Epilogh MAK-NEWS 09/02/95 (M.I.L.S.) [**]

Ta nea ths hmeras, opws ta eide to MILS:

  • * Gia thn synedriash ths boylhs ths pGDM sxetika me ton nomo gia to YpEs, thn KYP kai tis taytothtes. Diekoph h synedriash otan Albanos boyleyths arxise na agoreyei sta albanika, jekinwntas me to erwthma "kbo bantis Makedonia;".
  • ** To thleoptiko kanali A1 twn Skopiwn problepei anagnwrish ths pGDM apo thn Serbia, kai leei oti h episkech toy YpEj ths Gioygkoslabias Giobanobits sthn Aqhna [h Fwnh ths Ellados eipe Qessalonikh] opoy qa synanthqei me ton Papoylia einai gia na zhthsei thn "sygxwresh" ths Ellados.
  • * Synanthsh toy presbh ths pGDM sthn Bonnh me ton proedro ths boylhs ths Germanias. Synanthsh toy YpAm ths pGDM me ton Germano presbh sthn xwra. Synanthsh toy Komra me ypoyrgoys ths pGDM.
  • . Maqhmata sta albanika qa arxisei na didaskei h paidagwgikh akadhmia ths pGDM.
  • * Synanthsh antiproswpeias toy "Dhmokratikoy Kommatos twn Toyrkwn sthn Makedonia" me ton Ntemirel.
  • * Oi Toyrkoi ths pGDM diamartyrontai sto Eyrwpaiko Dikasthrio kai thn Epitroph Aqrwpinwn Dikaiwmatwn gia thn katastash toys sthn pGDM kai thn afomoiwsh toys thn opoia epiballei h kybernhsh. [Anaferetai kai se programma analogo aytoy poy eixe h Boylgaria to '84 (nomizw) me to opoio allazan ta toyrkika onomata prosqetontas katalhjeis ths topikhs glwssas.]
  • ** Arqro ths "Greek Balkan News & East European Report" kathgorei thn Eyrwpaikh Epitroph oti diekoce thn proodo stis diapragmateyseis Ellados- pGDM otan phge thn Ellada sto Eyrwpaiko Dikasthrio, enw htan poly konta sthn ejeyresh symfwnias oi dyo pleyres.
  • * Sto Symboylio ths Eyrwphs h pGDM mexri to telos toy etoys, problepei o epikefalhs ths antiproswpeias ths pGDM sto Symboylio.
  • * Se krish brisketai to albaniko kinhma symfwna me Albano akadhmaiko toy Kossyfopedioy o opoios qewreitai "pneymatiko hgeths toy eqnoys".
  • ** Afijh anqrwpistikhs apostolhs argoy petrelaioy sa Skopia proxqes. Ayjhsh kai stis apostoles froytwn me ellhnika forthga metadidei to radiofwno ths pGDM.
  • * Arqro poy anaferetai se syzhthsh stroggylhs trapezhs gia thn qesh twn meionothtwn sta Balkania poy organwnei to "Makedoniko Koinoboylio Xelsinki twn Politwn". Anamenontai antiproswpoi apo pGDM, Albania, Kossyfopedio, Serbia, Mayroboynio, Toyrkia, Boylgaria kai Ellada.

    Dhmhtrhs Paneras

    Boston, MA

    MILS NEWS

    Skopje, 9 February, 1995

  • KU PO SHKON MAQEDONI? ("WHERE ARE YOU HEADED, MACEDONIA?")
    The Macedonian Parliament began its tenth session yesterday, to discuss several draft laws. MP's adopted the agenda and started a debate on the draft Law on Personal Identification, when Parliament President Andov called a break because independent deputy Sali Ramadani started speaking in Albanian from the floor. Prior to the session, Albanian and Macedonian deputies held a three-hour meeting. Albanian MP's warned against a possibility of them leaving parliament. Mersel Biljali, NDP coordinator, protested against the government's intolerance of demands by minorities, particularly ethnic Albanians in Macedonia. "I have been asked to state the NDP decision not to participate in discussions concerning the laws on today's agenda," said Biljali. "I must admit I feel uncomfortable in having to convince someone about something which is obvious in itself. The constitution seems to be clear and precise to all but the government and Constitutional Court." Naser Ziberi of the PDP said the parliament made a mistake when it adopted a law prepared by the previous parliament, avoiding to discuss laws concerning the rights of minorities. Unless this parliament starts serious work on these issues, he warned, "we, the Albanians in Parliament, will be forced to use different tactics. We have already used all available mechanisms for action within the parliament. We will not merely acquiesce in decisions imposed by the government. What we want is a dialogue with the government." Ismet Ramadani of the PDP pointed out his party has frequently repeated its determination to contribute to developing democratic relations and equality for all citizens. "I personally will not feel very bad if and when the law is adopted in its present form, as those who will vote in favor of it will be the real losers," he said. Sali Ramadani, independent deputy and member of the Thachi- led faction of the PDP, began his debate with the words, "Where are you headed, Macedonia?", saying "we will speak in both Macedonian and Albanian here today." His 10-minute speech was heard only by Albanian deputies since all Macedonian MP's left the hall after the break called by Andov. The Socialist Party said the proposed law is contrary to the constitution, as it provides an opportunity to have names written in both Macedonian and minority languages. Such a law, they said, would require changes in the constitution. The Liberal Party's parliament group said it will support the draft law. According to the Parliament Information Service, the session was to begin again at 10 a.m. today, as deputies had to go over amendments proposed yesterday by parliament committees and the government.

  • SERBIA TO RECOGNIZE MACEDONIA
    A1 Television cites unofficial sources as saying Serbia will very soon recognize Macedonia. Observers in Greece say this is a part of an overall solution for the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, and all former Yugoslav republics will have to recognize each other. The media in Greece is still speculating on the proposed Belgrade-Skopje-Athens confederation. A1 Television says diplomatic sources in Greece believe that the Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Vladislav Jovanovich, will meet his Greek counterpart Papoulias in Athens tomorrow. The goal of the meeting is to ask Greece's forgiveness for the Belgrade decision to recognize Macedonia.

  • DIPLOMATIC MEETINGS
    - The Macedonian ambassador in Bonn, Srgjan Kerim, was received yesterday by Rita Siesmut, president of the German parliament. Siesmut accepted the invitation to visit Macedonia sometime in the first half of 1995, and said conditions have been created for development of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economy. - Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handzhiski yesterday received Hans Lotar Stepan, German ambassador to Macedonia. They discussed military cooperation and agreed on specific terms for the training at German military bases of Macedonian army officers, to start at the end of this month. - Minister of Education Emilija Simoska yesterday received Victor Comras, Chief of the U.S. Liaison Office in Skopje, to inform of activities and plans of the ministry. - Minister Bekjir Zhuta also received Victor Comras and spoke of reforms, in particular the transformation of state companies. Comras expressed readiness on the part of his government to intensify economic cooperation through direct contacts with Macedonian businessmen.

  • PEDAGOGIC ACADEMY TO OFFER COURSES TAUGHT IN ALBANIAN
    The Council of the Pedagogical Academy in Skopje again discussed the request from the Ministry of Education to have all courses for the Albanian group of students taught in the Albanian language. They decided to start with courses in teaching methodology, psychology and sociology for the time being. Teachers for this purpose will be employed on a temporary basis, as the decision itself is temporary. Courses will begin this spring and will include only Albanian students already enrolled for the 1994-95 academic year.

  • TURKISH PRESIDENT RECEIVES MACEDONIAN TURKS
    Turkish President Suleiman Demirel received a delegation from the Democratic Party of Turks in Macedonia, headed by its leader Erdogan Sarac. The delegation spoke of the position of the Turkish minority in Macedonia.

  • MACEDONIAN TURKS COMPLAIN AGAINST ASSIMILATION
    At a recent meeting with officials of the European Court and Commission on Human Rights, representatives of the Democratic Party of Turks pointed out several examples of disrespect for the basic rights of Turks in Macedonia, Birlik writes. They said classes in the Turkish language at elementary schools in Radovish, as throughout the entire country as of recent, have been banned. In the Debar region, four teachers who demanded classes in Turkish have lost their jobs. The party claims Macedonia is assimilating the Turkish minority by adding suffixes as "ov", "i", and "ski" to people's last names. The Ministry of Interior has not yet reacted to the numerous complaints on the issue. No state institution, such as the Constitutional or Supreme Court, has employed an ethnic Turk, despite the fact that proposed candidates met all requirements. The Democratic Party of Turks will seek a solution for the problems through official institutions.

  • EU DISRUPTED GREEK-MACEDONIAN RELATIONS
    An editorial in the last edition of the Greek Balkan News & East European Report says that "During the first months of the sanctions, the attitude of the Skopje government began to change, and at the time it appeared that a normalization in relations between the two states was not far off. The intervention of the EU Commission, which referred Greece to the European Court of Justice, brought the opposite result, increasing FYROM President Kiro Gligorov's intransigence. The situation deteriorated further with the various interventions, from time to time, by several EU member states or the United States which in their bilateral dealings with Greece, used the issue as a leverage against Greece, further feeding FYROM expectations. To cut a long story short, if the EU Commission had not referred Greece to the European Court of Justice in the first instance, relations between Athens and Skopje would have been normalized, or, at least, close to normalization. Needless to say any ruling against Greece would only toughen Greece's position at the expense of FYROM. Under the circumstances, Greece cannot concede a matter it considers of prime national priority to Brussels. No Greek government can bow to a negative European Court ruling and stay in power for another 24 hours. Keeping this in mind EU authorities should think harder before pressing Greece over this".

  • MACEDONIA IN COUNCIL OF EUROPE BY THE END OF THE YEAR
    Nikola Popovski, head of the Macedonian delegation to the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, said the admission procedure to the Council has entered its final stage. The Council experts who visited Macedonia last week are to submit a report to the Parliamentary Assembly, and the actual admission is to start sometime next fall. It is possible, Popovski said, that the procedure will be completed by the end of 1995. The basic condition for a membership is that the Macedonian legislature is coordinated with legislatures of the member countries. This means Macedonian law-makers will have to adopt or at least begin a procedure on adopting laws to regulate the judiciary, local self-government and the election process. No consensus is required for entry in the Council and Greece is, therefore, not expected to block Macedonia's admission.

  • ALBANIAN ACADEMIC SAYS ALBANIAN MOVEMENT IS IN CRISIS
    Kosovo academic Redzhep Kjosja, referred to as the "spiritual leader of the nation", recently spoke in an interview with the newspapers Koha and Bujku of a deep crisis in the Albanian separatist movement . The U.S. president has done nothing to help the "Republic of Kosovo" gain independence, he said. The Kosovo problem can be resolved only in Kosovo. Help from outside can be expected only if Senator Robert Dole wins at the coming presidential elections in the U.S, as he has proved his friendly attitude towards Albanians. Kjosja claims, "the American troops in Macedonia are not here to help reach a just solution to the Albanian question, despite the fact that certain Albanians saw it as an opportunity to create a confederation between Macedonia and Kosovo. They are here to reinforce the status quo in the Balkans at the expense of the Albanian people."

  • CRUDE OIL FROM GREECE ARRIVES IN SKOPJE
    The entire humanitarian shipment of 5,000 tons of U.S.crude oil arrived in Macedonia two days ago. Macedonian Radio says the number of Greek vehicles carrying southern fruit to Macedonia has recently increased.

  • MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: MACEDONIAN HELSINKI PARLIAMENT HOLDS ROUNDTABLE ON MINORITIES
    (Flaka e Vlazerimit, 8 February, 1995) The Macedonian Helsinki Parliament of Citizens has organized a round-table discussion on the legal status of minorities in the Balkans. The debate will take place on February 10 and 11 and is expected to be attended by representatives of the Macedonian Parliament as well as deputies from Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. Kim Mehmeti, president of the Macedonian Helsinki Parliament, said the roundtable is an opportunity for a dialogue between parliamentary deputies of Balkan countries. Ethnic problems in the Balkans cannot be resolved in a short period, but we will keep trying to establish dialogue as long as we think there are chances for it, Mehmeti said. The first day of the debate will focus on majority-minority relations; the second day parliamentary representatives will discuss ways of contributing to lifting barriers in these parts of the Balkans. Representatives of international organizations are also expected to attend the debate.