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MILS NEWS 96-10-31Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <[email protected]>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 31 October, 1996[01] REQUEST SUBMITTED FOR YUGOSLAVIA FOR UN ADMISSIONThe four successor-states of the Former Yugoslav Federation: Bosnia and Hercegowina, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia have submitted a joint request to the UN yesterday, demanding that the fifth successor-state - the SR Yugoslavia - be subjected to the same admission procedures, i.e. that it be requested to lodge a request for its admission into this international organisation.As Macedonian media reports, this request has been brought forward to Secretary-General Butros-Ghali by the heads of the permanent missions to the UN of these four countries, Ambassadors Mohammed Shakjirbey, Mario Nobilo, Danilo Kun and Denko Malevski. The latter based their request on the Security Council Resolution # 777, adopted in 1992, according to which the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia had ceased to exist. Thus UN institutions had been advised to adhere to this Resolution since the above named four successor-states consider that a recognition of continuity may influence the impending division of common state property - regardless to the fact that Belgrade is denying such a thing. In addition to this, diplomatic circles within the UN have been acquainted with the contents of this written request on 28th October - whereas its official publication has been scheduled for yesterday, after the delay caused by the visit of Yugoslav Foreign Secretary - Milan Milutinovikj - to Croatia. [02] FAREWELL VISIT OF RUSSIAN CHARGE D' AFFAIRSThe Macedonian head of state - Kiro Gligorov - received Yuri Trushin, the Charge D' Affairs of the Embassy of the Russian Federation to Macedonia, prior to the end of his mission in our country. According to official sources Gligorov used this occasion to express his gratitude to Yuri Trushin as the first diplomatic representative of Russia in Macedonia, for his contribution towards the development of bilateral relations and cooperation. The Russian diplomat informed president Gligorov that the appointed Macedonian Ambassador Petar Dobroserdov is commence his duties in the Russian Federation throughout the following month.The Russian diplomat has also been received by PM Branko Crvenkovski yesterday. The Prime Minister also emphasised his positive opinion on the achieved level of collaboration between both countries - as well as his hopes that this would continue and even improve in the future. In addition to this Charge D'Affairs Yuri Trushin paid yet another farewell visit to Foreign Secretary Ljubomir Frchkovski. [03] A-1 TV: NO REBALANCING OF NATIONAL BUDGETBased on reports of A-1 TV the Macedonian government is not likely to rebalance this year's national budget - although such a possibility had been announced intensely these days, as a consequence of not achieving the projected inflation rate of 6% - but merely 2%. The government is reported to have been content with the current income dynamics during their most recent session, although the final verdict on this matter is to be passed in December.[04] AS OF YESTERDAY DIRECT TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN CLIENTS OF STOPANSKA AND KOMERCIJALNA BANKAAccording to A-1 TV 'Komercijalna' and 'Stopanska Banka' have reached a cooperation agreement yesterday. This agreement is most likely to be considered an indicator to an end of bad communication between both banking houses which had lasted for several years. Thus clients of both banks will taste the benefits of conducting direct transactions between each other - without the necessity of a foreign bank's participation, as it had been customary prior to this settlement.'Vecher' revealed in its yesterday's issue that the total of savings investments made by clients had been increased by 9.7% compared to the close of last year. This trend had been registered on 30th September this year, comprising of an increase in denar savings by 1.7% - and in hard currency savings by 41.2%. [05] METALLURGY PRODUCTION INCREASE PARALLELED BY LOSSESDuring yesterday's session of the metallurgy industrial branch at the Economic Chamber of Macedonia it has been observed that production in the heavy metallurgy sector had increased by 53.4% throughout the past 9 months - in comparison to the same time span last year. This, however, had not been matched by appropriate financial revenues.Further data indicated an increase in ore production _ light metals by 11.3%, in light metallurgy production by 26.2% and in their processing by 15.7%. The industry concerned with metal processing in general had grown by 2.6%, the production of transportation means by 12.8%, whereas machine production has been downsized by 10.1%. Semi-annual reports for 1996 reveal a loss of 883 million denars in heavy metallurgy, which is 99% more than last year. Losses in the metal sector amount to 979.6 million denars - incl. zinc and lead mining. According to experts this situation is to be attributed to a minimal use of capacities, to the fact that this industrial branch is buried in debts and therefore pays high interest rates, etc. [06] PSYCHIATRISTS AND PSYCHOLOGISTS TO BE INVOLVED IN 'POISONING' INVESTIGATION IN TETOVO AREASince up to the present there is no physical evidence of poisoning throughout Tetovo schools, the experts' team investigating this case will also consist of psychologists and psychiatrists. This was part of an announcement made yesterday by WHO spokesperson Susan Jacob to the media. Thus a WHO neuropsychiatrist and a clinic psychologist are about to analyze the psycho-social and psychological aspects of this case, i.e. of exhibited symptoms with Albanian elementary and secondary school pupils. Investigations have also been aided by a US epidemic specialist for quite some time now - upon invitation of the Macedonian government.Thus the WHO experts' team has been receiving reinforcement throughout recent investigations. According to the media this team should publicize the findings of these inquiries by the beginning of next week. [07] A CONCRETE STEP TOWARDS HEALTH CARE REFORMSA two-day seminar on the 'Health Care Transition Project of Macedonia' is to begin today, at the 'Molika' hotel on Pelister. This will represent the concrete commencement of a health care sector reform project which is to last throughout the following three years, and - according to our Health Department - is being supported by the World Bank and the International Development Agency. 'Vecher' reports that the total cost of this project amounts to approximately 19.4 million dollars - of which 16.9 million have been obtained from the World Bank in shape of a loan, and 2.5 million are being provided by the government of Macedonia. The seminar is to facilitate the codification of principles, priorities, participants and trends of the planned reforms. Debates will be attended by experts of the World Bank, representatives of the Mac. Health Dept., the Health Care Fund, the Trade Union organisations of medical workers and the management of medical institutions.[08] MINISTER FITI: SDSM BEARING THE LABEL OF CONSTITUTIONAL PARTYPolitical campaigning of SDSM in Probishtip yesterday included a speech of Finance Minister Taki Fiti. According to MTV Fiti stressed that the party had assumed a huge responsibility and created a government in extremely difficult conditions at the time - when no other political party had been willing to do so. Thus, by leading the country SDSM acquired the reputation of being a constitutional party. In reply to numerous opposition attacks on the countries debts the Macedonian Finance Minister said that Macedonia had been given a reasonable amount of loans - but that these were funds to fulfill Macedonia's obligations towards the World Bank and the IMF.[09] SPM ANSWERS ACCUSATIONS MADE BY 'OTHER PARTIES'During yesterday's press conference Jovan Lazarov, head of the SPM Executive Board, emphasised the fact that the party chairman had been elected in a democratic way. This represents a response to SDSM accusations that the SPM was a one-man-party, and was followed by the counter-accusation that 'other parties' pressurized SPM candidates to withdraw their nominations for mayor or municipal council members ... which many of them eventually did. Lazarov continued that his party even possessed evidence that other forgeries of statements and signatures had been committed recently in order to prove that SPM candidates had agreed to run for other parties, as additional or back-up candidates.While avoiding to name the leader of these other parties which resorted to such practice, Lazarov denied rumours of any discord in his party - as it had been reported by certain media. According to him some found it hard to face the fact that SPM has outgrown the image of being a puppet of SDSM. [10] MTV: WHICH MOTTO FOR LOCAL ELECTIONSYesterday's reports on MTV comment on the 'full-speed-ahead' campaigning currently going on towards the close of the first half-time period, evaluating that this approach is more suitable fro parliamentary elections. This mainly refers to the ambitions and aggressiveness exhibited by both governing and opposition parties, to their easily- recognizable mottoes - tailored to fit current needs in 'en vogue' with respect to the colour trends of contemporary local management.The ruling SDSM has approached these elections with extreme seriousness, as it is trying to prove that it can manage on its own, by underlining what the party has achieved so far. In concordance to this are vows on how serious and dedicated SDSM is about its work, about its being a constitutional party - and the optimistic slogan 'Together with You Everything for Macedonia - Always Ahead'. Yet there are no substantial counter-arguments on opposition accusations regarding the current economic crisis. In contrast to this, opposition parties made it very clear that their victory would be entailed by early parliamentary elections, i.e. by a vote of confidence on the currently governing parties. IMRO-DPMNE appears on scene with the motto 'House-proud, Economically and Responsibly', through which it is addressing the following question to SDSM: what have You done in terms of economy? This however obscures the fact that there is little space left for a reversed query: what would they do? DP has chosen to use 'It is time' for their battle-cry, with the sequel '... to Win these Elections - and Mark the Beginning of their End'. As MTV reports the main focus of this party again dwells on economic issues relevant to the country. The LP motto 'Liberals Know' is establishing their rank within the opposition, and conducive to their proclaimed objective to get closer to the public and to build their own electorate. This is rounded off by MTV's final assessment that local issues are being completely neglected - while each party attempts to justify its existence and their claim to be the best solution to the problem on a national level. [11] VICTORY OF BASKET BALL TEAM, DEFEAT IN HANDBALLThe National Basket Ball Team of Macedonia succeeded in winning their qualifying game for Euro'97 in Spain against the Czech Rep. with 102 : 93.News look less rosy with regards to World Championships qualification rounds for the Handball show-down in Japan in 1997, since Macedonia got creamed in round three by Lithuania with 30 : 20. The play-off is scheduled for Sunday in Radovish. MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] 'Alibi-Assaults ... Going Both Ways' - Part 2('Nova Makedonija', 26 October, 1996)... The stress has once agian been placed on the regularity of elections. Ergo what are the chances for them to be fair, valid and democratic? Bearing in mind the noise made around legal codification and their final version as well as the manner in which they were enacted, it is certain that these elections will be more regular than the ones held so far. This is to be ascribed to the fact that key components of these regulations have actually been initiated by the opposition. This couls all be reduced to the following bottom-line: a maximum level of mutual supervision of both opposition and governing pparties throughout elections. Both sides will also - for the first time - deploy an equal amount of representatives who are to become part of election committees and other monitoring organisations. In addition to this there will be monitors of all other stakeholders and voters' interest groups - as another instance of control ... and this time around their quality of work is to be considerably improved. The solution which is to devaluate most of the objections regarding election fairness is concerned with the processing of cast votes. There is to br no more 'staying the night over' of ballot boxes god knows where, and a period a long as 18 hours of waiting before these votes are presented to the election commission. Starting with these elections votes are to be counted once the election committee - in presence of the candidates' representatives - has registered that the voting process is finished ... and records are to be compiled on every step of the procedure. As soon as the counting has finished, it is the obligation of the election committee to publicize election results immediately, whereas the material has to be submitted to the commission within the next five hours. This is expected to minimalize possible space for manipulations and falsification of results, as all, steps are being implemented in the presence of all stakeholders and party representatives receive signed documents for each measure the election committee takes. This should lessen the amount of suspicion considerably. Any out-of-the-ordinary steps which have to be taken by the latter in order to protect the right to vote and the regularity of elections - and any possible manipulations or irregularities - will be quite easy to trace, when bearing in mind that there are signed documents for each stage. Members of election organisations and bodies are required by law to carry out their duties most conscientiously and reponsibly. These municipal councils, committees ans commissions are comprised of approximately 17 000 individuals who have the right to vote but are not registered in any official records on party candidates. Another fact on the subject of numbers: loose estimates reveal that around 10 000 individuals are striving to become part of Macedonia's future political landscape, whereas only around 2 000 will actually end up in local government bodies throughuot uor municipalities. These data have been based on the number of participating parties and the number municipal units in Macedonia. Official information, however, will not be available until the beginning of next week. (end)mils news 31 October, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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