Skopje, 3 May 2023 (MIA) - Implementation of the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations followed by the development of a new Electoral Code will be in the focus of the working group for electoral reforms that was constituted in the Skopje-based MPs Club on Wednesday.

"We have a consensus to incorporate all these recommendations and remarks provided by OSCE/ODIHR. The model is not our priority, we need a consolidated text of the current Electoral Code and incorporation of these remarks. This is the first task of this working group, whereas the second is the development of a new Electoral Code," said Minister of Justice Krenar Lloga after the end of the first meeting of the working group.

Minister Lloga once again called on the opposition VMRO-DPMNE to nominate its representative in the working group.

Working group chair Aleksandar Novakovski said he was an optimist regarding the group's work.

"The group consists of people who have been working in this subject matter for a long time and I hope we will produce a proposal and meet the deadlines, namely to implement all these changes no later than six months ahead of the elections," said Novakovski.

VMRO-DPMNE has said the party accepts an electoral model with a single election district and urged the authorities to produce a solution, after which it would get involved in defining the final text of the Electoral Code.

Besides political parties, the group also includes representatives of the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Ministry of Information Society and Administration, MOST, Civil, Polio Plus, Registry Office, State Statistical Office, Central Registry, Administrative Court, State Election Commission, National Democratic Institute, Association of Journalists of Macedonia and Independent Union of Journalists and of Macedonia.