N.Macedonia: Gov't-backed candidate wins presidency

BELGRADE, Serbia

Stevo Pendarovski, the candidate of the governing Social Democrats, has declared victory in Sunday's presidential runoff in North Macedonia.

Speaking at a news conference at the party headquarters in the capital Skopje, Pendarovski, who is a supporter of North Macedonia's name change deal with Greece, said that he will be "everyone's president", adding the Macedonians had decided to "move forward together" in the elections.

"I would like to thank all the citizens, Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Ulah, Roman, Bosniaks, and others who gave me the responsibility to be the president for everyone. I will be the president of everyone," said Pendarovski.

"The result of today's elections is proof that we are growing bigger, responsible and we deserve to advance. Our place is NATO, in the European Union," said Zoran Zaev, the leader of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia.

Sunday's election is the sixth presidential election in the country's modern history, but the first since it made a momentous name change.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova -- who won 44.73% in the first round of polls -- conceded defeat.

Davkova was the candidate of the main opposition union. She has argued for canceling the country’s name change deal.