Tetovo, 29 April 2024 (MIA) - Presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski held meetings with citizens in Zhelino and Tetovo as part of his campaign trail on Monday. He told the citizens not to be discouraged by the results from the first round of the presidential elections, stressing that it is a matter of diametrically opposed concepts from the two presidential candidates. 

"Our concepts do not differ in nuances, our concepts are drastically different. They propose revision of all the documents on which the state rests, its stability, security and its economic prosperity, and they propose revision of all the documents that made us a NATO member, and a country negotiating with the EU. On all bases, our inter-ethnic relations, the integration in the Euro-Atlantic structures, we offer a concept that has been checked to work, you see how far we've made it so far. Was the pace satisfactory? Of course it wasn't, you know there were external blockades from our neighbors, stumbling blocks at every step of the way, stumbling blocks from the opposition as well, political opposition embodied in the largest opposition party," Pendarovski told citizens in Tetovo.  

He told citizens not to succumb to political manipulation. 

"Those who are planning to redefine Macedonia as a concept by redefining, or canceling, all the agreements on which its perspective rests, are now asking you to give them, and not us, your trust on May 8. Think carefully, keep in mind at all times the interests of your children and grandchildren, your personal interests, the interests of your families, do not succumb to that type of political manipulation that is possible for Macedonia with 1.8 million people to prosper on its own, by giving up on our strategic partners, to ensure security and have annual growth rates of 7, 8, 9 percent annually in economic terms. I absolutely claim, it is impossible that the majority of Macedonian citizens fails to recognize the rationality of what I am saying,"Pendarovski said in Tetovo. 

Presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski told Zhelino residents that for the past five years, he has tried to be a corrective to the executive power, adding that every president of the country should act like that.

"There are two concepts before you that do not come close in any way. My option and I stand for the kind of Macedonia we live in, with understanding and mutual respect, with no inter-ethnic conflicts, the other option is the risk of divisions and tensions, an option with which you will certainly not prosper," said Pendarovski. 

Pendarovski expressed confidence that most of the votes for the candidates who were eliminated in the first round, will end up with him in the second round because the citizens recognize who works in their interest.

Photo: MIA / presidential candidate Stevo Pendarovski's communications team