The Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany Claus Kinkel will pay Macedonia a visit on April 11. Details surrounding the visit have still not been released, however, he is expected to meet with Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and President Kiro Gligorov.
The direct Greek-Macedonian negotiations that were supposed to start in New York on the 6th of April, have been "silently postponed," however, it is not ruled out that they might begin some time during the next month, the pro-government "Ta nea" writes Wednesday. The Athens newspaper, as Makfaks reports, assesses that "according to all indicators, Skopje bears responsibility for the postponement, by avoiding to answer Cyrus Vance."
"The American side," according to "Ta nea," is promising that a new round of negotiations between Athens and Skopje will start during the next month, provided the U.S. pressure on Macedonia gives some kind of results.
The Paris daily "Le Mond" assesses that "the possibility of war in Macedonia is not excluded," and that "it could break out inside the country." In the report from Skopje, the newspaper states that the Albanian minority that was granted great social rights by the Macedonian Government in the past three years, is making new demands, adding that the actions of the Albanian minority could become much more violent than before.
The text stays that the Greek Government has been implementing an economic blockade against Macedonia for a year now, while "Albania is getting involved in its internal affairs, when the Albanian national minority assesses that its identity is threatened." Bulgaria is not intrusive, but it's thinking about the Macedonian territories, while Serbia feels that it borders with Greece, which means a disappearance of Macedonia. The newspaper also writes that the Government in Skopje is accusing the Albanians in Albania and from Kosovo of trying to radicalize the good Albanians in Macedonia, sustaining this thesis with the statement of an anonymous diplomat that the recent unrest in Tetovo was staged by the group of refugees from Kosovo. This diplomat that "the presumption of a Serb provocation should not be excluded," and that the rector of the Albanian University in Tetovo "has two brothers working in the Serbian police on Kosovo."
The Law for department for civil air traffic, with which the civil air traffic is organized as an independent administrative organ, was passed in Parliament yesterday. During the 16th session, the MPs also made changes to the Law for court taxes, with which they are increased from 500 to 600 percent, and they also adopted a number of decisions and conclusions. Some eighty questions were tabled in the session.
All laws and decisions, a total of 14, which were adopted in yesterday's session, passed without debate. Only in relation to the proposed changes to the court taxes, Ljupcho Meskov (LP) asked for an explanation from the Minister of Justice as to the effects expected to be achieved with the drastic tax increases.
Parliament adopted the proposals for changes to the laws for communal taxes and educational inspection. The MPs supported the decision to announce a selection of five judges to the Supreme Court, following which the candidates will be able to submit their applications to the Republic Court Council, and it was also accepted to dismiss Petar Najdenov and Darinka Stojanovska, judges to the Supreme Court, due to their retirement.
"VECER": DISSENSION IN ISLAMIC COMMUNITY OF MACEDONIA GROWING - "ALLAH IN A SCHISM"
Regardless of whether one believes the official claims that the situation in the Islamic community in Macedonia is "normal," or whether there is a "deep schism" in it, it is certain that the relations in this religious community are heading toward profound dissension. It seems too many things are happening in order to characterize matters as being every day, starting from whether this religious community is getting dominantly Albanian markings, at the expense of the Islamic believers from the ranks of the Turks, Bosnians, Muslim Macedonians, up to the announcements that the organ of the ICM is disintegration, in which the adoption of the new Constitution is a very strong motive.
The questions are numerous, whereby in the amortization of the situation, a tactic of the official leadership of the ICM of non-recognition of any kind of schism and threats to the unity of the believers, is noticed, which, still, can not hide these occurrences. On the other hand, only time will show how strong they are and what kind of movements they can cause, which, in the meantime, is noting considerable changes in the, until recently, undeniably only religious community.
* (ONE) NATIONAL DOMINATION What, as dissatisfaction, is mostly widespread among a part of the Islamic flock, according to claims, is the gradual changing of the Islamic community into a place of domination of exclusively the Albanian corpus of the flock. Such serious remarks and accusations come in particular from the ranks of the believers of the Turkish nationality. It is even stated that the Turkish and Macedonian language, in a certain way, are expelled from the mosques during the prayers and rituals. According to the first man of the ICM Hadzi Sulejman efendi Redzepi, truly such a thing is categorically denied, but that does not eliminate the problem which is becoming the focus of dissatisfaction of the other believers. In parallel with this, remarks are addressed to the expansion of the Shied current in the Islam, and with that, the opening of doors to the Islamic fundamentalism.
In the context of these happenings, the involvement in the whole affair of the former Yugoslav reis-ul-ulema Hadzi Jakub Selimoski, can not be overlooked, who, in an especially made video-tape "produced" by the Committee for keeping of the national unity from Geneva, with an Albanian sign, is named one of the main culprits for the differences in the ICM. It remains for the ICM to explain how some archive materials, owned by the Community became accessible to the authors of the text, in which he is qualified as "traitor of the faith and the Albanian people."
For a part of the public, such assertions are nothing but "looking for a culprit outside the ICM," in a situation when the problems are located in the Community itself. This, because of the reason that the question is raised whether Selimoski, who has been outside the happenings in the ICM for a couple of years now, can truly be responsible for the divisions in the Islamic community of the large and influential Tetovo committee, the one in Resen, for the advent of independent communities of Bekteshi and Tarikati, for the separation and non-recognition of the legitimacy of the leadership of ICM by certain mosques in Skopje, etc. In a situation when all of this is happening, the leading figures of the ICM are coming out with statements "the situation is normal," and that it is only a case of some marginal activities which do not present any kind of danger to its stability!?
* DOUBTS IN CONSTITUTION The December adoption of the new Constitution of the Islamic community of Macedonia is probably a separate chapter in all occurrences. The opposing opinions are stressing exactly this act and everything that preceded it, as one of the main reasons for the differences. In essence, it is claimed that it is an illegitimately adopted Constitution. The top men of the former Tetovo committee of the ICM, presently called the Islamic community of Tetovo, the president Nedjadi efendi Limani and the secretary Alifekri Esati, are saying that "the differences on the line IC of Tetovo and IC of Macedonia started with the adoption of the temporary Statute."
"The reasons for our independent functioning, outside the Meshihat, are in the preparation and adoption of the Constitution. Back from the start we had remarks, but even then it was apparent that the proposers had no intention of adopting any changes to the given proposal. Otherwise, we have large remarks also in relation to the manner in which the Meshihat of the ICM is run," Limani and Esati say.
They are also claiming that the present leadership of the ICM has no more legitimacy, as its mandate expired in September, last year, and as they claim, even the Constitution was adopted in an illegitimate way. Namely, in order for the Constitution to be adopted, out of 35 members of the Synod of the ICM, two-thirds, or 27 members had to vote "in favour." In this case, only 22 members voted positively, while eight were against. "In order to avoid non-adoption, a manipulation was made, with which the Constitution was adopted with alleged acclamation," the leaders of the secessionist part of the ICM from Tetovo claim.
On the other hand, the Meshihat of the ICM is categorically dismissing such claims that the Constitution was adopted in an illegitimate way. The secretary Zenun Berisha told us that the adoption of the Constitution was carried out according to all rules and that of the present members of the Synod, only three voted "against," which means that it was adopted with a qualified majority. "Also without foundation are the concoctions that the present leadership does not have a mandate any longer. Its mandate ends in September, this year, which means that there is nothing problematic here, except that some people with premeditated purposes are heating up such an atmosphere," Berisha states.
In which direction the relations in the Islamic community of Macedonia will continue to move is difficult to presume for now. Announcements are coming in from Tetovo that there are plans to unite it with other committees, and "with the Meshihat, only if a Constitution acceptable to all is adopted, and in a democratic way." Whether something like that happens, remains to be seen. In any case, the way things are now, it is truly a question whether the eyes will still be kept closed to the rifts between the believers.
The inflation in March, as compared to February, was 1.6%, the Republic Bureau of Statistics informs. The balance in the retail prices in March maintained the prices of the agricultural products, which were 5% cheaper. The prices of the services went up the most - 5.3%, due to the higher prices in housing services - 13.2% and utilities services - 2.1%.
The March living expenses were 1.4% higher in comparison with February. According to groups of products, the biggest increase in living costs is noticed in the group for rents, namely, 11.3%, which is owed to the increase in rent prices. The reduction in the cost index is noticed with the groups tobacco and beverages - 3%, and clothing and shoes - 0.4%.
The Managing board of the stock company "Makpetrol," the largest petrol importer in Macedonia, has appointed Andreja Josifovski new general director of this company, previously deputy general director. According to information from the Legal department at "Makpetrol," the previous director Ljube Janev, retired.
Tomorrow, the book "Time of success," by the author Barry Pearson will be promoted in the National and University library "Kliment Ohridski" in Skopje.
This book in the field of management has already been published in two editions in Britain, while in Macedonia, it is printed by the publishing company "Medijana." This book presents an announcement of the edition of handbooks in the field of management.
The mining - geology faculty from Shtip, today, and in the next two days, is a host to the international meeting of geologists from the Balkan-Carpethian region - Russia, Hungary, Romania, FR Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Macedonia and Greece, under the auspices of UNESCO.
Beside representatives from the countries in the region, the meeting will also be attended by representatives from England, Scotland and Ireland.
"The situation in the Fund for health insurance is still bad," the Minister of Health prof. d-r Ilija Filipche stated in yesterday's new conference. If the revenue is compared with the first three months from last year, in comparison with the influx of funds, taking also into account the inflation for this period, the level of funds has been reduced 30%.
Plans are made to strengthen control upon the extension of the validity of the health cards, while the new law for health coverage is expected to be prepared by the end of the year.