Arkin Jahiji, the candidate of the National Alliance for Integration (AKI), a coalition led by the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), won the second round of the early elections for mayor of the Municipality of Bërvenica. He left behind the candidate of the “Your Macedonia” coalition, Stojanço Radiçevski, who had the support of VMRO-DPMNE.
Data from the State Election Commission show that Jahiji received 4,442 votes, or 50.36 percent, against 4,177 votes and 47.36 percent secured by Radiçevski. The difference between the two candidates was 265 votes.
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A total of 8,820 citizens took part in the second round vote, representing a turnout of 54.29 percent. Another 201 invalid ballots were found in the box.
After the result there were numerous political reactions. In particular, VMRO-DPMNE criticized VLEN for supporting the BDI candidate.
The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski, reacted after the defeat of his candidate and referred to political opponents with the phrase “pawn.”
“We were alone against everyone, with a program and electoral concept; they, with the support of demographics, with the nationalist card and with some pawn that helped to pull votes.
Nevertheless, the increase in our votes from the first round is clear and clean: from 3,000 to 4,200. Compared to the parliamentary elections we have 1,300 more votes, but, unfortunately, this was not enough to win,” Mickoski wrote.
VLEN rejected claims that the votes of its supporters belong to any party, stressing that citizens themselves choose the candidate they want to support.
The coalition’s co-chair, Izet Mexhiti, reacted to the post-election rhetoric and called for the result to be accepted.
“The elections are over and today Bërvenica has its mayor. Life goes on, while all of us return to our duties.
I considered the inflammatory statements and folklore before the elections as such, but this post-election language must also come to an end. The votes belong to the citizens, who have the freedom to decide whom to give their support to,” Mexhiti wrote.
The other co-chair of VLEN, Bilall Kasami, congratulated Arkin Jahiji on his victory and asked him to work for all residents, without distinction.
“I wish Arkin Jahiji, the new mayor of the Municipality of Bërvenica, a good and successful term. He must stick to the promises made before the elections and work for every citizen, regardless of party, religious or ethnic affiliation.
The citizen is always right, whatever motives they may have when judging, and this must be respected,” Kasami wrote.
Experts on political developments in North Macedonia assess that, just as Albanians cannot make political decisions alone in a municipality, Macedonians cannot act independently at the state level either. They have criticized both Prime Minister Mickoski’s language and what they describe as VLEN’s silence.
Mickoski must learn a lesson
Commentator Ramadan Ramadani sees the defeat of VMRO-DPMNE’s candidate in Bërvenica in the context of political and interethnic relations in North Macedonia.
Speaking to “Bota sot,” Ramadani criticized Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski’s stance and said the result should serve as a lesson about how politics works in a multiethnic state.
“If Prime Minister Mickoski had a little strategic ability and political sensitivity, he would understand the most fitting lesson from the loss in Bërvenica: just as Albanians, who politically are not independent and cannot decide alone in a municipality where they are only a narrow majority, roughly 54 percent, neither he himself nor the Macedonians can act alone in North Macedonia, where they are also a narrow majority, around 54 percent,” Ramadani said.
“The Albanian vote changes the calculations of Macedonian parties”
Professor Sulejman Mehazi considers Jahiji’s victory more than a municipal result. In his view, it highlights the influence of the Albanian vote in North Macedonia and its role in determining political developments.
Mehazi says the race in Bërvenica proved that the Albanian vote can be decisive and upset the political plans of Macedonian parties.
He opposed Mickoski’s statements after the defeat, especially the characterization of voter mobilization as a “nationalist card” and the description of VLEN as a “pawn.”
“For the elite in Skopje, the free vote of Albanians continues to be seen as a ‘nationalist card’ that must be kept under control, instead of being accepted as a free democratic expression,” Mehazi declared.
According to the analyst, Mickoski’s reaction reflects a political approach that does not accept the Albanian vote when it does not serve the interests of Macedonian parties.
“Instead of welcoming the democratic process, Mickoski chooses to put labels on it. This proves that the spirit of the Ohrid Agreement remains only an obligation on paper, while in practice the return of ethnic dominance is sought, where Albanians are seen simply as numbers or as an annoying percentage,” Mehazi said.
The professor also directed criticism at VLEN, accusing the coalition of not reacting forcefully to the statements of the head of government.
“The real problem in this theater is not how Mickoski speaks, because national generosity was not expected from him, but the behavior of VLEN. By remaining silent in the face of insults and statements coming from the head of government, they prove that they are not equal partners in executive power, but only fillers who serve the comfort of the government,” he stressed.
Mehazi warned that VLEN could lose the trust of the citizens who voted for it if it does not firmly defend the representation and interests of Albanians.
In conclusion, he said the Bërvenica result should be read as a call for respect for the citizens’ will and for equality between communities in the country.
“True equality cannot be treated as charity for Mickoski and his VMRO; it is achieved by defending with dignity every vote and every right won through sacrifice,” Mehazi concluded in his statement to “Bota sot.”
