Skopje, 24 April 2024 (MIA) - SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski voted Wednesday in the first round of the presidential elections.

Kovachevski said that over the past seven years, SDSM together with the citizens has restored democracy in the country. He noted that that's why he believes the citizens have confidence in the electoral process and will show it with their votes.  

"Today is a big day - the first round of the presidential elections. I expect citizens to exercise their right to vote in large numbers. Today is the first step towards the big decision, the first round of the presidential elections, in which we will set the country's direction. The second big step is ahead of us, on May 8 - the presidential runoff and the parliamentary elections, when the citizens will decide on the country's direction," Kovachevski said after voting.  

According to the SDSM leader, the options are whether citizens will choose to return to the past, which they want to forget, or will choose progress and a brighter future.

"We've had the opportunity to give up many times, but we have not given up. That's why I say that in the next two weeks and especially the May 8 vote, we need to show that we want a country that will have a European standard, quality healthcare, better education, simply a better system. There is a proven recipe for that, and it is full-fledged EU membership, which we are advocating for, and I believe that the citizens today and on May 8 will support such a future for Macedonia - a future in which Macedonia will be part of the European family, in which it will be the 28th member state of the EU, and we will not allow ourselves to return to the past, when we were a captive state, when we were in disagreement with our neighbors, when we had no single step taken towards Euro-Atlantic integration, on the contrary. Today and on May 8, the citizens will show that we want a European future for Macedonia," said Kovachevski. 

In response to a reporter's question on SDSM's expectations, Kovachevski said SDSM's expectations were that the citizens will show they want a European future.

"As I said, this is the first step towards the big decision on May 8, when the presidential runoff takes place, in which I expect our candidate, our President Stevo Pendarovski, to qualify, and on May 8, together with the parliamentary elections, I expect the citizens to make the decision about the European future of Macedonia," the SDSM leader said. 

Photo: MIA