MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-02-28

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From: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>

CONTENTS

[01] CRVENKOVSKI - SOFIJANSKI MEETING - FREE TRADE ZONE A PRIORITY

[02] ANOTHER ROUND OF GREEK-MACEDONIAN NEGOTIATIONS WITH NO CONCRETE RESULT

[03] INTERMODAL CONTAINER TERMINAL WILL BE BUILT IN SKOPJE STARTING FROM OCTOBER

[04] FRAME CONVENTION FOR PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES RATIFIED

[05] PROTESTS WITH A LESSENED INTENSITY

[06] ALBANIAN STUDENTS' DIGNITY VIOLENTLY HURT

[07] SDSM - MUTUAL STIR UP OF POLITICAL EXTREMISM

[08] VMRO-DPMNE - TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THE AGGRESSIVE GROWING LARGE- ALBANIAN POLITICS IN MACEDONIA

[09] LP AND DP - THE STATEMENT OF PM CRVENKOVSKI - THREAT TO MACEDONIAN DEMOCRACY

[10] PART OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY FENCES OFF FROM FUSION WITH THE LIBERALS

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[11] `Legal Framework on Religion Rights' (`Nova Makedonija', 27 February, 1997)

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 28 February, 1997

[01] CRVENKOVSKI - SOFIJANSKI MEETING - FREE TRADE ZONE A PRIORITY

According to the statement given by PM Crvenkovski, in the talks the Macedonian side affirmed the decision on an agreements for liberalization of the trade regime between the two states. The same attitude was also expressed on part of Bulgaria. For realization of this idea soon there will be talks at an expert level, informed the Macedonian PM. With the assessment that at the meeting there was found a mutual understanding on many issues, PM Crvenkovski stressed that there were talks about the East-West corridor and he put a particular emphasis on the railroad transportation and the telecommunications, as well as the pay circulation between the two states about which Macedonia and Bulgaria should decide on one commercial bank.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister has assessed the meeting as a fruitful one, stressing that particular issues have been discussed and placed in a priority position the talks about creating a free trade zone. Sofijanski pointed out the importance of the achieved agreement on a joined appearance with regional projects before the international institutions.

Unofficially the Macedonian media report that the aim of Sofijanski's visit of Skopje is the help from Macedonia to Bulgaria (mainly in food supplies) which would help Bulgaria to easier overcome the crisis it is suffering at the present. Also unofficially, as it is reported by `Nova Makedonija', Macedonia has expressed an attitude of willingness to meet this demand and will help Bulgaria to overcome the acute food crisis.

As it has been pointed out, after long years of stagnation of the Macedonian-Bulgarian relations this is the first visit of a high official statesmen to the Republic of Macedonia and it is expected that besides its work character it will have a positive influence on overcoming the dead end where lie the political relations between the two states.

Because of the `language issue' for many years now 19 agreements on collaboration in different sectors have been left unsigned.

In his recent interview for the Macedonian Radio the Bulgarian Prime Minister stated that the negotiations between Macedonia and Bulgaria will continue especially in the direction of solutions having economic interests for both states. Sofijanski assessed the `language issues' as ridiculous, formal and it was needless to be commented on.

He also assessed that the political problem with the language should be solved by the Government that has the longer mandate because his Government during its 3 months mandate will take care of problems in the economy sphere.

Sofijanski's visit to Skopje is the first visit outside Bulgaria since his becoming the head of the official Bulgarian Government which should lead the state to new parliamentary elections in April this year.

[02] ANOTHER ROUND OF GREEK-MACEDONIAN NEGOTIATIONS WITH NO CONCRETE RESULT

A-1 TV citing some Greek diplomatic sources reports that at the meeting Toshevski-Zaharacis in New York the Macedonian representative once more had repeated the Macedonian attitude that the name issue should be solved in future only bilateral, i.e. Macedonia and Greece with the assistance of Cyrus Vance should talk and decide on how Greek would address Macedonia, but in the international public the constitutional name of the state will remain.

[03] INTERMODAL CONTAINER TERMINAL WILL BE BUILT IN SKOPJE STARTING FROM OCTOBER

[04] FRAME CONVENTION FOR PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES RATIFIED

The parliament members yesterday discussed another international acs, the Convention for protection of human rights , the basic freedom and other additional protocols.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Ljubomir Frchkovski, regarding this pointed out that the Republic of Macedonia belong to the first line of states with a higher level of protection of the human rights and freedom. The signing of this European Convention will present another confirmation of acceptance of the European standards but it also presents a greater caution and control in the legal system, stressed Frchkovski, assessing that it will open a new phase, i.e. a total Europeization in this field. Yet the parliament members yesterday did not ratify this Convention because there was not enough quorum at the session. At the session the Bill on lottery games was adopted. Ljubisav Ivanov assessed that this Bill will monopolize this activity, while the Finance Minister , Taki Fiti, accentuated the necessity of only 4-5 casinos, not 30 as is the present case in Macedonia, and the necessity of strict state control of the income from the lottery games.

The Parliament yesterday adopted the legal changes which decrease the tax on children clothing, shoes and sneakers from 25 down to 5%.

[05] PROTESTS WITH A LESSENED INTENSITY

In Skopje the protests were held in front of the Parliament and the Government and the few hundreds of students around noon were joined by 500 secondary school students from Tetovo. Due to the bad weather conditions the protesting procession walked from the Parliament to the Government and vice versa. There were exclamations such as `One Macedonia - one language', the Government and the Parliament were booed at. The secondary school students from Tetovo stayed in Skopje for 2 hours and went home with the organized coaches.

The organizers of the protest, the Macedonian students from the Pedagogical Faculty yesterday announced reception in the Embassies of France and Russia in Skopje where they will present their demands.

The media report that the protests yesterday continued in Tetovo , Gostivar , Kichevo, Strumica, Radovish, Kratovo and Kumanovo. The secondary school students from these town joining the demands of the students from Skopje walked on the streets repeating the same demands, and there were also gatherings in front of the state institutions. Regarding the protests in these towns no large incidents happened.

[06] ALBANIAN STUDENTS' DIGNITY VIOLENTLY HURT

The letter cites that `Macedonia has become a bastion of xenophobia , racism and ethnic intolerance , that the Macedonian youth stands for the European principles of tolerance only when it uses the benefits from the European youth institutions and that the Albanian students will not give up their right to a mother tongue at all levels.'

Regarding the Bill on the Pedagogical Faculty the Albanian students stated that they support it, but not fully. It has been informed that the Albanian students from this faculty who have so far boycotted the lectures do not agree on notarize the semesters after they have gained all signatures from the professors, instead they have made a demand for an administrative notarization . This demand has been rejected.

The Albanian students from the Pedagogical faculty yesterday announced that they will not attend lectures until there Albanian professors come to teach.

At the press conference the reporters have asked for the reason why the Albanian students do not criticize the nationalistic disorders in Tetovo at the rally of PDPA.

There was an answer that the disorders were initiated by the Macedonian students and that the Albanian people can not always tolerate insults.

[07] SDSM - MUTUAL STIR UP OF POLITICAL EXTREMISM

The developments in Tetovo confirm that political extremism , these days especially manifested with VMRO-DPMNE and PDPA, are mutually stirred up, i.e. they go hand in hand, slogans are responded with other slogans, a threat , with another threat'. This among other was pointed out at yesterday's announcement given by SDSM. In the announcement it has been assessed that the PDPA aim to direct their extremist declarations and thesis against the Macedonians in Tetovo in order to threaten them. `Members of the PDPA: Arben Dzaferi, Menduh Tachi and others call on breaching the Constitution and the Law on local self management. They also call on civil disobedience which in this context is nothing less than a call to undermine the legal and economic order of the state.', it is cited in the announcement given by SDSM.

Regarding the ongoing situation, SDSM point out that they have a distinct attitude. Through their representatives in the General Assembly and in the Macedonian Government the party will decidedly continue to stand for consistent respect for and application of the Constitution and the laws in the whole territory of the Republic of Macedonia. `They are equally in effect for all citizens regardless of their nationality, social, religious and political affiliation', it is said in SDSM's statement.

[08] VMRO-DPMNE - TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THE AGGRESSIVE GROWING LARGE- ALBANIAN POLITICS IN MACEDONIA

According to VMRO-DPMNE it is about time to stand in the way of the aggressive growing Large-Albanian politics in Macedonia which presents an open menace for destabilization and disintegration of the Macedonian state.

`It should be clear to those who without selecting the means for usurping the authority that besides creating fairy tales for cohabitation, their basic duty is to protect the constitutional Macedonian people, especially the Macedonians who live in the western parts of Macedonia, from the aggressive attacks from the Large-Albanian chauvinists', it is cited in the announcement of VMRO-DPMNE.

[09] LP AND DP - THE STATEMENT OF PM CRVENKOVSKI - THREAT TO MACEDONIAN DEMOCRACY

According to Stojan Andov the mutual assessment is that in the Republic of Macedonia there are currently trends of worsening the situation which may become even worse after the attempts for disqualification of subjects with a different opinion. The parliamentary member group of the LP will ask the Prime Minister to elaborate his arguments at a special assembly session which will be then debated upon.

`If the Prime Minister refuses to do this we will consider that he really holds to the screenplay which consists denial of any dialogue on the state's essential matters, and which enables him occasionally to appear in the media and thus is able to qualify anybody who has a different opinion', stressed Andov.

Regarding the Donor's Conference for Macedonia, the leader of the Liberals assessed that it has been unsuccessful considering the amount of collected means by which the USA with the approved 2 million dollars in fact have given their estimation on the reforms in Macedonia.

[10] PART OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY FENCES OFF FROM FUSION WITH THE LIBERALS

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[11] `Legal Framework on Religion Rights'

(`Nova Makedonija', 27 February, 1997)

These days, before the members of the Macedonian Parliament the Proposal of passing a law on the belief communities and religious groups has been examined. The version of this law which in the first phase is to be voted for by the members of Parliament has already been approved by several parliamentary commission bodies.

Otherwise, the constitutional basis for this law proposed by the Government of Republic Macedonia lies in act 19 which regulates the issues of religion, belief communities and religious groups. The issue of belief and religion in the latest period has been regulated by a separate law - Law on the legal position of the religious communities since 1977 and it has been overloaded with a large number of ideological elements which were appropriate to the social structure of the state. Thus, inevitable was the need of a different regulation of these issues - a regulation which would be in correlation to the new constitutional and legal structure of Macedonia. According to the explication given by the proposer, the goal of this law would be procuring free and uninterrupted activity of the belief communities and religious groups concordant to the democratic character of the Macedonian society.

It is a relatively short legal act constituted of 36 paragraphs where 5 chapters systemize the issues such as: regarding place and role of the belief communities and religious groups, publicity of their activity, the way of establishing belief communities and religious groups, as well as issues regarding religious teaching.

The one who prepares the law makes a starting distinction between a belief community and religious groups. A belief community is defined as a voluntarily organised and unprofitable community of believers who share the same belief. A religious group, according to this law's provisions, is also a voluntarily and unprofitable community of believers who share the same religious belief, but they do not share the faith for which the belief community is organised. It can be established with at least 50 adult, Macedonian citizens with a permanent habitation in Macedonia. With this there are practically 3 permanent belief communities established : the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Islam religious community and the Roman Catholicism - all which, seen historically, have been existing in our country for the longest period of time. All the rest which will fulfil the legal conditions regarding: number of necessary people, reporting to the authorised organ and registration in the register will get the treatment of a religious group. The religious rites and activities in our country can only be conducted by a registered belief community i.e. a religious group according to the laws and regulations. The law categorically prohibits forcing or hindering a person to become a member of a belief community or religious group or to be force into taking part in religious rites or other similar kinds of belief expressing.

On requirement of the belief community or the religious group it is allowed for a foreign citizen to take part in religious rites but only if the person is granted permission to so by a body authorises for such issues.

Religious rites, gatherings, religious teaching, schools and other forms of expressing belief can not be used for political goals, for enhancing religious, national and other intolerance. Besides, the belief communities and the religious groups are allowed to establish religious schools as well as social and charitable institutions. What present a novelty in the law is a decision of the Government according to which one religion is expected to have only one belief community. This possibility arouse doubt with some members of certain Assembly bodies and caused reactions among several religious groups.

The law issues rules according to which the religious rites can be performed in churches and other religious temples, also in yards that are part of their property, in graveyards, and other public premises. A separate chapter of the law regulates the issues regarding founding of religious schools, thus for instance, it has been established that religious teachings may be conducted with pupils with the age of 10 and over. The belief communities are allowed to found religious schools for educating clergymen as well as building pupils' dormitories. The founding may take place after an opinion given by the authorised body (the Commission for relations with belief communities) while the Education Ministry inspects the programmes and their realisation which should be concordant to the Constitution and the laws in the Republic of Macedonia.

Six paragraphs from the Law regard the penal provisions intended for subjects addressed by the legal act. Thus with the amount of 30.000 - 50.000 denars are fined persons who perform religious rites outside the regulated places and persons who force people to become members of a belief community. Fines are also predicted for hindering contribution to humanitarian goals, for performing religious teaching outside the predicted premises or during school classes etc. The highest fine amounts 50.000 - 100.000 denars and it is predicted for a responsible person of the religious group if one does not register in the authorised body within the predicted time term, if one uses published advertisements not concordant to the legal regulations, if one collects charity for other purposes or establishes a religious school for pupils attending primary school.

The Commission dealing with issues of the belief communities and religious groups, according to the final provisions of that law, is obligated in the course of one month after putting the Law into effect to forward the groups or communities into the register of the Macedonian Orthodox Church, the Islam Community, the Roman Catholic Church and the religious groups registered in the Domestic Affairs Ministry. The established belief communities and religious groups are obligated in the time term of 6 months to co- ordinate their activities.

(end)

mils news 28 February, 1997

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