SKOPJE, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia on Friday evening closed the election campaign for local government polls that will take place on Sunday.
Saturday will be electoral silence while on Sunday over 1.8 million eligible voters can head to polling stations to vote for 80 heads of communes and the mayor of Skopje.
Macedonia's election body informed that there are 19 political parties and coalitions running in these local polls.
The main race will be held between the Social Democratic Union (SDSM) led by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and the main opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, chaired by Nikola Gruevski.
The mandate of the current mayors and heads of communes expired since May of this year, so these elections are deemed crucial to the normal activity of local state structures.
These are the sixth local government elections since the country gained independence, while a second round is to be held on Oct. 29.
