FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Beyond individual municipalities, this is a major Albanian showdown for political influence...
North Macedonia is holding local elections today, where citizens are voting for mayors and municipal councils in 81 self-governing units.
These elections are being held for the first time reflecting the results of the 2021 population census, which has led to a reduction in the number of council members in 14 municipalities. There are 5 coalitions, 18 political parties and 57 independent candidates running for mayor, while 6 coalitions, 28 parties and 67 independent lists have registered for municipal councils.
For the Albanian community, which makes up about a quarter of the country's population, these elections are a crucial moment to gauge real political strength and influence in local governance. Two rival blocs are competing with great ambitions: the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), after more than two decades in power and now in opposition, is seeking a return, while the VLEN Coalition, which is in power for the first time since the DUI was expelled from the government, is aiming to consolidate its ground.
In the city of Tetovo, the battle is between Bilall Kasami of VLEN, who is seeking a second term with an emphasis on improving basic services, such as water supply and education, and Bajram Rexhepi of the National Alliance for Integration, who is promising a green city and public enterprises for urban planning. In the municipality of Saraj, VLEN representative Muhamet Elmazi has focused his campaign on solving the drinking water crisis, while the DUI candidate, Blerant Ramadani, is focusing on economic development and increasing employment.
In Gostivar, the current mayor Valbon Limani has pledged to solve the pollution of the Vardar River through wastewater treatment, a long-standing issue for the city. Meanwhile, in Skopje’s Çair, the clash has taken the form of a stiff political showdown between Izet Mexhiti of VLEN and Bujar Osman of DUI. Neither of them has accepted a face-to-face debate, which shows the high tension and symbolic weight of this municipality.
Beyond individual municipalities, this is a major Albanian contest for political influence. Local government, in a country where much is governed by Macedonian-dominated urban centers, remains for Albanians a gateway to investment, employment, service reorganization, and above all, representation. Albanian-majority municipalities are often overlooked at the central level, so their control is vital for advancement.
This political clash reflects a deep division within the Albanian electorate, where DUI and VALEN are not only divided over the causes they proclaim, but also over the way they read the future of Albanians in this country. What remains in the hands of voters is not only the choice of names that will lead the municipalities, but also the definition of a new direction for a community that seeks to emerge from the shadow of instrumentalization and become an undisputed political factor in North Macedonia. /Pamphlet
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