A 97-year-old woman is running in North Macedonia’s local elections, making her the oldest candidate in the race and even older than U.S. President Joe Biden, 82, and former president Donald Trump, 79.
Cvetanka Veljanova, nominated by the right-wing MAAK party, is standing for a seat on the municipal council in the southern city of Bitola, Macedonian media reported on Monday.
Attempts by local reporters to contact Veljanova were unsuccessful, as she declined to speak publicly about her candidacy or political platform.
Other senior contenders include 81-year-old Kiril Dobrusevski, also running with MAAK in Bitola, who said he entered the race to fight for pensioners’ rights. “I want to ensure that pensioners stop being used as bargaining chips in party politics, and that they raise their voices for their own interests and those of all citizens,” he told media.
Another veteran candidate is Trajan Kotevski, 80, backed by a group of independent voters. He is also seeking a seat in the Bitola municipal council.
Local elections in North Macedonia are scheduled for later this month, with candidates from political parties and citizens’ lists competing for municipal assemblies and mayoral posts across the country.