Skopje, 28 September 2025 (MIA) - It is in everyone's interest that the elections take place in a most democratic atmosphere. An increase in the intensity of the election campaign is common, we are used to it, but it should still be within some acceptable democratic frameworks that will leave a positive impression on the entire election process, State Election Commission (SEC) head Boris Kondarko said in an interview with MIA. 

The twenty-day election campaign for the October 19 local elections begins on Monday and runs through October 17 at midnight.

"Although the SEC is not competent to interfere in and monitor the election campaign, as we are only competent for the course of voting in the polling stations themselves on voting day, it is still in everyone's interest - the SEC and the participants, the citizens and the state that organizes the elections - that the election campaign takes place in the best possible order, i.e. in a correct atmosphere. Different rhetoric is common at every election, but that is a choice of the participants in the elections, the politicians, the candidates and the parties, as to how they will approach the citizens. The right to choose is for the citizens to make their own decisions freely. It is correct for the election campaign to show respect for the political opponent, but above all, respect for the legal regulations, and not only those provided for by the Electoral Code but also those intended for the participants by all other institutions that are competent to control the course of the elections, the spending of funds, the way in which the candidates, political parties behave, etc.," said Kondarko. 

According to Kondarko, 309 mayoral candidates will take part in the elections, while the number of confirmed lists of council member candidates is 576.

"The number of parties participating in these elections is 22, compared to 2021 when there were 27 parties. This time we have slightly more coalitions, a total of 19. In 2021, we had seven coalitions. This is due to the fact that the larger political parties, for example SDSM has four different coalitions that run as four different entities depending on the number of parties, the type of parties within the coalition are as separate entities, in different municipalities, while VMRO-DPMNE has 11 separate coalitions. The number of groups of voters, i.e. independent candidates that are designated by law as groups of voters, is 119 in these local elections. This number was slightly lower in 2021, just over 90," the SEC head said. 

There are a total of 1,832,415 voters registered in the voters list ahead of the October 19 local elections. Of those, 1,717,803 voters are registered in the extracts of the voters list. In addition, a total of 112,000 expatriates, 2,162 inmates or detainees and 450 nursing home residents are eligible to vote. There is no diaspora voting for the local elections, but if people who are temporarily working or living abroad travel to the country, they will be able to exercise their right to vote.

Although the number of mayoral candidates for the City of Skopje is large, i.e. 16, and there is a larger number of lists of council member candidates, Kondarko believes that this will not affect the voting time and does not expect any problems. The voting procedure remains the same as in the past elections, but he noted that although there are two ballot papers in the 80 municipalities and four in Skopje, there will be only one voter's list because this is a single type of election.