Skopje, 8 May 2024 (MIA) - Today’s result is disappointing, SDSM suffered a heavy blow, SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski said at a press conference Wednesday after the results from the double elections in North Macedonia. Kovachevski announced a process for the party’s consolidation and recovery, as well as new elections for the party’s leadership. 

Kovachevski assessed Wednesday's double elections as free and fair, organized in line with European standards, which, he said, “is a huge step forward as a result of the media freedom, peace and stability that we created”. He congratulated VMRO-DPMNE, its leader Hristijan Mickoski, as well as Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova on their victories. The SDSM leader also congratulated the citizens and SDSM’s membership, which, he said, despite results in the first round, turned out to vote and helped fulfil the turnout threshold for the election of president. 

“Today’s result is disappointing. SDSM suffered a heavy blow inflicted not only by the citizens, but also by the party’s supporters and sympathizers. In the coming period, we will analyse the results in detail. In the coming months, we will need to be more serious and thorough to find the source and reasons for this devastating outcome,” Kovachevski said. 

The SDSM leader said he wouldn’t like to rush to conclusions and say who is responsible, but, he underlined that both he and the party’s leadership, as well as all elected officials on a local and central level, are responsible. 

“Realistically, no one is without any responsibility, and we will have to go through this process together. SDSM will need to look inwards, reflect on what we’ve done and what the results are and identify what our weaknesses were in the past 4 years, and maybe in the past seven years. And most importantly, we will have to identify what it is that we need to do in order to recover and restore the trust of the citizens which we have lost,” Kovachevski said. 

He announced a process for the consolidation and recovery of the party and elections for all party bodies, beginning from the leader of the party. 

“I don’t doubt that many citizens are feeling fear tonight, fear due to the excessive power held by the party that is known for abusing its power. SDSM and its coalition should and must be a strong, responsible and statesmanlike opposition,” Kovachevski said. 

The SDSM leader said the coming year represents a chance for the country to continue its Euro-integration and stressed that if that chance is missed, the country could lose one more decade, “perhaps even one more generation,” he said. 

“SDSM will act responsibly, but the ball is now in the court of the new government led by Hristijan Mickoski,” Kovachevski said, warning of the consequences of potential attempts to block the path to Europe and stressing that the country belongs in NATO and the EU.  

Photo: MIA