Skopje, 28 October 2025 (MIA) - VMRO-DPMNE’s candidate for Skopje mayor, Orce Gjorgjievski, underlined Tuesday evening that the promise of a clean Skopje within 72 hours is realistic and achievable. He called on citizens to turn out in large numbers on Sunday and vote for him, saying that Skopje no longer needs experiments but action.

“I stand behind my pledge that the city can be cleaned in 72 hours. Of the 117 trucks, only 17 are working, of the 46 street sweepers and washing trucks, only 6 are operational. I have a solid plan and vision for how to accomplish this,” Gjorgjievski said in a Kanal 5 TV debate with Levica candidate Amar Mecinovikj.

In addition to city and municipal authorities, Gjorgjievski said that citizens and socially responsible companies will also help in this process.

"I can responsibly claim that with socially responsible companies, and with the help of our colleagues not only in Skopje but outside Skopje, the city will be thoroughly cleaned, not just in micro-locations but everywhere. And finally, for the first time in many years, we will also wash the streets," Gjorgjievski said.

As mayor of Kisela Voda, Gjorgjievski emphasized that the local government prevented the construction of 99 buildings in Rasadnik.

"The urban plan will not be implemented in the way they had planned to build 99 buildings. If that is a concern because there are no 99 buildings, it will remain a concern as long as I am mayor, because there will be no urbanization or concreting as they had planned," Gjorgjievski said.

Speaking about hygiene, he added that despite the responsible institutions not doing their job, the situation will be different starting November 3.

"Regarding the micro-locations, that is the work and responsibility of Communal Hygiene," he added, noting that it will be resolved through the reorganization of Communal Hygiene.

In the debate, Mecinovikj confirmed that he has not graduated in political science.

"You have presented yourself publicly all this time as someone in whom young people should see a role model, a highly educated person, yet tonight we learn that you do not have a higher education, that’s the first point. The second point is that you claim to be a child of the transition, but both your parents have worked in state institutions their entire lives, so what you are saying does not correspond with reality," Gjorgjievski said.

In the debate, Gjorgjievski pointed out that Levica is in coalition with DUI, showing photos of the Levica candidate posing together with the DUI candidate for mayor of Tetovo, confirming their collaboration.

"What is being discussed publicly, and has been confirmed, is that the DUI candidate for mayor of Tetovo together with your candidate, who are seated together after the elections, and also a member of parliament photographed in the Parliament with a DUI representative, clearly shows the direction in which these processes are moving," Gjorgjievski said.

He emphasized that Levica’s support from DUI has been clear since the first round.

"And if you look at the results by polling stations, it is very simple, the voting from the first round clearly signals that you had DUI’s support from the beginning," Gjorgjievski said.

Photo: screenshot