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MILS NEWS 10/05/96From: "M.I.L.S." <[email protected]>Macedonian Information Liaison Service DirectoryCONTENTS[01] GLIGOROV: PARIS CHARTER - A GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR MACEDONIA[02] STEFANOPOULOS - FAIR SOLUTION FOR THE SKOPJE ISSUE[03] KOSOVO - ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF US FOREIGN POLICY[04] BUKOSHI - 'CURRENT SITUATION IN KOSOVO CAN NOT LAST TOO LONG'[05] SCANDINAVIAN MODEL OF THE CIVIL DEFENSE[06] WITHOUT POLITICIZATION OF THE LAW ON TERRITORIAL DIVIDING[07] PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST THE PROPOSALS OF THE TETOVO TOWN ASSEMBLY[08] ARBEN DZAFERI WILL BE DEPRIVED OF HIS MANDATE[09] REQUEST FOR CHOKREVSKI'S RELEASING FROM DUTY[10] BLOSSOM RUN '96MILS SUPPLEMENT[11] 'Inevitable Breaking Up' ('Fokus', Interview with the leader of PDP)MILS NEWSSkopje, 10 May 1996[01] GLIGOROV: PARIS CHARTER - A GUIDING PRINCIPLE FOR MACEDONIAMacedonian President Kiro Gligorov during the admission ceremony of Macedonia to the Paris Charter, yesterday in Paris, stated that this was a historical event for Macedonia and its citizens. He stressed that the Paris Charter was the framework within which the Macedonian people had found the confirmation to realize their eternal fight for self- determination and for establishing their own country in a peaceful and legitimate way. He also emphasized that the Constitution and the Laws of Macedonia, referring to the human rights and freedoms, to the realisation of the minorities' rights, and to the ethnic and religious tolerance, are based on the Charter.'Paris Charter is a guiding principle of the political and state goals of Macedonia for cooperation and understanding in the Balkans and Europe, based on the best political and cultural traditions of Europe. It proved its efficiency as a project on which bases the European cooperation and uniting will be balanced and stabilized. Macedonia is finally in its place inside the European family of the democratically oriented and peace-loving nations. It is a great satisfaction, but also a stimulus and a responsibility, as the biggest virtue of the Charter is that it confronts us with the human dignity and rights. It teaches us that the horizons of the freedom, humanity and creations have no limits and that you have them as much as you give them to the others,' said President Gligorov. He ended the speech by saying that Macedonia gives and will continue giving its own contribution, as a country and a fatherland of Macedonians and the other nationalities, Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Serbs and Romans, to make the European future more happy, more secure and richer. Macedonian media informed that President Gligorov briefed French President Jacque Chirac and the French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette efforts of Macedonia to join EU and NATO, on the promotion of the idea for stable and good neighbourly relations at the south-eastern Balkans, on the realisation of the 'Vardar Valley' project. The French President, Chirac introduced the idea of promoting Macedonian culture in France. A visit of the French Minister of European Issues, Michele Barnier, was also agreed on. [02] STEFANOPOULOS - FAIR SOLUTION FOR THE SKOPJE ISSUEThe Greek-Turkish dispute, the issue of Cyprus and the relations between Athens and Skopje were the main subjects of discussion between the US President Bill Clinton and Greek President Costis Stefanopoulos yesterday in Washington DC. As 'Makfax' agency reported, Greek President stated, after the talks, that he will make efforts for fair solutions to be found for the 'Skopje' and Cyprus issues.[03] KOSOVO - ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF US FOREIGN POLICY'Makpress' agency informed that the US Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serechi had talks yesterday in Washington DC about the bilateral relations and the situation in Kosovo. Serechi stated, after the meeting, that Christopher had promised to make the problem of Kosovo a priority issue of the US foreign policy. Albanian Minister also expressed his belief that the situation in the province will be solved satisfactorily by a Belgrade-Pristine dialogue, with mediation of a third party.Nicholas Barns, US State Department Spokesman, said the meeting had followed Warren's decision to appoint a temporary American diplomat in Kosovo, until a permanent representative of the US Information Agency is appointed. [04] BUKOSHI - 'CURRENT SITUATION IN KOSOVO CAN NOT LAST TOO LONG''Albanians have managed to preserve the peace in Kosovo in the last six years, despite the cruel treatment of the Serbian police,' stated Bujar Bukoshi, one of the leaders of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo in an interview for the Swedish Radio. Speaking about the current situation in Kosovo and the risks the recent incidents could provoke, Bukoshi stressed that such a situation could not last too long, especially if a dialogue between Pristine and Belgrade, mediated by a third party, does not start soon. On the question what would Albanians do in case of a conflict in Kosovo, Bukoshi said they would like to avoid a conflict, but that they would defend what is theirs in case something like that happens.[05] SCANDINAVIAN MODEL OF THE CIVIL DEFENSECivil defense, as the basic component of the national defense, was the subject of yesterday's seminary in Skopje, organized by the Macedonian Defense Institute and the UNPREDEP Headquarters. The experiences of the Scandinavian countries were presented as a model for the Macedonian civil defense.[06] WITHOUT POLITICIZATION OF THE LAW ON TERRITORIAL DIVIDINGThe Draft Law on Territorial Dividing, adopted by the Macedonian government the day before yesterday, reads that Macedonia will have 111 municipalities in future. Minister of Justice Vlado Popovski yesterday, on a press conference, emphasized that the Draft Law had been prepared without any politicization. He informed that 12 - 15 things should be checked in 8 municipalities - the road connections and the territorial belonging of settlements. Popovski considered that the Law would be passed before the summer vacations, and the local elections would take place in the autumn. The new municipalities would start to function on June 1 next year.The implementation of the Law should improve the urbanization and the communal infrastructure in the country, informed the Minister. He explained that only 1.3% of the whole Macedonian territory was urbanized presently, which puts the country at the bottom of the European list. As Minister said, one of the reasons for this situation was the current dividing of the Macedonian territory, and the new Law is expected to reduce the village-to-town migration. The basic approach to the Law was to have small municipalities established at compact areas, and one of the principles was to relieve the towns from the obligations towards the villages and the other way round, concluded Popovski. [07] PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST THE PROPOSALS OF THE TETOVO TOWN ASSEMBLYYesterday's third session of Tetovo Town Assembly was preceded by a peaceful protest of Macedonian citizens against the attempts of the Assembly to change the town holiday, 19 November. It was the day when Tetovo was liberated from the fascists and the Albanian bandits. The new date proposed was 3 March, the day when the Assembly was formed, but also a national holiday of Bulgaria. The participants in the protest were addressed by the leader of the Democratic Party of Macedonia Tomislav Stojanovski, who categorically rejected the possibility for changing the date of the town holiday.At the Assembly session, which was not attended by the Macedonian members, a declaration was adopted, which severely criticizes the statement of President Gligorov about the 'Tetovo university' in the interview for 'Frankfurter Algemaine Zeitung'. [08] ARBEN DZAFERI WILL BE DEPRIVED OF HIS MANDATEMacedonian Parliament Commission on Mandate-Immunity Issues yesterday proposed the MP Arben Dzaferi from PDPA to be deprived of his mandate because of an almost one year absence from the work of Macedonian Parliament. The Constitution reads that it should be done after more than six months absence.Dzaferi stated for the Macedonian Radio that he had not attended the Parliament sessions because of political reasons, i.e. because the Albanians are not satisfied with their position and the rights they have in Macedonia. [09] REQUEST FOR CHOKREVSKI'S RELEASING FROM DUTY'Keeping Tomislav Chokrevski a Minister of Internal Affairs of Macedonia would be a danger and threat for the democratic processes and the stability of the country,' was said by the Liberals at a press conference yesterday. They informed that they will submit a written request to the Parliament to have Chokrevski released form duty.Liberal Party also asked for an explanation about the alleged 'administrative marriages' between the police and the journalists, and for information about the journalists with criminal dossiers and their eventual usage (in case they criticize the police). It was also asked form Chokrevski to explain what he meant with mentioning some 'suitable' parties and individuals, as well as to quote the Law in accordance with which he finds himself in charge of deciding on that 'suitability'. Liberals also pointed out the different amounts mentioned as credit debts of the Republic. Namely, as they said, the amount mentioned by Minister Trpevski and that by Governor Stanoevski differ for $24,6 million. Liberals also warned that the savings of the citizens were entering a risk, and asked from the National Bank to give a rank-list of the savings banks at least once a month, which would help the citizens to avoid the non-liquid ones. [10] BLOSSOM RUN '96'Blossom Run' will take place from Tetovo to Skopje on Sunday 12 May 1996. The Run is a team relay event, which was organized by the OSCE Mission in Skopje for the first time last year, and which is hoped to become a traditional event.The aim of the 'Blossom Run' is to create an opportunity for a wide cross-section of the community to participate in a fun sporting event. An important secondary aim is to raise money for the Orphanage '11 October' in Skopje and the Children's Hospital in Tetovo. MILS SUPPLEMENT[11] 'Inevitable Breaking Up'('Fokus', 10 May 1996; Interview with the leader of PDP, Abdurahman Allitti)Q: 'Mr. Allitti, does your party still support the Tetovo university, i.e. has your stand changed in the meantime? ''Our stand has absolutely not changed. We constantly repeat that the education of Albanians in their mother tongue, especially the high education, is necessary, and we do and will support the existence of the university. Q: 'Does your party still participate in the work of the Parliament and Government?' 'Yes, our MPs regularly attend the sessions of the Parliament and we participate in the executive government with five ministers.' Q: 'Are the five ministers still members of PDP?' 'Certainly, they have always been. They would have not been ministers if they were not PDP members.' Q: 'Could one say, in that case, that President Gligorov, in his interview for 'Frankfurter Algemaine Zeitung', said that all your members, including those participating in these institutions, are separatists?' 'Yes, and that is the kindest qualifying of that statement of his. Personally, I think that such a statement of the President makes the majority of Albanians in Macedonia separatists. Because most of them, if not all, support the university.' Q: 'Is this interview a confirmation of the stand you presented after the elections that the strategy regarding the Albanians in the region had changed?' 'It was an announcement of our party that referred to the stand of Gligorov, in which we informed that we were noticing changing of the strategy in the relations between ethnic groups in Macedonia. We still think that the President adjusts his policy to the situation in the Balkans at the moment. I can openly say that at the same time when Macedonia improves the relations with Serbia, i.e. FR Yugoslavia, the attitude towards Albanians is changing.' Q: 'You appear to be in the least favourable position of all the Albanian parties in Macedonia. Do you feel 'misused' or cheated?' 'All we have done as a party, including our participation in the governmental institutions, we have done consciously. We were determined to show and prove both to the home and foreign public that our policy is based on the principles of cooperation and mutual respect, including the respect of differences. But we are gradually realizing that this policy is not supported by our coalition partners, i.e. they are not ready to base their policy on the same principles. We will have to say that we have offered chances and opportunities in accordance with our vision, but that the currently most powerful circles in Macedonia either can not or do not want to realize that. That is why we will re- examine our further plans and political engagements. ' Q: 'It seems that the solution point will be the passing of the Law on High Education. There are two totally different positions about it.' 'I personally expected that the conscience of the Macedonian political establishment will change in the meantime, but, unfortunately, it has neither happened so far, nor do I expect it to happen in future. I have to say it is a conceptual disagreement between PDP and SDSM. I would not like to jump into conclusions, but the breaking up is inevitable.' (end)mils news 10 May 1996 |
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