Elected for the first time five years ago, the social-democrat president of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, 61, is seeking a second term at the head of the Balkan country, which is a member of NATO and is negotiating its accession to the European Union. At a rally ahead of the first round of the presidential election, which takes place on Wednesday 24 April, he promises to stay the course towards the West and warns against the "risk" that the nationalist right-wing opposition, if it wins, will lead the country back into "isolation". IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES