Skopje, 2 July 2025 (MIA) - At a press conference Wednesday, SDSM leader Venko Filipche revealed the names of several of the party’s candidates for mayors in the upcoming local elections. Notably, the party chose to snub its incumbent Strumica mayor, Kostadin Kostadinov, instead backing Marjan Daskalovski for the city’s mayoral race.

SDSM’s candidate for mayor in the Municipality of Karbinci will be Ljupka Sokolovska; Vancho Novoselski in the Municipality of Vasilevo; Zvonko Vasev in Sopishte; Darko Blazhevski in Jegunovce; Asen Sajn in Ohrid; Zlatko Kuzmanovski in Demir Hisar; Marjan Dasklovski in Strumica; and Ljupcho Paunkovski in Debrca. 

“In the coming two weeks, I believe that around two thirds of mayoral candidates will be confirmed by the [party’s] executive board. I expect this to be a process that will bring the party together instead of dividing it,” Filipche said.

Asked why current Strumica Mayor, Kostadin Kostadinov, who comes from SDSM, will not be the party’s candidate for the city’s mayoral race, Filipche said “the current Mayor of Strumica should place himself at the party’s disposal honorably, just as the party stood by him during the past period”.

In a social media post shortly after the announcement, Strumica Mayor Kostadin Kostadinov criticized the party’s leadership and said he is suspending his membership. He said he would start work on an initiative that would be presented after the local election.

“My strategic political decision to continue acting within SDSM or perhaps outside SDSM will be publicly announced in two parts – the first in September, and the final one after the local elections,” Kostadinov wrote.

Photo: SDSM/MIA file photo