MAK-NEWS 26/02/96 (M.I.C.)

From: "M.I.C." <mic@ITL.MK>

Macedonian Information Centre Directory

CONTENTS

SKOPJE, FEBRUARY 26, 1996 (MIC)

[01] GERD ARENS: "POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONS"

The president of the Group for Inter-ethnic Relations within the Conference on former Yugoslavia, Gerd Arens, met in Tetovo yesterday with PDP, NDP and PDPA representatives, as well as the leader of the Democratic Party of Macedonia, Tomislav Stojanovski.

Arens assessed that the inter-ethnic relations in the Republic of Macedonia have developed positively since he took over this position three years ago.

"Thanks to the wisdom here, situations like those in other parts of former Yugoslavia have been avoided," he emphasized, adding that "all the people living in Macedonia should be congratulated for this."

Arens refrained from commenting a journalists' question regarding the so-called Tetovo University, saying that "you have a new Government, ask it and your new Education Minister."

Arens' meetings in Tetovo were unofficial, that is to say, more in the form of a farewell visit, since he is leaving this post shortly.

[02] FIRST EXHIBITION OF GREEK PRODUCTS IN MACEDONIA

The first exhibition of Greek products "Multi-product Expo '96," which will be closed today, was opened at the Skopje fair on Saturday.

The exhibition was opened by Dushan Petreski, president of the Macedonian Chamber of Commerce. He said he was very pleased to see so many Greek enterprises taking part in this exhibition, which should be beneficial for companies in both countries, and especially the strengthening of the overall relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece.

Aleksandros Maljas, head of the Liaisons Office of the Republic of Greece, also addressed the formal opening of the exhibition, emphasizing that the economic, political and every other form of cooperation between the two countries is a base for future progress which will contribute to stability in the region, at large.

100 most successful Greek enterprises, which are ready to do business and invest capital in the Macedonian economy, are presenting their production and trade activities on an area of 2,500 square meters. For the large part, the enterprises are displaying textiles, machines for the textile industry, food and other general consumption products.

[03] PROTEST DECLARATION OF "OMO" ILINDEN

The leadership of OMO "Ilinden" - Democratic Movement, comprised of citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria who feel as Macedonians, came out with a protest Declaration these days against violation of their human rights in Bulgaria.

The document says, among the rest, that "at the beginning of the regular Second Conference of this movement on February 4, this year, organs of the regional police broke into the organizations' private premises where the meeting was to take place, and, without asking anyone, in front of the journalists, began searching the premises, confiscating the materials that were to be presented at the electoral conference."

The Declaration also says that Bulgaria is refusing to legalize this movement, calling it, without any foundation, an illegal organization.

[04] $ 15 MILLION EARNED FROM VEGETABLE EXPORTS

Last year, the Republic of Macedonia made a profit of $ 15 million from the export of vegetables. This foreign currency influx is owed to an export of 50,000 tones of vegetables.

Macedonian tomatoes account for approximately 50 percent of the exported vegetables.

[05] RADIO DEBAR MAKES APPEAL FOR MORE MASSIVE ENROLLMENTS IN TETOVO UNIVERSITY

A five-member Commission in charge of gathering funds for the so-called Tetovo University has been formed and has been functioning for some time now within the Debar local assembly. This was confirmed by two officials of the local assembly, at yesterday's program on the private radio in Debar. Namely, the two officials appealed for more massive enrollments in the faculties of this illegal institution, claiming that it will soon be legalized within the framework of the high educational system of the Republic of Macedonia.

"We need support in the form of financial and other assistance, in order to sustain such an important institution as this," the Debar officials said, adding that, in the name of the people, the Debar assembly has expressed support and consent to the opening of some faculties in this town.

According to unofficial information, instead of 1 DEM per month, now the self-proclaimed president of the so-called Tetovo University Fadil Sulejmani, is asking for 50 denar per family member.

MACEDONIAN PRESS REVIEW:

[06] "NOVA MAKEDONIJA": RESPONSIBILITY TAKEN

The MPs in the Macedonian Assembly debated for three days before electing the new, fourth Government in the past five- year period of pluralism in Macedonia. In addition, they did not ask for, but nonetheless, received the resignation of Assembly Chairman Stojan Andov, from this function. This outcome of the session did not come as a surprise, on the contrary, it was anticipated, firstly in view of the election of the Government, since, even at the start of the parliamentary session, the parliamentary parties that publicly expressed support of the set up proposed by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, provided the necessary majority. The only thing left was the act of voting. On the other hand, precisely the fact that surprises in the final outcome were literally impossible, in the last three days, the very election of the reconstructed government cabinet became a secondary issue. What was imposed as a primary issue, judging by everything that was said from the parliamentary platform was: how the coalition between the Social-Democratic Alliance and the Liberal Party ever managed to exist for so long, seeing there was such intolerance and contradiction between them, as the MPs from the two parties manifested in front of the public.

Obviously, the motive that has held these true feelings at bay, defined as "winning power" is gone now, or at least it's not common any longer. Now, it can be better described as "rule," from which the Liberals have been excluded with the reconstruction. A move by the Prime Minister, meaning SDAM as well, which has put an end to the accumulated misunderstandings. And, their presence could be sensed by the public from the very beginning, although the two parties did not admit to this. They claimed that everything was in the best order, and proof of this were supposed to be the embraces, strongly clasped and highly raised hands of the leaders, during the time when they were winning the voters over, as indication of their unity. That was more than a year ago, these days, the case was quite different.

The coalition partners have parted, which has weakened the undoubtedly strong position of the Alliance for Macedonia, sustained with the overwhelming election victory. And, that's a fact, regardless of some other assertions and visions expressed about it. One of the partners in the Alliance - the Liberal Party, has now become serious parliamentary opposition. The specificity is that precisely the other partner, of course, the more powerful coalition partner - the Social Democratic Alliance, has, in a sense, ordered the other party to cross over to opposition, which they all wanted all along, as something that was missing from the current parliamentary set up.

This outcome, in which the Alliance for Macedonia has definitely lost one of its three members, and the Liberals have lost power which they can only correct now, brings us probably to the only one who has something to gain from this situation - the Parliament. It has literally been revitalized in these last couple of days. The liveliness, as a quality that has been lacking so far, has been restored precisely by the differences between the parliamentary groups over the set up of the new Government. The former allies started revealing their true colors in front of the public, openly accusing each other for the mistakes, "attacking" each other with the secrets which they covered up and shared before. And now, after the "higher interest" is gone, which, after all this that has happened, can be located more precisely as party interest, the public was hit with a strong wave of criticism of the opponent and its own distancing from responsibility. One would say, quite delayed, and according to the manner and motive because of which all of that is being done, from the aspect of the voters' trust, risky and damaging for all of them.

It was said in the National Assembly these days - the end of the partnership has disrupted the legitimacy of some of the parties for future alliances. An appeal was also sent out to leave at least some sort of hope that it is still possible for the former partners to cooperate, because one never knows what the future holds, which would be useful if such an appeal reaches those it is meant for.

As to the new Government, the third in a row headed by Branko Crvenkovski, it has yet to prove itself. It has literally placed all power in the hands of the Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia. The Liberals are no longer partners in the ruling coalition, which means that there's no one left to blame for any eventual failures. It especially means a necessary consciousness that the responsibility is complete and enormous. The Prime Minister said that the reconstruction was conducted precisely with that idea - to finally receive a political and responsible Government. The wishes for success arrived immediately after its election, and the results are impatiently anticipated.

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