Skopje, 26 April 2023 (MIA) - President Stevo Pendarovski says Wednesday that he participates in the working group for constitutional amendments through his representative and that he clearly states his political position of being in favour of changing the Constitution by including Bulgarians in it.

“I participate in the working group through my representative and by this I clearly state my political position of being in favour of constitutional amendments, and I think that they are not something terrible for us and I think that the state will not collapse if we include the Bulgarians, along with the other six or seven nations,” Pendarovski told reporters regarding the first meeting of the working group during Wednesday’s joint press conference in Skopje with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu.

In regard to today's first session of the working group, Pendarovski said that his representative will participate in the working session of the group set up by the Ministry of Justice, at which, as he pointed out, the dynamics of work should be determined and how many meetings are needed.

“I don't know how many sessions they will need, but the fact is that it is good that this procedure is starting and it is good that it will take place in front of the public, there are no hidden agendas here, so that someone should not be afraid that something will be done outside of what is already introduced in the Preamble and in the normative part of the Constitution for all other ethnic communities,” Pendarovski said.

The parliamentary political parties nominated the following members: Cvetanka Ivanova of SDSM, Arbr Ademi of DUI, Remzi Mehmedi of Alliance for Albanians, Sonja Mirakovska of NSDP, Nano Ruzhin of LDP, Hrista Najdanov of DOM, Temelko Risteski of Party of Pensioners, Rametula Kuqi of DPA, Eran Kurtish of Party for Movement of Turks, and Bejcan Iljas of Democracy Party of Turks.

The nominees coming from institutions are Aleksandar Spasov of the President's Office, Dragan Tilev of the Secretariat for European Affairs, and Shpend Sadiki of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Justice released last week the names of experts who will participate in the working group on the constitutional changes.

The expert working group will consist of Sali Murati, former President of the Constitutional Court, Margarita Caca Nikolovska – former judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, Bajram Pollozhani – former constitutional judge and constitutional law professor, Branko Naumovski – former President of the Constitutional Court, Jeton Shasivari – professor at the South East-European University, Ana Chupeska – professor at the Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus”, Elena Mihajlova Stratilati – professort at the Faculty of Law “Iustinianus Primus”, Besa Arifi – professor at the South East-European University, Jagoda Mitrevska – professor at the International Slavic University and Marija Pandevska – professor at the Institute of National History.

The composition of the working group will be expanded in the upcoming period with other members that will contribute in the drafting of the constitutional changes.

“This working group has been established by the Ministry of Justice, charged with drafting the initiative over the need for constitutional changes. The Government is the petitioner of the constitutional changes. Once drafted, the amendments will have to pass through all parliamentary bodies, in parallel with public debates at which experts, parties, civil society organizations and other institutions will express their positions,” said the Ministry of Justice.

VMRO-DPMNE, Alternativa, Levica, the Socialist Party of Macedonia and the Democratic Union said they won't be taking part in the working group on the constitutional amendments.