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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-01-14Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 14 January, 1997[01] ELISABETH REHN IN MACEDONIAYesterday the Special Rapporteur of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Ms. Elisabeth Rehn, has arrived on a visit to Macedonia - the media report. According to the release issued by the Foreign Office, Elisabeth Rehn is to meet Foreign Secretary Ljubomir Frchkovski, Minister of the Interior Tomislav Chokrevski and Education and Physical Culture Minister Sofija Todorova.[02] RADIO TIRANA: `NEWSTATUTE ON FINANCING UNIVERSITY OF TETOVO'As A-1 TV reports the Albanian National Radio has announced that as of yesterday every Albanian from Macedonia - employed in Germany or any other West-European country - is being asked to forward 300 DM to the `Tetovo University' Fund, concordant to the new Statute on Financial Working adopted on 1st January `97. The broadcast further revealed that the contribution for the `University of Tetovo' is not of a determined value for Albanians from Albania-proper and Kosovo, and it is left to one's personal volition to set aside a certain amount. Yesterday Radio Tirana also informed that other financial sources of the `Tetovo University' include humanitarian organisations and wealthy Albanians (e.g. proprietors of businesses, etc.).According to `Makpress' Radio Tirana furthermore informed that the self- proclaimed university rector Fadilj Sulejmani is soon to be released from prison, and spared serving the remainder of his sentence. Upon reporting this Radio Tirana is falling back upon a statement given by Deputy Secretary of Justice Mersim Polozhani. [03] PEACEFUL PROTEST OF `SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS' UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SCHEDULED FOR TODAYThe 58th Session of the Macedonian Parliament - which is to address the draft-bill on languages of instruction at the Pedagogical Faculty of Skopje, among other things - has been scheduled for 29th January. This draft-bill, however, is not gaining any endorsement by the `Ss. Cyril and Methodius' University students who consider the Pedagogical Faculty a component of the university, and therefore not eligible for discrete legal provisions. Students are requesting the enactment of a Law on Tertiary Education which would resolve issue of all fields via an integral approach. As far as the use of minority languages is concerned, they stress that this issue cannot be solved by issuing governmental rulings.MTV reports that these demands are being backed by the Students' Federation of the university, which has also supported this non-violent manifestation of the students' disagreement in front of the university Rectorate and the Government / Parliament seat. Macedonian National Television also reveals that the Rectorate itself approved of this exhibition of student activity, as the former emphasized that it had not been consulted at all upon the outlining of the draft-bill on languages of instruction at the `St. Clement of Ohrid' Pedagogical Faculty of Skopje. It is otherwise common knowledge that Albanian students have been boycotting lectures since the beginning of the academic year, to fortify their demand for complete instruction in Albanian - as the latter had only been the case with respect to some subjects so far. Compliant to the disputed draft-bill minority languages are to be implemented while instructing subjects contained in academic curricula and programmes - except in case of subjects linked to Macedonian language, i.e. the Macedonian rhetoric and history. Those subjects are to be taught in Macedonian. Education and Physical Culture Minister Sofija Todorova has underlined within this context that a kind of framework has to be provided until the passing of the Law on Tertiary Education, i.e. a set of legal provisions on the training of educational workers instructing general studies, conducted in both minority languages and Macedonian. [04] HALF OF `PELAGONIJA' EMPLOYEES ON STRIKEAs of yesterday a general strike has been proclaimed at the `Pelagonija' construction contractor. Media report that app.50% of the overall 5 000 employees have been adhering to this announcement. The latter - according to MTV - has been adopted by the Trade Union Conference due to the accruement of non-forwarded pay (as of September 1996) for both domestic and foreign projects - as well as that of laid-off employees. Another motive for this type of action is the ongoing privatization process, i.e. the danger (as the Trade Union Conference claims) of over 50% of all employees to end up in the streets as `technologically redundant staff'. `Pelagonija' employees have also placed emphasis on their request for the resignation of the company's Director- General, once he has submitted a financial status report and explained why this contractor has been sidelined for months. The offered technical assistance by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Macedonia to aid the organizing of the strike has been rejected by `Pelagonija' employees, and at the moment the strike is being held `under the auspices' of the corresponding Trade Union Organisation. [05] REDUNDANT EMPLOYEES ANNOUNCE PROTESTS FOR 17TH JANUARYThe Association of `technologically redundant' employees have announced their intention of staging a protest meeting in front of the Government / Parliament seat on 17th January, in order to express their discontent with the adopted Law on the 25 Loss-Generating Firms. Its representatives furthermore revealed that the session of 25th December `96 resulted in the ratification of only 5 (which are to be given priority status) of the total of 12 drafted requests. These requests refer to the forwarding of reimbursement until re-employment, the retirement (incl. pension payment) of employees with more than 25 years accruement, the issuing of certificates for the ownership of shares of their depts., the payment of deficit between outlined and actually forwarded pay. The demands have been submitted to the cabinet of President Gligorov, to the Parliament and the Government - and they are to be addressed within a given time frame, i.e. by tomorrow. If this should not be the case, the employees plan to address matters in their own way.[06] ACCORDING TO `WORLD BANK' CRITERIA: MACEDONIA AMONG MEDIUM- SIZE DEBTORSBased on the most recent calculations compiled by the NBM (National Bank of Macedonia) towards the close of last year, the overall debts to foreign creditors of Macedonia are estimated to amount to app. 1 billion and 100 million dollars. A-1 TV reports that according to World Bank criteria Macedonia could be categorized as a medium-size debtor, based on both generally accepted standards, the former measuring the correlation of registered goods and services export throughout the year in progress totals an index 98.8%. Thus Macedonia is being considered a medium- sized debtor, as its dues are below 132% which is the ultimate limit upon ranking a country within tolerable boundaries of being indebted. The same applies to the second standard - depicting the correlation between the overall foreign debt and the GNP - as this amounts to 40%, another tolerable index since the limit set by the World Bank totals 48%.[07] NEW PETROL PRICES INSUFFICIENT TO COMMENCE PRODUCTION AT `OKTA' REFINERYThe Skopje `Okta' refinery is not about to re-commence production this month, contrary to previous announcements, since detailed analyses have shown that the refinery would generate 1.5 million dollars in losses per each tanker oil (capacity 60 000 tons) - even in spite of new petrol prices.The `Okta' General Director - according to A-1 TV - has stated that world prices per barrel amount to 24.5 dollars whereas the Government has come up with the price of 22 dollars for the refinery. In the opinion of `Okta' representatives this problem can be resolved by accepting the approach to monitor global price trends regarding crude oil and adjusting Macedonian petrol prices. At the moment the cost of one liter Super petrol totals 38.5 denars or 1.35 DM throughout Macedonia. [08] `MAKPETROL' CLAIMS PETROL IS NORMAL`The petrol distributed at the Sv. Nikole filling station is of normal quality as `Makpetrol' has always cooperated with suppliers adhering to European standards, and managed to procure petrol of far better quality than that of OKTA'.This has been announced by the `Makpetrol' Commercial Director Goran Sotirovski during the press conference held to shed light on the Sveti Nikole incident, when many citizens complained that the engines of their vehicles had been damaged by the petrol distributed at the Sveti Nikole filling station. Sotirovski also informed that provided it can be proved that quality standards have not been upheld at Sveti Nikole `Makpetrol' is willing to make restitutions to all citizens who have been registered as damaged parties. Based on most recent information aired by MTV, results of petrol sample (from the mentioned filling station) analyses - conducted at `Makpetrol' laboratories - are not yet available. The Sveti Nikole outlet has nevertheless been closed, in consensus with the consumer inspection services, until the case has been completely investigated. At the same time the owners of damaged vehicles have requested justice via contacting judiciary authorities, and yesterday they even staged a demonstration in front of the town's court building - demanding to receive information on the causes for this debacle. [09] PUBLIC ATTORNEY (OMBUDSMAN) AS A GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONDuring yesterday's session the Macedonian Government has outlined the draft- bill on public defence, i.e. the public attorney, which abandons the concept of establishing this office as a separate state body, but rather codifies it as a governmental institution. Thus the Ombudsman is to be connected to the body managing state property, although the Government remains primarily responsible for the management and use of state property.The session was also marked by the ratification of the draft-agreement on extradition between Romania and Macedonia, and of the draft-agreement between Turkey and Macedonia on legal cooperation in civil suits and criminal cases. [10] COORDINATOR OF INITIATIVE TO ESTABLISH MACEDONIAN INTELLIGENCE AGENCY SUSPENDEDMTV reported the `Makpress' information on the suspension of Under- Secretary of National Security (within the Ministry of the Interior) Slobodan Bogoevski - who was entrusted with establishing a Macedonian Intelligence Agency - after a year and a half since he commenced his duty, based on a Government Decision. As this office (Under-Secretary of National Security) has been discarded within the newly- adopted (1995) Law on Interior Affairs this could be considered an expected move by the Government.According to A-1 TV, which is also quoting `Makpress' as a source, Bogoevski has been on a collision course with the incumbent Head of Security and Counter-Intelligence Dobri Velichkovski, and with the Under- Secretary for Public Security Dime Gjurev. This conflict is being attributed to last year's apprehension of four Albanian citizens, suspected accomplices in the assassination attempt on President Gligorov, and their subsequent acquittal due to lack of evidence. [11] DNEVNIK: `DISCORD WITHIN THE AUSTRALIAN OCM EPARCHYThe demonstrations of Macedonian worshippers during the Orthodox Christmas holiday season (at the `St. George and Holy Mary' Church, Epping - Melbourne), were aimed at the Metropolitan of Australia, the Reverend Petar. According to the Australian National Radio station `SBS' these were triggered off by the statement of the church official that the `St. George...' church was under Bulgarian jurisdiction.`Dnevnik' reports that these Christmas protest of a part of Macedonian worshippers in Melbourne represent one chapter in the show-down between the two opposed factions within the Australian - New Zealand Eparchy of the OCM. The daily further reveals in its edition of 13th January that the protesting faction - demanding the resignation of the Australian Metropolitan the Reverend Petar, while ignoring the canonical jurisdiction of the OCM and striving to assume control over the entire scope of religious activities in this Macedonian Orthodox Eparchy (covering Australia and New Zealand) - consisted of a segment of the church of `St. George...' management in Melbourne, of the suspended management of the `St. Nikola' church of Preston and of the Initiative Council of the `Jane Sandanski' Folklore and Art Society of St. Albans. The letter of `loyal Australian religious communities' addressed to the Holy Archiepiscopal Synod of the OCM includes the request to place all churches and religious communities in Australia under the canonical jurisdiction of the OCM. `Unless this is achieved, all religious communities are to follow the unfavourable example set by those communities refusing to recognize your jurisdiction - which will be conducive to the complete disintegration of the Eparchy and its compartmentalization upon your responsibility. To this purpose we ask you to endorse the establishment of the Orthodox religious communities: Presveta Bogorodica (Siddum), Sveta Petka (Mill Park) and Sveti Gjorgji (Fitzroy)...' states the letter addressed to the OCM by the Head of the `St. Clement of Ohrid' religious community in Canberra - Bob Spasenovski. The Governing Council of the Eparchy of Australia and New Zealand - according to `Dnevnik' - has announced the ratification of legal provisions on 21st February which are to regulate the jurisdiction of all religious communities, churches and monasteries of the Eparchy. MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] `No Evidence of Poisoning in Tetovo Area'(`Nova Makedonija' - 11th January 1997)The WHO findings do not indicate toxic or infective agents. There is a need to involve several factors in order to create joint bases for conflict resolution and to subsequently improve social development. Between 26th September and 12th October 1996 app. 1 000 school children (aged 11 - 17) of the Tetovo municipality in the Republic of Macedonia - all of Albanian origin - have been subjected to medical treatment at local health care facilities due to symptoms of unidentified origin, manifesting themselves in pain in the abdomenal region, headaches, difficulties with breathing, restlessness and other not so frequent symptoms. The majority of these children were hospitalized over 2 to 3 days. at the Tetovo Medical Centre. All of them recovered rather speedily, after being subjected to treatment of their symptoms only. Fortunately no casualties were entailed by this phenomenon. The latter became the source of considerable stress within the entire country, as some individuals of Albanian ethnic affiliation claimed that the children may have been poisoned. On 14th October Health Secretary Dr. Ilija Filipche requested assistance of the regional WHO office for Europe, in order to obtain an assessment on possible causes for this occurrence. On 16th October a team of WHO experts - comprised of a toxicologist, epidemiologist, pediatrician, a psychologist and a psychiatrist - arrived at Tetovo to commence their work. The team spent three weeks in the country, conducting a survey of clinical and epidemic records and evidence. The team had access to all existing files and was left to work in unobstructed liberty. Several children were clinically examined, interviews were conducted with a certain number of parents and teachers (they were requested to fill in a psychological questionnaire) and a huge number of medical data was examined - in addition to conducting a control epidemic study in the monitored area and a toxicological study. Based on these steps the following conclusions have been brought on: The emerging of these symptoms had been unanticipated, its duration short, it has left no measurable side effects of long-term consequences - except for the relapse tendency registered with some children. It appears to be more than obvious that the complex of symptoms has not been induced by any sort of infective agent. The model, its emergence pattern and the symptom complex itself do not parallel any infective process known so far. This phenomenon seems to have been the result of a poisoning of the general environment as cases only limited themselves to children of Albanian ethnic origin - although it was not possible to examine all environmental aspects as soil samples in particular had not been taken. Other children and adults of this area had not beeb affected. Poisoning focused on educational institutions does not appear to be a solid explanation, since had the agent been administered on a selective basis (class by class) the correlation between affected children in terms of gender would have been more balanced (app. 66% were female and 34 % male). Observed reoccurrences and relapses seem to be psychologically induced. The WHO experts however, have not had the opportunity to examine the children during the actual outbreak; they have only been able to study their medical files and use data for a retrospective epidemological investigation. Though there is no concrete evidence indicating that other factors, such as minor viruses or bacteria, infections or food poisoning occurred, this could have been the case initially. Another possible hypothesis is that such an event insigated this chain reaction. School children may have observed these symptoms in their classmates and arrived at the conclusion that there had been a `poisoning'. This entailed the recruitment of cases upon these initial ones , probably brought on by the stressful situation, the unrest and tension existing among ethnic groups in certain parts of the Tetovo municipality. The number of involved children efficiently rules out possibilities of mass simulation, and indicates a psychologically induced state connected to stress and anxiety. Although the team has grasped the relevance medical treatment has in such cases, it also considers that too much attention has been paid to contributing factors such as the educational component, public order and the monitoring of social stability, as well as ethnic relations. This is increasing the risk of establishing a health care system in an inappropriate central point, and by doing so, burdening it with the disproportional responsibility over the current situation. If this approach is not remedied similar difficulties may arise in the future. `All these findings point to the fact that it has been the most crucial objective of this mission to determine the existence of suffering and tension with the affected children at schools, hospitals and life in the community due to their relatedness to this phenomenon', stated Susanna Jacob - leader of the WHO expert team. Without considering that tension may have had an instrumental function regarding the origin of this occurrence, the entailed suffering and tension are now to be regarded a key health issue. The expert team recommended the establishing of a support group within the community, including national and local politicians, representatives of all stakeholders affected by this (e.g. children, adults and teachers), public health institutions, helath workers, governmental structures and the media in order to inform, re-establish trust and prevent the surfacing of similar phenomena in the future - or at least to contain their range. `Though we are put at ease by the realization that no toxic or infective agent has been detected', noticed Dr. I. Filipche in the closing stage of discussing these findings with Regional WHO Director for Europe Dr. J.E. Asswal, in Copenhagen after these months `our sympathy is directed towards those children and their families suffering from these symptoms. We shall implement measures based on the WHO team's recommendations and work towards the prevention of any re-occurrence of such phenomena'. The WHO and Dr. Filipche are to hold a press conference on 13th December `96 in Skopje, in order to discuss the findings of this team of experts. `This phenomenon is an example of how health is conditioned by different physical, social, cultural and political factors', stated Dr. Asswal. `With the active involving of many people and institutions affecting human health within a region, not only those constituting the official health care system, the health sector can create common ground for conflict resolution and thus - subesquently - improve social development'. (Copenhagen, December 1996)(end)mils news 14 January 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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