A voter casts the vote at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia, May 8, 2024. Parliamentary elections and the second round of presidential elections kicked off in North Macedonia on Wednesday. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
SKOPJE, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Parliamentary elections and the second round of presidential elections kicked off in North Macedonia on Wednesday.
Over 1,700 candidates from six groups are chasing 120 seats in the Assembly. The main contenders include the coalition "For a European Future" led by the ruling party Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, and the coalition "Your Macedonia" led by the major opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.
The focal points of this election are EU accession, fighting corruption and poverty, and boosting economic growth.
As for the presidential elections, VMRO-DPMNE candidate Gordana Siljanovksa Davkova gained 41.2 percent of the vote in the first round, while incumbent President and candidate for the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski won 20.5 percent. The two candidates will meet in the 2nd round.
The official results of both the parliamentary and presidential elections will be released on May 9. ■
Incumbent President and presidential candidate for the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski casts the vote at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia, May 8, 2024. Parliamentary elections and the second round of presidential elections kicked off in North Macedonia on Wednesday. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
Presidential candidate Gordana Siljanovska Davkova of VMRO-DPMNE casts the vote at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia, May 8, 2024. Parliamentary elections and the second round of presidential elections kicked off in North Macedonia on Wednesday. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
A voter prepares to cast the vote at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia, May 8, 2024. Parliamentary elections and the second round of presidential elections kicked off in North Macedonia on Wednesday. (Photo by Tomislav Georgiev/Xinhua)
