Skopje, 5 June 2024 (MIA) - Former health minister and current MP Venko Filipche as well as former defense minister and current MP Slavjanka Petrovska are expected to submit their candidacies for SDSM leader on Wednesday. 

Director of the free industrial zones Jovan Despotovski will also submit candidacy after presenting his program before the media on Wednesday.

"A new beginning, new SDSM is the program with which I seek support for leader of SDSM. The people are in the focus of this program. This program unites, it does not favor, and it has a place for all proposals and ideas of people who will sincerely invest in the new SDSM to build its integrity and get the place it deserves," reads the invitation for Despotovski's press conference. 

Customs Administration director Stefan Bogoev is also likely to run for the post according to media reports, but this has not been officially confirmed so far. 

Inter-party elections will be held after the party suffered a defeat at this year’s parliamentary elections, winning 18 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.

On May 31, SDSM launched a procedure for extraordinary inter-party elections for a new party leader. SDSM will hold a congress on June 9 to analyze the reasons for the election defeat.

The extraordinary inter-party elections will take place June 30. 

Photo: MIA archive