North Macedonia PM announces resignation after election loss

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES
Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — North Macedonia’s prime minister has announced his resignation following the heavy defeat of his governing Social Democratic Union in local elections. Although official results are not yet in, Zoran Zaev conceded defeat late Sunday, including in the contest for mayor of the capital of Skopje, where the Social Democrat incumbent lost to a center-right challenger. Candidates supported by the main opposition party, the center-right VMRO-DPMNE, appear set to win at least half of the country’s 80 municipalities, with the Social Democrats set to win fewer than 20. Zaev says he opposes calling early national elections and he will instead support a Social Democrat-led government under a new leader. The leader of VMRO-DPMNE is calling for early parliamentary elections to be held.