Skopje, 4 March 2024 (MIA) - Gathering signatures for presidential candidates for the upcoming elections continues through Friday. Stevo Pendarovski (SDSM) and Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (VMR)-DPMNE) are also among the candidates who received support from the citizens after they collected the required 10,000 signatures over the past days.  

State Election Commission (SEC) latest data shows that Stevo Pendarovski has collected 21,852 signatures, whereas Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova has collected 28,029 signatures. 

Maksim Dimitrievski of ZNAM, Bujar Osmani of DUI, Stevcho Jakimovski of GROM, Arben Taravari of opposition alliance "Worth It", and Biljana Vankovska of Levica have already collected the required citizens' signatures.

Dimitrievski has collected 11,601, Osmani - 11,085, Jakimovski - 10,887, Taravari - 10,709 and Vankovska Cvetkovska - 10,432. 

Other candidates are still collecting the signatures, with Mersiha Smailovikj receiving 1,596 thus far, Velo Markovski - 1,466, Gjorgji Manaskov - 429, Zorica Cvetkovska - 204, Gospodin Popovski - 119, and Tome Nikolovski - 0.

A total of 108,409 citizens have signed petitions in support of potential candidates' bids to run for President.

Gathering signatures for presidential candidates began on Feb. 23 and will continue through March 8 at 34 local SEC offices and before notaries. The offices operate every day in two shifts, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. On the final day, March 8, the offices will be open until midnight.

If a candidate is backed by a group of voters, they need to collect at least 10,000 signatures of registered voters. If a candidate is backed by MPs, they need to collect at least 30 signatures of MPs.

Potential candidates need to submit their bids to the SEC by March 19 at midnight. The deadline is the same for both the presidential and the parliamentary election.

A total of 185 nationals of North Macedonia living abroad or on temporary work have registered to vote in the upcoming elections through the country's diplomatic and consular missions on April 24 for presidential and May 8 for the parliamentary elections, the SEC said.

Our citizens will be registered to vote until March 18 electronically or at the country's diplomatic and consular missions.

The presidential elections are scheduled for April 24, and the second round is on May 8, along with the parliamentary elections. 

Photo: MIA archive