The ruling Social-democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM) followed in the footsteps of the opposition VMRO DPMNE and published an advertisement calling on people to apply for the post of the head of state, the Beta news agency reported on Monday.

SDSM called for self-candidacy, describing four conditions which interested party members should meet.

The advertisement followed the nationalist VMRO DPMNE call on January 4 to which eight people responded. The party will elect the presidential candidate at its convention on February 16.

A future SDSM president should be able to perform state duties, enjoy the party membership confidence, have a personality that will present the SDSM policy and work on achieving Macedonia’s strategic priorities – the membership to NATO and the European Union.

The potential candidates have until February 19 to apply, and the SDSM will elect one of them at the party‘s congress on March 3.

The first round of the presidential vote in Macedonia is scheduled for the end of April, and if there will be the second vote, it will be held at the beginning of May.

The Macedonian Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi said he would call the election by February 8, at the latest.  

Macedonia has recently ended the 27-year-long name dispute with Greece and is now called North Macedonia.

Athens had for decades objected the name Macedonia, saying it implied Skopje’s territorial claim to the Greek province of the same name.