Kochani, 14 April 2025 (MIA) - Kochani’s municipal council elected council member Venko Krstevski as acting mayor at a session Monday. At the session, Krstevski was backed by SDSM’s council members, Levica’s council member abstained, while VMRO-DPMNE's council members supported their candidate, Goce Markov.

Krstevski and Markov, who are both council members, received nine and eight votes respectively.

Following his election, Krstevski thanked for the support and stressed that in the next six months he will work to rehabilitate the town following the deadly fire and ensure more efficient institutions.

The vote for acting mayor was held after mayor Ljupcho Papazov resigned and is one of the suspects in the investigation into the fire at the “Pulse” nightclub that claimed 61 lives and left around 200 injured. 

Krstevski will serve as acting mayor until the next local elections in October 2025.

Kochani’s municipal council was composed of 19 members, nine from VMRO-DPMNE, eight from SDSM, one independent and one from Levica. However, VMRO-DPMNE council member Kristina Atanasova-Arsova resigned shortly before the session.

Photo: MIA