site.btaNorth Macedonia's Elections, Preliminary Results: VMRO-DPMNE with Biggest Number of Elected Mayors, Candidates in Runoffs

According to preliminary unofficial results from Sunday's local elections in the Republic of North Macedonia, based on 93.65% of ballots counted, VMRO-DPMNE is entering the second round of the mayoral elections or has already won the first round in 53 of the country's 80 municipalities. The formation's coalition partner in the Government - the coalition of Albanian parties VLEN - enters the runoffs or wins in 9 municipalities, the opposition SDSM in 8, and the National Alliance for Integration, led by DUI, in 5 municipalities.

Based on 86.86% of the ballots counted in Skopje, where 48.46% of registered voters cast their ballots on Sunday, the mayoral candidates to compete in the runoffs are VMRO-DPMNE's Orce Gjorgjievski, who received 77,858 votes, and the opposition party Levica's Amar Mecinovic, who received 26,119 votes. The SDSM candidate for mayor and the only woman running for mayor of Skopje, Kaja Shukova, came in fourth, with the VLEN candidate receiving more votes than her, according to data presented by State Election Commission Chair Boris Kondarko at the Commission's news conference shortly after midnight on Monday.

The State Election Commission presented the results for each of the candidates for mayor and municipal councillors for the 80 municipalities in which local elections were held in North Macedonia on October 19.