Skopje, 3 March 2024 (MIA) - I expect a double win. We have our values and potentials, and we are better than them, said incumbent President Stevo Pendarovski after receiving support for a second presidential term at the 27th SDSM Congress late on Sunday.

Pendarovski said the opinion polls presented by VMRO-DPMNE are fake, whereas the true ones show SDSM and Pendarovski will win the coming parliamentary and presidential elections.

"The real polls they do not show in public show they have dropped below 45 MP seats while we have surpassed 50. Today's result by SDSM in the signature collection process is no coincidence. As of recently, trends have changed," said Pendarovski.

According to him, VMRO-DPMNE has no position on the country's strategic issues.

"What is their proposal for a negotiating framework? They say 'we will tell you once we come to power. You cannot even be head of a local community with such an approach. These are people who have not apologized for the biggest disgrace in Macedonia's history - April 27," said Pendarovski.

He added that VMRO-DPMNE did the biggest strategic mistake in history, because they worked actively on boycotting the recent census, resulting in 130,000 ethnic Macedonians listening to them and failing to register.

"Do not fear, these are people with no qualities, the only wish being to assume power. We cannot allow this to happen," said Pendarovski.

SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski sought the support from delegates over the candidacy for Stevo Pendarovski's second presidential term.

Kovachevski said Pendarovski has a clear vision for the country's prosperity and its integration in the European Union.

"During his term, he showed the true meaning of a president of all. During his first term, the country joined NATO. During his second term, the country will join the EU," said Kovachevski.

According to him, the coming presidential and parliamentary elections are an opportunity to choose the country's path - whether we move forward on the EU path or go back to isolation.

"VMRO-DPMNE is offering only crises, retribution and isolation, for the country to be stuck for years, a status quo, no change, no progress, no future. SDSM is the only party that offers a real hope for a better tomorrow, a secure European future," noted Kovachevski.

After announcing his candidacy on Friday, Pendarovski secured the required 10,000 citizens' signatures earlier today, with his Office saying they were collected in less than five hours.

Pendarovski was the President's National Security Advisor between 2001-2004, SEC chairman (2004-2005), President's Foreign Policy Advisor (2005-2009), university professor, MP (2016-2017), and National NATO Coordinator (2017-2019).

This will be Pendarovski's third presidential campaign. Back in 2014, he lost to former president Gjorge Ivanov, but beat VMRO-DPMNE-backed Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova five years later. He will again face Siljanovska-Davkova, who was overwhelmingly supported by VMRO-DPMNE delegates at the party convention on Saturday.

Five other candidates have already collected the citizens' signatures - Maksim Dimitrievski of ZNAM, Bujar Osmani of DUI, Stevcho Jakimovski of GROM, Arben Taravari of opposition alliance "Worth It", and Biljana Vankovska of Levica.

The first round of the presidential elections will take place on April 24, with the runoff slated for May 8, held in parallel with the parliamentary elections.

Photo: SDSM