Skopje, 5 June 2024 (MIA) – Former defense minister and current SDSM MP Slavjanka Petrovska submitted Wednesday her candidacy in the race to become SDSM leader.

She said she submitted the candidacy having been a member of the social democratic party for 24 years, based on the call for self-nomination.

“Alongside the application, I also submitted a social democratic manifest, which is my program where I focus on what the future priorities of the new SDSM leadership should be after the devastating defeat in this year’s election,” Petrovska said speaking to reporters.

In the past, she added, SDSM suffered defeats, but it also came out victorious, but this time around the situation is different given the political circumstances in the country.

Asked by MIA’s reporter about her strategies to unite the SDSM membership, Petrovska said if elected party leader, she would initiate frequent inter-party debates after being pushed aside. 

“The party officials who executed quite responsible state offices were committed to meeting the government agenda and making important state decisions, so party debates were somehow pushed aside… The party bodies must meet frequently either when in government or in opposition,” stated Petrovska. 

She said she received support from several former party officials but fell short of naming them noting she wouldn’t want to “mishandle” their names. 

Photo: SDSM