Skopje, 28 July 2021 (MIA) – President Stevo Pendarovski expects the OSCE/ODIHR recommendation not to change election rules immediately prior to elections to be respected, his office told Radio Free Europe in relation to the announced amendments to the Electoral Code. “If, however, changes are to be made in this period, the President’s position is that it should be done with a broader political and social consensus reached not only between the ruling party and the opposition, but also relevant civil society organizations. As regards the proposal for amendments to the Electoral Code, and the part according to which independent groups would need to collect signatures of two percent of the total number of voters registered in a municipality, President Pendarovski believes that a lower threshold should be provided in order to enable greater participation of citizens in the election process,” the President’s office said.