Skopje, 17 October 2021 (MIA) – In anticipation of the State Election Commission’s news conference, which has been postponed indefinitely after initially scheduled at 9 pm, the parties have started releasing preliminary unofficial election results. SDSM sources are briefing that the ruling party has won in the first round in Delchevo, Valandovo, Dojran, Kriva Palanka, etc. SDSM, according to the source, is headed for victory likely in the first round in Strumica, Resen, Krushevo and Lozovo as well as Berovo, Probishtip, Bogdanci and Pehchevo. SDSM says that its candidate for Skopje mayor Petre Shilegov, who is seeking re-election, is in a lead ahead of Danela Arsovska, an independent candidate backed by the opposition party VMRO-DPMNE. The party’s candidates are also in a lead in Shuto Orizari, Centar, Karposh and Butel, according to briefings. According to sources, VMRO-DPMNE has won in the first round in Jegunovce, Mogila, Gradsko, Sopishte, Petrovec and Vinica. The opposition party, its sources say, also leads in Sveti Nikole and Prilep. According to the spokesman Dimche Arsovski, VMRO-DPMNE is in a lead in all Skopje municipalities. In a Facebook post, opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski declared victory, writing: “Hope is born. Together for a new future. Victory and great responsibility!”. Earlier, SDSM top official Ljupcho Nikolovski said that preliminary trends based on incoming data from municipal election headquarters suggest that SDSM and the Best for My Municipality coalition is headed to victory. Sunday’s local elections were fair, free and democratic, the party’s secretary general told a news conference. Bujar Osmani told a news conference that DUI expects to win in three municipalities, namely Saraj, Plasnica and Lipkovo, in the first round of Sunday’s local elections. According to DUI’s spokesman, the party is in huge lead in almost all municipalities where party candidates were running for mayors. Osmani said the first round was successfully organized calling the election campaign in general “a political success”. DUI’s Artan Grubi in a Facebook post said his party is winning in Arachinovo, Lipkovo, Bogovinje, Tearce and Zhelino. In the meantime, Arben Taravari, the current mayor of Gostivar and the candidate supported by Alliance for Albanians/Alternativa coalition, declared landslide victory on Sunday in the first round.