In the country’s 7th local elections since its independence, Albanian parties in North Macedonia will be running in 18 of the communes. At the moment, they lead 15 out of the total of 80 communes.
Ali Ahmeti’s BDI in collation with LSDM, aims to at least keep the leadership of 10 communes. “Act right, vote green!”- this is the party’s slogan that has been used by its candidates during the electoral campaign.
In addition, Ziadin Sela’s Alliance for Albanians, running under the slogan “Clean”, is in collation with another Albanian party, ‘Alternative’ and VMRO-DPNME.
This party is looking to win more than 3 communes, which it has been leading since 2017. Besa movement and PDSH currently have the leadership of one commune each. Haracina, a rural commune in the outskirts of Skopje is led by an Albanian woman that is a candidate of LSDM.
According to a 2002 census, Albanians make up 25% of North Macedonia’s population, concentrated mainly in the cities of Tetovo, Gostivar, Diber, Struge, Kercove, Kumanova and Skopje.
The 2020 elections, where Albanian parties won 32 MPs, even though they were running on opposing camps, showed that their votes are important in the formation of the Macedonian government.
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