The Macedonian government has reportedly agreed to withdraw police troops guarding the university sites, after a promise made by the political parties of Albanians that no lectures will be given for the time being. Yet villagers of Poroy put up barricades, organized guards around the village and the local mosque where the university is to hold lectures for its economic and law departments. The president of the village's local self-government said these acts were "the will of the people, who are ready to defend the university with their lives." Also, Serbian symbols have been written on the walls of the university buildings in Mala Rechica. The local villagers say these symbols were written by the police, but the Ministry of Interior denied this. The leaderships of the PDP, NDP, ADP-LS and PDP-National Unity (now led by former PDP leader Nevzat Halili), along with representatives of the townships of Tetovo, Gostivar, Debar and Struga , and Albanian ministers and parliament members, started a continuous meeting to discuss the latest events. Despite the fact the meeting is closed for the public, information leaked that a dispute arose between the PDP leadership and the Thacists who insisted that ethnic Albanians quit the Macedonian state institutions. Sources say the PDP leaders also met with top government officials.
- PDP president Abdurahman Haliti said the representatives of all political parties of Albanians in Macedonia reached a consensus at a yesterday's meeting to contribute to a just solution for all disputable issues, and the university must adapt to the new situation. Haliti, in an interview with Macedonian Television, said he had the impression after talks with President Gligorov, Parliament President Andov and Prime Minister Crvenkovski, that "there are realistic chances to work out an agreement and come up with a rightful solution." Efforts are underway to coordinate views with all other parties of Albanians and reach a compromise, creating conditions for resolving problems. Haliti expressed hope that a common position will be reached. He said the university ought to continue its work, but through appropriate models and methods, leaving time for the problem to be resolved within the framework of the forthcoming higher-education law. "What we all now need is space, a peaceful atmosphere to enable us all to help resolve problems in a suitable way, without any ultimatums from either side. We need good faith to find a way out of the new situation, as it may otherwise create unwanted consequences. Individuals and groups, under the mask of nationalistic demands, are presently attempting to create a tense atmosphere which can easily give birth to conflicts. Both the Macedonian and Albanian political groups must preoccupy themselves with searching for a way out of the crisis," Haliti concluded.
- Nova Makedonija cites Menduh Thaci, vice-president of the PDP Fatherland faction, as saying his party decided to continue with its firm support for the university and Fadil Suleimani. Thaci says all parties of Albanians ought to reconsider their participation in all spheres of life in Macedonia. Asked whether this would not mean creating a Kosovo-like situation, Thaci answered affirmatively. He also said he will suspend the participation of his party's deputies to Parliament for an indefinite time, just like the NDP did. He said his sources inform him the rest of the parties of Albanians are also intending to do so. Still, he appealed for a "cool-headed approach to the new situation, appealing to the people to avoid being provoked."
- Asked by A1 Television to comment on the announcement by the PDP faction and the NDP intention to cease their participation in parliament, Muhamed Halili, member of the PDP leadership, said, "Firstly, there is no such thing as a PDP faction; they are only an informal political groups trying to present themselves as a political party. Secondly, our views have been formed by the party assembly and have not changed thus far. As for our parliamentary group, the party left it to them to decide whether they will continue with their participation in parliament. We, as a party, will allow no one to dictate to us what our views should be." The party views on the university in Tetovo are well known, he said. We believe the police intervention was a brutal act against the right of a people to an education in its native language. The main parties to be blamed for the incident are those who were too slow in dealing with the issue of higher education in the Albanian language, including President Gligorov and the entire cabinet as well. These views of the party may be changed only by the party central committee or assembly, and certainly not by some informal groups or parties acting outside the PDP, Halili said.
- The leader of Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova sent a letter to President Gligorov demanding an explanation for the events in Tetovo and requesting that Gligorov enable the university to work and be legally registered as soon as possible. The letter says "demands of Albanians in Macedonia are to be dealt with by political means, as this will contribute to improved relations between Kosovo and Macedonia." Rugova also insists on an immediate release of Fadil Suleimani. The rector of the Prishtina university condemned the police repression at the university in Tetovo, requesting that the university be allowed to work freely.
- The Democratic Alliance of Kosovo issued a statement saying that at a time when Macedonia is making efforts to be integrated into Europe, "it is killing its own students who demand to be educated in their mother tongue."
- The Democratic Party of Turks in Macedonia expressed deep concern with the events in Mala Rechica, appealing to the Macedonian authorities to introduce a serious approach for resolving problems by democratic methods and dialogue, and avoiding the use of force. The party insists that President Gligorov use his authority to contribute to a peaceful solution for the problems. The party also appeals to all political structures of ethnic Albanians in Macedonia to avoid the use of vocabulary which could add to the current tension. If proven that the police abused its authority, the party demands that those guilty for it be called to responsibility.
- The Democratic Party of Macedonians of Tetovo said that government measures to deal with the university in Tetovo were just and rightful, but too late. The party believes the university, being a specific educational issue, is only a part of the Greater-Albania strategy to create "Ilirida" and have the western part of Macedonia annexed to Albania. The party said Fadil Suleimani's claim that 200,000 Albanians will defend the university is in fact a call to all Albanians to come out into the streets. - The media in Albania writes of cold relations between Tirana and Skopje, resulting from the latest events in Tetovo. The Macedonian authorities are pointed to as the main guilty party.