CLASSES AT ILLEGAL UNIVERSITY NEVERTHELESS CONTINUING The Senate of the University in Tetovo, and, as it is stated, the Albanian political parties, sent an announcement to the media in Albanian language which says that support is given to the continuation of the educational process at the "university" in Tetovo, whereby the citizens are informed that in accordance with the developed situation, appropriate forms for holding the classes and manner of informing the students have been found. The announcement also appeals to the citizens that there is no need for them to gather in front of the objects where the classes are being held. The above is the contents of the announcement, according to "Nova Makedonija." The same source says that yesterday, the "forms" were already used and classes were conducted on a couple of faculties. That is also confirmed by the pro-rector of the "university" Murtezan Ismaili and Rahmi Tuda - dean of the philological faculty, otherwise member of the Republic Parliament, who stated yesterday that two hour-long classes were conducted yesterday, with some 200 student from around four faculties - law, economics, philosophy and philology, and that they did not manage to inform all the students. Although the locations where the classes are held are kept secret, according to some sources, they are held in the village Poroy, in the area of the village mosque. According to some other sources, the classes were also held in private houses. PROCESSES THREATENED
Yesterday, in a couple of places in Tetovo and the village suburbs, the signing of the Petition of the "Albanian political subject," called "for equality, against violence" began. Among the rest, it states that "the democratic processes in Macedonia, the transformation of the society of all subjects, and in particularly in the field of human rights and freedoms and the collectivities, have been narrowed down in a disturbing manner." This narrowing, the authors of the petition believe, as well as the tendency for constituting an unitary, one-national state, as opposed to the multi-national reality, increases the political tensions, in particular the inter-ethnic, with a tendency for further deterioration, which present a threat to the peace and stability in the Republic and the region.
The petition states that the issue at hand is degeneration of an entire legal system and its transition to a police system, and therefore, the citizens are called to oppose these anachronic processes. Further on, discontent is expressed with, as it is stated, the "delay in the democratic processes of national and civil equality," and it is emphasized that the education in Albanian language, at all levels, including university, is a basic human right and necessity for the Albanians. This petition appeals to and seeks help from the international organizations, the UN, the Council of Europe, the Peace Conference for former Yugoslavia, UNESCO and others, in the settling of the internal matters and the institutional equality in Macedonia, as a prerequisite for peace and stability in the region.
SUPPORT FOR "UNIVERSITY" IN TETOVO The Gostivar assembly in one-national composition (ethnic Albanians) expressed support for the work of the "university" in Tetovo. In yesterday's session, in absence of the Macedonian MPs, conclusions were adopted with which the unhindered continuation of the work of the "university" is demanded, as well as the release of all arrested Albanians.
The president of the municipality Enver Zengu said that the tragic incident in Mala Rechica was caused by the Government of RM. This incident created a crisis in the relations Government - Albanian population. Zengu emphasized that the Government is trying to build the happiness of its people on the misfortune of the Albanian people. CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM"
"The situation in our country is very difficult and complex and all the citizens are urged to make maximum effort to keep the peace and tranquility and everything we gained in the past period," the vice-president of the Macedonian Parliament Tito Petkovski said at the beginning of his speech, at a public round table in Gostivar.
In his address, dedicated to the current political- security situation in RM, Tito Petkovski focused on the events in Mala Rechica and the formation of the "university," events that disturbed the population in western Macedonia and which present and attempt to destabilize the country. "The Albanians," as Petkovski said, "want to introduce a parallel system in the education, for only to go on and introduce a parallel system in politics, later on, in the culture, and the other segments of live, so as to create political autonomy in the end. The state, with all available forces, will defend the constitutional system and act according to the laws," said Petkovski.
The celebration on occasion of the 50 year anniversary of the introduction of classes in Macedonian language in the high school "Kiril Pejchinovich" was scheduled to take place in Tetovo yesterday. This jubilee was postponed. As "Nova Makedonija" finds out, the jubilee was postponed as the Albanian professors did not agree with the Macedonian anthem being played at the celebration.
After undertaking appropriate measures, the Interior Ministry has found the person responsible for inscribing graffiti with the symbol of a foreign state (the Serbian symbol) and other drawings with offensive contents drawn on the object of the local community in the village Mala Rechica.
Namely, that is Goran Stanojkovich, police officer, who was immediately suspended and who is facing discipline measures.
"With intentional disrespect of the agreed minutes by the Macedonian Government, which is the reason for its invalidation, the Serbs in Macedonia obtained the legal and legitimate right to seek resolution for their problems outside Macedonia," the president of the Democratic Alliance of the Serbs Bora Ristich emphasized, among the rest, at yesterday's press conference.
The reason for the press conference was the alleged failure to meet the deadline of 18 months, foreseen in the agreed minutes signed by Ristich and minister Frckovski, for settling the constitutional status of the Serbs in Macedonia, whereby they will be entered in the preamble to the Constitution as a nationality. With the expiration of this deadline, Bora Ristich emphasized, the minutes are no longer valid, which leaves several options for action and organization of the Serb community in RM.
One of the possible options, as Ristich announced it, is homogenization of the overall Serbian ethnicity in Macedonia with the formation of its own assembly and executive organs, that is, a parallel Government in the state. On the other hand, according to Ristich, further atomization of the Serbs in Macedonia is also possible, within which, for now, a number of groups with different views and ideology are active.
The leader of the Democratic Alliance of the Serbs also discussed the latest events surrounding the so-called University in Albanian language in Tetovo, expressing concern that attempts are being made to drag the Serbian factor into this conflict. According to Ristich, it is a scenario between the "Macedonian national-bolsheviks and Albanian nationalists" to divert the attention of the people from the social tensions, the mafia, and the robbing of the state-owned capital.
The Macedonian Government is planning to buy 20 new cars for its needs. According to announcements, the cars will be of the type "Audi," and 25% cheaper, as the usual taxes will not have to be paid. In addition, these cars are expected to be purchased with a 12 month credit.
According to information from the Service for general and common matters with the Government, the Macedonian authorities possess cars even up to 15 years old, including Mercedes', Volkswagen-Jettas and Opel Asconas.
The basic reason for this new supply is the upcoming meeting of the ministers of foreign trade of 22 countries, members and observers of the Central-European initiative, for whose transport there is a lack of cars.
For now, the President of the Republic is being driven in a newer Mercedes, while the parliamentary speaker, the prime minister, interior and defence minister are also driving around in new cars.
The exploitation of the sums in 1994, in comparison with 1993, has dropped 20%, the production of semi-processed building material and plates has dropped 14%, while the production of final products has decreased 22%. This was said yesterday in the session of the Association for forestry and lumber industry within the Chamber of Commerce of Macedonia.
This situation, according to the Association, is owed to the constant shortage of intermediate materials, which are produced in Macedonia only in a small part. The import dues for them are 32%. The Association is also complaining about the disloyal competition from the private business owners, who import vast quantities of furniture, without paying customs.
Yesterday, the clients of the savings bank "Jugomarket" gathered in front of the savings bank in protest against the fact that 450 clients were left without their deposits. The total sum of savings deposits in the savings bank is 1.5 million DEM, and together with the interest, the sum is 4 million DEM.
The clients demanded greater efficiency and speediness of the public prosecutor's office and the municipal court.
The hunger strike of a part of the employees in "Ohridska trgovija" is continuing. The health situation of 18 workers has deteriorated greatly, while nine of them are being treated by a team from the Medical center in Ohrid. One worker, who is still refusing to take food, has been told to immediately stop the strike, as her life is brought into danger.
The strikers are still expecting the competent republic politicians, representatives of the Privatization agency, the County commercial court in Bitola and the Public legal office. The strike will continue until the fulfillment of the requests, the representatives of the strikers are stating.
The new deals that the textile factory "Prime" from Kochani signed with the Dutch firm KLM and the German "Rafi," will fully engage the company's capacities.
The work agreed with these firms is valued at 160,000 DEM. In addition, special production lines have been engaged for the needs of the German firm "Schmutzler," while the revenue from this deal should reach up to 50,000 DEM per month.
The production of HTZ equipment has been agreed with the Dutch, and various women's garments with the Germans.
According to information of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce, there are some 400 firms in the country that deal with forwarding, however, it is believed that this figure is far greater. Most of these firms do not own their own vehicles, but their work is based on mediation. The Forwarding Association within the Chamber of Commerce of Macedonia concluded in its session that Macedonia lacks the necessary legislature which will determine which firms and under which conditions they can deal with forwarding.
The forwarders are also complaining about the high prices of the parking places at the customs terminals (around 100 DEM per day), as well as the non-working of the customs' office over the weekends, which makes the parking quite expensive. The forwarders are also complaining that the customs officers are taking far greater quantities for control of the goods, than necessary, and it is not known where those goods are going.