With early elections more likely by the day, SDSM and the President Stevo Pendarovski are pushing for a change in the electoral model. Pendarovski today said that he supports the proposal to reduce the number of electoral districts in Macedonia and to introduce open lists.

Macedonia is currently divided in six districts, each electing 20 members of Parliament, and three diaspora districts which, depending on turnout, can elect up to 3 member of Parliament. Parties propose the lists of candidates, but under the open model, voters would be able to pick their favorite candidates, allowing them to move up the list regardless of where the party placed them.

President Pendarovski calls on the political parties to consider reforming the electoral model, in order to allow the citizens to vote not only for a party but for individual candidates as well. President Pendarovski believes that the “Republic of North Macedonia” should have a reduced number of electoral districts, without an electoral treshhold, so that we could expand the representation in the Parliament, Pendarovski’s office said.

In a likely coordinated move, the new SDSM Secretary General Ljupco Nikoloski said that the ruling party supports Pendarovski’s initiative.

We will need the approval from all political parties to do so. We are prepared to re-open this issue and to put it to discussion, Nikoloski said.