Skopje, 9 June 2024 (MIA) — The Social Democratic Union of Macedonia is holding its 29th Congress on Sunday when, according to party sources, members will discuss the reasons for their election defeat.

The former SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski, after the election defeat, at a May 22 session of the party's executive board, officially resigned from the post of party president and requested the party convene a congress and organize internal party elections.

Kovachevski had announced his resignation on May 8, citing moral reasons as well as the party's Statute. He also initiated the convening of a congress in order for party members to analyze the election results.

Meanwhile, the June 6 deadline closed for SDSM members to submit their bids for party president.

Between May 31 and June 6, former Minister of Defense Slavjanka Petrovska, former Minister of Health Venko Filipche, Free Zones Authority director Jovan Despotovski and current Deputy Minister of Information Society and Administration in the caretaker government Aleksandar Bajdovski entered the race for party leader.

The internal party election for SDSM president will be held on June 30. Its central election committee will conduct the election together with 80 municipal election committees and polling station boards at the local level. All SDSM members who register to vote — through the SDSM website or through the party's municipal organizations — will be eligible to cast their votes.

The SDSM central board also proposed changing the party Statute so that the party president elected in extraordinary elections should serve a four-year term in office. mr/