic Union 51.22% Second round
Negotino Toni DelkovSocial Democratic Union 51.44% First round
Novaci Ljube KuzmanoskiSocial Democratic Union 53.00% Second round
Novo Selo Boro StojčevSocial Democratic Union 52.13% First round
Ohrid Jovan StojanoskiSocial Democratic Union 54.07% First round
Petrovec Borče MitevskiVMRO-DPMNE 62.05% First round
Pehčevo Dragan TrenčovskiSocial Democratic Union 52.65% First round
Plasnica Ismail JahoskiDemocratic Union for Integration 59.12% First round
Prilep Ilija JovanoskiSocial Democratic Union 51.07% First round
Probištip Dragan AnastasovSocial Democratic Union 52.27% Second round
Radoviš Gerasim KonzulovSocial Democratic Union 50.13% First round
Rankovce Ivica ToševskiIndependent 58.27% First round
Resen Živko GošarevskiSocial Democratic Union 55.03% First round
Rosoman Branko JanevSocial Democratic Union 54.23% Second round
Saraj Blerim BedžetiDemocratic Union for Integration 52.26% Second round
Sveti Nikole Sašo VelkovskiSocial Democratic Union 50.17% First round
Skopje Petre ŠilegovSocial Democratic Union 50.33% First round
Sopište Stefče TrpkovskiVMRO-DPMNE 50.78% First round
Staro Nagoričane Žaklina JovanovskaSocial Democratic Union 65.36% Second round
Struga Ramis MerkoDemocratic Union for Integration 49.53% Second round
Strumica Kosta JanevskiSocial Democratic Union 59.45% First round
Studeničani Azem SadikiDemocratic Party of Albanians 52.17% Second round
Tearce Isen AsaniDemocratic Union for Integration 51.64% Second round
Tetovo Teuta ArifiDemocratic Union for Integration 49.09% Second round
Centar Saša BogdanovikjSocial Democratic Union 63.47% First round
Centar Župa Arijan IbraimDemocratic Party of Turks 70.48% First round
Čair Visar GaniuDemocratic Union for Integration 48.66% Second round
Čaška Goran StojanovskiSocial Democratic Union 69.58% Second round
Češinovo-Obleševo Gorančo KrstevSocial Democratic Union 49.91% Second round
Čučer-Sandevo Jovan PejkovskiIndependent 51.40% First round
Štip Blagoj BočvarskiSocial Democratic Union 51.54% Second round
Šuto Orizari Kurto DudušSocial Democratic Union 57.61% Second round

Incidents and reactions

Alit Abazi, an independent candidate for the council of Kičevo Municipality, was killed in public with a hand gun, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs issued a statement that the murder was not politically motivated.[2] The house of Vlado Misajlovski, a candidate for mayor in Gjorche Petrov, and the bakery of his father caught fire. Police statement said the bakery caught fire because of defective installation and the fire spread to the house.[3] Elvis Bajram, a candidate for mayor in Shuto Orizari, was attacked with a metal pipe after arguing with activists of the opposing candidate.[4] An NGO activist from Struga was beaten after speaking against Ziadin Sela, leader of the Alliance for the Albanians.[5] Voters were caught trying to photograph the ballot and were immediately arrested.[6][7] People were also arrested for inciting and participating in physical showdowns. Polling stations were briefly closed until the situations were sorted out.[8][9]

The leading opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE filed dozens of complaints all of which were rejected by the State Election Commission. The leader of the party, former prime-minister Nikola Gruevski, said that he does not recognize the election as free and democratic and asked for an early parliamentary election.[10] After losing in Struga, the city's former mayor Sela said that he does not recognize the result and called DUI to a showdown at an early parliamentary election.[11] The Besa Movement reported that irregularities were noted and complaints were filed.[12]

References

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