MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-03-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] `OPEN AIR' HUNGER STRIKE OF STUDENTS CONTINUES

[02] MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR: `PERMIT TO SET UP TENTS NOT VALID'

[03] CONDITIONS AT ALBANIAN-MACEDONIAN BORDER

[04] NEW BOMBINGS ON KOSOVO

[05] FREE TRADE ZONE TALKS WITH BULGARIA TO CONTINUE ON 12TH THIS MONTH

[06] XAVIER SOLANA AND VOLKER RUEHE SOON TO VISIT MACEDONIA, MINISTER HANDZHISKI EXPECTED IN WASHINGTON

[07] EMPHASISING NECESSITY OF EXTENDING `UNPREDEP' MANDATE

[08] OVER A BILLION YEN JAPANESE ASSISTANCE FOR MACEDONIA

[09] A-1 TV: `DEBTS IN MACEDONIAN ECONOMY AMOUNTING TO OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS'

[10] `OKTA' REFINERY RESUMES PRODUCTION

[11] FINAL DECISION ON `AUDI A-3' PROJECT DUE ON 21ST THIS MONTH

[12] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SUSPENDS 26 DECISIONS OF COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT OF HEALTH SECTOR

[13] BILLS ON TV SUBSCRIPTION TO BE LINKED WITH ELECTRICITY BILLS

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[14] `Vardar and Bregalnica - Rivers Without Life' (`Vecher' - 4th March 1997)

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 06 March, 1997

[01] `OPEN AIR' HUNGER STRIKE OF STUDENTS CONTINUES

Around 20 Macedonian PF students who have started the hunger strike were visited by the Rector of the `Ss. Cyril and Methodius University' Radmila Kiprijanova, as well as by the University Senate Chairman Savo Klimovski. On this occasion they appealed to students to suspend the hunger strike and to look for a solution through state institutions. Students have also been asked to wait for the Constitutional Court ruling which is to determine the constitutional compatibility of the PF-Bill. The students responded that their requests are concurrent to the University Senate decisions passed on 17th January, as well as that demonstrations are being staged in order to express their lack of trust in the rule of law in Macedonia. Besides this, support for these protests has been rendered by app. 3 to 4 thousand students, pupils and citizens by taking the already customary itinerary.

Yesterday protesters in Skopje were also joined by app.

100 students of the Faculty of Mining and Geology and the Faculty of Pedagogy of Shtip, as well as by students of the Ohrid-based Faculty of Tourism. This has been preceded by peaceful protests in these cities. MTV further informs that in Ohrid part of the laid-off employees and other unemployed and social cases went out onto the streets.

[02] MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR: `PERMIT TO SET UP TENTS NOT VALID'

The site also includes a key section of the city's road network which has been reinvented by students as a football playing ground and a venue for other activities which obstructed traffic through the city. There are also no sanitary facilities to favour camping. The permit issued by authorities has been assessed as not valid and contrary to legal provisions. The Ministry of the Interior has also displayed a great deal of tolerance over the past days, indicating that it would implement all necessary measures to facilitate the restoration of public order and life in the city.'

[03] CONDITIONS AT ALBANIAN-MACEDONIAN BORDER

In this context the impact of events in Albania upon this municipality has been discussed, as well as the measures taken in case of the possible emergence of Albanian refugees and the traffic of travellers at the Blato border crossing.

It has been concluded that conditions are being monitored consistently, and that for now there is no increased number of illegal entries or signs of a refugee wave.

A-1 TV reports that UNPREDEP officials in Macedonia informed the public that though this peacekeeping mission is to undergo a reduction in observation posts along the Albanian-Macedonian border, troops would maintain an active observation routine. The efficiency of this venture is to be augmented by the vicinity of their offices near Debar, which are to be set up by UN military observers.

The `Makpress' agency reveals that frequency at border crossings towards Albania has been considerably lowered, and according to MOD data the overall amount of illegal border crossings has deteriorated to 20 to 30 per day.

Based on information provided by this agency there has been an attempt by three Albanian nationals to enter the country illegally.

`Makfax' is quoting Foreign Office sources upon reporting that for the timebeing the Macedonian minority in Albania is safe as the conflict zone is located in the south of the country. The Macedonian minority is predominantly living in the north where everything is quiet.

Media have also reported that the Macedonian border officials registered an increased number of stopped freight vehicles, as entering Albania is considered too dangerous.

[04] NEW BOMBINGS ON KOSOVO

`Reuters' report that the bomb had been placed in a wastebin in front of the faculty building, and that another bomb exploded in Prizren at the same time. There are no information however as regards possible casualties and damage in this city. According to the police sources quoted by `Reuters' both devices had been manufactured by the so-called Liberation Army of Kosovo, which has been carrying out terrorist attacks throughout last year. The agency ascribes the latest bombings to the several weeks of silence after the arrest of app. 70 people charged with terrorist activities by Serb police forces.

[05] FREE TRADE ZONE TALKS WITH BULGARIA TO CONTINUE ON 12TH THIS MONTH

`Dnevnik' is quoting Bulgarian media upon reporting that the language in which the agreement would be signed has not been determined yet - but that negotiations continue `due to the interests of both countries'. According to this daily PM Sofijanski has denied rumours launched by several Macedonian media that the export of Macedonian grain into Bulgaria had been discussed during his visit to Skopje.

[06] XAVIER SOLANA AND VOLKER RUEHE SOON TO VISIT MACEDONIA, MINISTER HANDZHISKI EXPECTED IN WASHINGTON

The latter is also to welcome German Defence Secretary Volker Ruehe on 8th April. The German official will also meet the top military representatives of our country.

Towards the second week of April Blagoj Handzhiski is to depart for Washington where he is to meet his US counterpart William Cohen.

[07] EMPHASISING NECESSITY OF EXTENDING `UNPREDEP' MANDATE

[08] OVER A BILLION YEN JAPANESE ASSISTANCE FOR MACEDONIA

[09] A-1 TV: `DEBTS IN MACEDONIAN ECONOMY AMOUNTING TO OVER HALF A BILLION DOLLARS'

In this context the Ministry of Finance is soon to compile a detailed assessment and offer options to remedy this situation. This is to be facilitated by the imminent enactment of the Law on Mortgages and Executive Procedures, which is to procure a framework to settle the creditor-debtor relation.

[10] `OKTA' REFINERY RESUMES PRODUCTION

[11] FINAL DECISION ON `AUDI A-3' PROJECT DUE ON 21ST THIS MONTH

Concordant to information released by the Skopje partner `ASIBA-MG' talks have focused on logistic support (communications, transportation, locations, etc.), which should be conducive to the possible signing of the contract. The latter - it has been known - has not been done so far after several months of negotiations as the Government (one of the partners besides `Audi' and `ASIBA-MG') requested to consider certain debatable details. `Audi' thus forwarded an ultimatum to the Government to reply until last Tuesday whether all aspects of the contract on the production of the `A 3' model in Macedonia (which from the German point of view are final and unalterable) encounter the agreement of the Macedonian Government. Unofficially the latter sees the main bone of contention in the request of the German partner for all vehicles of the Volkswagen Group (of which `Audi' is one component) to be imported into Macedonia with only 1% customs - contrary to binding rates for our country. MTV reveals that a meeting between a German delegation and Government representatives has been scheduled for 21st March in Skopje, which should determine the further fate of this project.

[12] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SUSPENDS 26 DECISIONS OF COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT OF HEALTH SECTOR

This, among other things, has been due to the fact that these provisions bear an impact on the private health sector, they oblige employers and employees but not those who closed the agreement, the employer is given increased authorities in certain respects and provisions have also made room for trial periods which is contrary to legislation.

The Court, however, neglected to commence procedures on general conditions of electricity supply (passed by the Energetics Dept. in `88) according to which the latter can be suspended if a client has not settled the bill for over a month.

Yesterday's session of the Constitutional Court also failed to result in the instigating of that part of the Defence Act outlining the recruitment of men only - as the Court thinks that different physical and biological traits do merely entail varying assignments in terms of national defence, but not gender inequality.

[13] BILLS ON TV SUBSCRIPTION TO BE LINKED WITH ELECTRICITY BILLS

According to the proposed draft-bill the MRT subscription fee is to amount to 3% of the average personal income of the preceding month (and not 4% as it has been the case so far). This sum is to be included into the electricity bill for each household. The announced new form of radio- broadcasting monopoly in shape of a Broadcasting Council will embody an independent structure which will not be comprised of members of the legislative, executive, judicial and local government. It is to propose concessions which are to be submitted for approval to the Government. The latter will also be entitled to revoke those concessions. The draft-bill further outlines the division of MRT into the public companies `Macedonian Radio and Television' and `Senders and Communications' - which in the opinion of the initiator is in compliance to European models prevailing in this sector.

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[14] `Vardar and Bregalnica - Rivers Without Life'

(`Vecher' - 4th March 1997)

The rivers Vardar and Bregalnica - the two key `arteries' running through the country - are virtually lifeless. The largest part of their contents is not water - but a gray filthy liquid festering with organic pollution, concentrates of chemical substances and heavy metals.

These conditions do not generate life, or create circumstances in which the latter can survive.

To attire this in expert terminology - according to which bodies of water in the Republic have been divided into four categories - these two rivers have been denoted as belonging to the worst (fourth) category i.e. they are outside every imaginable category. This means that the water is not drinkable, and not suitable for any use.

Due to this the Vardar and the Bregalnica have been classified as the most problematic ones in terms of pollution according to the National Ecological Action Agenda (NEAA) which has been adopted by the Government of the Republic of Macedonia.

Both rivers have also been denoted as priority projects within the NEAA, which require immediate action. In the spirit of these provisions, and the Movement of Ecologists of Macedonia which has been entrusted with leading the publicity campaign for NEAA, the public witnessed the staging of a panel on this issue.

According to a sector study on bodies of water covered by the NEAA, the quality of rivers and lakes in the country has been deteriorated almost everywhere. Legal provisions - it is being said - outline that in our country the third category is the last acceptable frontier. Most of the bodies of water, however, are of the fourth class, the one of the lowest quality. At times they are even below that.

Only the Radika and the Crn Drim, as well as some smaller mountain creeks, are of the second category. The Dragor, Kumanovka, Lakavica and other rivers have been denoted as `dead' due to the fact that there is almost no oxygen in their waters, as this element has been `pushed aside' by toxic substances. `Dead' are also the sections of the Vardar and the Bregalnica flowing through settlements.

In the opinion of Zoran Karamanovlevski (one of the authors of the NEAA sector study) the Vardar has been in this worst of condition from Skopje up to its estuary into the Crn Drim; the same applies to the Bregalnica from the river mouth of the Blato river to Kalimanci. With regards to these sections the National Hydro-meterological Institute has consistently registered an above all devastating amount of organic pollution, as well as concentrates of the most different chemical substances and heavy metals (chrome, quicksilver, lead, iron, cadmium).

The organic pollution of rivers is the result of waste waters (of the sewage system) being dumped into them. Not one city in the country has a filtering station for the processing of those waters, thus that all of them are directly emitted into the rivers and lakes - turning them into `cemeteries'. Several cities (Skopje, Shtip, Strumica) have already designed projects for the construction of such facilities some time ago, but the state does not succeed in finding funds for their implementation. The NEAA outlines strategic measures for the resolving of this issue. By building such facilities for the mechanical and biological cleansing of municipal sewage waste (industrial objects are to possess their own facilities) legal provisions would be met, i.e. those bodies of water would enter the third category. Concrete steps have been listed in shape of short- and long term plans concordant to which the first facilities are to be built in Skopje and Bitola, as 50% of the overall population and 60% of all industrial objects are clustered in and around these two cities. Such an undertaking (building these stations without collectors in larger cities) would require the overall amount of 210 million DM. This sum merely reflects the investment to go into their construction, maintenance would demand an almost identical amount on an annual basis.

As far as the industry, the second largest polluter of our rivers, is concerned - it keeps functioning without or with defect cleansing facilities. According to Antonio Efremov of the Skopje Mining Institute the top polluters of the Vardar are: the `Jugohrom' waste dump as its waste contains six-valence chrome - which thus severely endangers the Rashche springs; then `OHIS' (with quicksilver and vinylchloride monomer); `Usje' (asbestos and chrome); `Godel' (chrome, quicksilver, cyanides); the chemical industry facility `Veles' (different acids and chemical substances); the smeltery (zinc, lead, cadmium) as well as the Skopje waste dump `Vardarishte' and many others less substantial polluters. The Bregalnica is mainly threatened by industry in Kochani and mining waste dumps as almost all mining facilities in East Macedonia are concentrated around this river.

In the opinion of Mihail Damovski, Under-Secretary of Ecology in the Ministry of Urbanism, Civil Engineering and Environmental Protection, it has been decided on a ministerial level to commence the implementation of the NEAA recommendations, within which the Vardar and the Bregalnica have been ranked as priority issues to the Government and the state. This is not only to be ascribed to the urgent nature of this issue, imposed by the potential danger of an overall quality reduction of water in Macedonia, but also because of international commitments (including the Convention on the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea) and treaties in which our country should play an important part due to the fact that, for example, 80% of our rivers flow into the Mediterranean Sea.

(end)

mils news 06 March 1997

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