MAK-NEWS 28/04/95 (M.I.L.S.)
From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>
CONTENTS
[01] GENERAL STRIKE TAKES PLACE IN SKOPJE
[02] HEAD OF INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AGAINST MEETING
[03] LEFTEROV ACCUSES JANEV OF TREASON
[04] NO PASSENGERS WERE DENIED ENTRY IN SKOPJE, POLICE CLAIMS
[05] GOVERNMENT PRESS-CONFERENCE
[06] WARNING STRIKE TO TAKE PLACE TODAY
[07] GLIGOROV RECEIVES US CONGRESSMAN
[08] ANDOV ENDS VISIT TO TURKEY
[09] TURKEY AND MACEDONIA SIGN A TRAFFIC AGREEMENT
[10] SIMOSKA INFORMS BOLCUS OF DISSATISFACTION OF MACEDONIANS
[11] TRPEVSKI SPEAKS OF MACEDONIAN SECURITIES MARKET
[12] ARENS VISITS SKOPJE
[13] HEARING AT TETOVO COURT CONTINUES
[14] MOST SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS IN MACEDONIA PRONOUNCED
[15] OCCASIONS
[16] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: PROTEST MEETING IN TETOVO (Vecher, 28 April 1995)
M I L S N E W S
Skopje, 28 April 1995
[01] GENERAL STRIKE TAKES PLACE IN SKOPJE
After a 90 minute delay, the announced general strike
started at the Macedonia square in Skopje, yesterday,
organized by the Independent Trade Union Association. Around
3,000 demonstrators from Skopje and other cities appeared at
the city square. In attendance were representatives of
parties which supported the gathering and OSCE and UNPREDEP
officials. Strikers read out a declaration which consisted
of only two demands: that the current government resign and
that a new, temporary government be formed to schedule new
elections within 3 months. It is the Union's decision to
continue with the strike until the administration resigns.
Union president Stojan Nikolov refuted rumors on splits
within the Union itself. He also said that the police are
preventing people from outside Skopje to enter the city.
A larger group of citizens then headed toward the Union
Center, demanding to meet with Zhivko Tolevski, president of
the Association of Trade Unions in Macedonia (SSM). They
requested that Tolevski resign, that the SSM property be
divided and that the Independent Union be provided with
offices within the Union Center. Tolevski turned down all
demands.
The meeting ended about 7 p.m. with the Union secretary
saying that, unless the Government resigns, the Union will
turn aggressive tonight.
[02] HEAD OF INDEPENDENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AGAINST MEETING
Stavre Janev, Head of the Independent Trade Union
Association's Executive Committee and leader of the
Independent Trade Union of Farmers, said yesterday the
majority of the members in the Executive Committee and the
Independent Unions dissociate themselves from yesterday's
meeting. We believe, he said, the interests of workers can
be protected only by a politically independent trade union.
According to these members, the Union should have given the
Government a month to start initiating social programs
demanded by the Union. The two demands stated by the Union
yesterday, Janev said, are arbitrary and have not been
confirmed by Union bodies and the Executive Committee.
[03] LEFTEROV ACCUSES JANEV OF TREASON
Atanas Lefterov, main coordinator of the general strike of
the Independent Trade Unions Association, stated yesterday
that his associate, Stavre Janev, who was also one of the
leading organizers, committed a treason. Lefterov expressed
deep disappointment with Janev. "Still," he added, "we will
complete the scenario even if we remain with only half a
man."
[04] NO PASSENGERS WERE DENIED ENTRY IN SKOPJE, POLICE CLAIMS
A1 Television cites top officials of the Macedonian Ministry
of the Interior as bitterly refuting any rumors of citizens
outside Skopje having been intercepted at the roads leading
into the capitol. According to them, people did not try to
come to Skopje, because no one was prevented from arriving
to take part in yesterday's meeting.
[05] GOVERNMENT PRESS-CONFERENCE
With reference to the general strike held in Skopje
yesterday, the Government held a press-conference in the
afternoon, to say, "As far as we know, nearly 3,000 people
gathered today at the Macedonia square in Skopje...
Following the split in views among the very leaders of the
Independent Union, the majority of the Executive Committee
members dissociated themselves from the meeting, and it is
obvious that the citizens who did come out in the streets
had been organized by several political parties. Our sources
tell us that the major activities at the meeting were
organized and led by VMRO-DPMNE which, of course, just
confirms once again that the meeting had a political
background. During yesterday's talks with the largest part
of the Independent Union leadership, we all agreed that the
reform course initiated by the Government is the only way
and that it requests that trade unions also get engaged in
the process."
[06] WARNING STRIKE TO TAKE PLACE TODAY
Workers in the textile, shoe and leather industry will go on
a warning strike from 1p.m. to 2 p.m. today. The initiator
and organizer of the strike is the State Committee of the
trade unions of these industries and is supported by five
other branches of the Trade Union Association of Macedonia.
This was said at yesterday's press-conference by Angelko
Angelkovski, president of the Textile, Shoe and Leather
Trade Union, which took place immediately after the
unsuccessful talks between them and Government officials.
[07] GLIGOROV RECEIVES US CONGRESSMAN
Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov yesterday received a
delegation from the US Congress led by congressman Jim
Morren. The talks, also attended by the Head of the US
Liaison Office Victor Comras, focused on the situation in
the region and the development of Macedonian-US relations.
Morren repeated his country's interest in a stable
Macedonia, pointing out the Congress will discuss ways to
support the East-West corridor at its next session.
President Gligorov spoke of the current economic and
political situation in the country and Macedonia's relations
with its neighbors, emphasizing losses suffered by Macedonia
as a result of the Greek embargo and UN sanctions on
Yugoslavia.
Congressman Morren was also received by Foreign Minister
Stevo Crvenkovski.
[08] ANDOV ENDS VISIT TO TURKEY
Macedonian Parliament President Stojan Andov arrived back
yesterday in Macedonia after a several-day visit to Turkey.
He had attended the ceremony celebrating the 75th
anniversary of the Grand People's Parliament of Turkey.
During his stay there, Andov met with Turkish President
Suleiman Demirel, Prime Minister Tansu Ciller and
representatives of parliaments from several other countries.
Speaking of results of his visit, Andov told reporters that
the good Turkish-Macedonian relations and mutual trust were
confirmed once again. He said his talks with Turkish
officials focused on parliamentary cooperation and the
Turkish minority in Macedonia as a bridge for bilateral
cooperation. At the end, Andov announced a coming visit by a
senior Turkish official to Macedonia.
[09] TURKEY AND MACEDONIA SIGN A TRAFFIC AGREEMENT
In Skopje, yesterday, Macedonian Minister of Traffic and
Communication Dimitar Buzlevski and the Turkish ambassador
to Macedonia Suha Noyan signed an agreement to regulate the
transportation of goods and passengers between the two
countries. The system will be carried out without requiring
licenses, except for transportation to and from third
countries. All documents will conform to European standards.
[10] SIMOSKA INFORMS BOLCUS OF DISSATISFACTION OF MACEDONIANS
Macedonian Minister of Education Emilija Simoska and Victor
Gaber, under-secretary in the Macedonian Foreign Ministry,
met with Australian Minister of Ethnic Relations and
Immigration Nick Bolcus during the ongoing Conference on
Cultural Variety in Sydney. They informed him of the
dissatisfaction of the Macedonian community in Australia
with the unjustified Federal Government decision to rename
Macedonians in Australia "Slav-Macedonians". Bolcus spoke
of current problems in dealing with various ethnic
communities in Australia, stressing that respect for variety
and tolerance are basic principles of the country. These
principles, he added, are at moments violated by the
political opportunist and various pressures which must be
alleviated.
[11] TRPEVSKI SPEAKS OF MACEDONIAN SECURITIES MARKET
The first securities market in Macedonia is expected to
start operating in Skopje, sometime in the last quarter of
the year. The basic criteria of operations of the market
were stated by Minister Ljube Trpevski at yesterday's press-
conference: non-profit orientation, openness of the Bourse,
having independent financial experts comprising more than
half of the members of the board, and centralized trade. The
securities market is to be founded as a financial
organization with at least 5 founders and a founding capital
of at least 1 million German marks in a Denar counter value.
The Bourse will be trading with securities only. Members of
the market will be legal entities with a capital of at least
50,000 German marks. Operations will be conducted by
authorized brokers and the State Securities Committee will
control all operations.
The first issue of the Bourse publication "Capital" was
promoted yesterday.
[12] ARENS VISITS SKOPJE
Gert Arens, Head of the Working Group on Ethnic and National
Communities at the International Conference for Former
Yugoslavia, arrived for a visit to Skopje yesterday. He
organized another round of talks between the Macedonian
Government, represented by Minister of Justice Vlado
Popovski, and political parties of Albanians in the
Macedonian Parliament, represented by Ziberi, Ibraimi and
Dzaferi. The talks, attended also by an OSCE official,
focused on educational issues, use of language and the
latest events in Tetovo.
The next meeting was scheduled for May 11 & 12 to discuss
radio programs in languages of minorities planned to be
broadcast throughout Macedonia.
[13] HEARING AT TETOVO COURT CONTINUES
The second day of the trial of Fadil Suleimani and Milaim
Feiziu at the Tetovo Municipal Court was spent in
questioning the second defendant Feiziu and presenting
evidence before the three-member criminal council. Unlike
the first day, the public interest in the trial decreased
and no people gathered in front of the courthouse.
[14] MOST SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS IN MACEDONIA PRONOUNCED
Yesterday in Skopje, "Makmanager '94", the joint project of
the newspaper Nova Makedonija and the magazine Express,
ended by promoting the most successful Macedonian managers
in the past years, on basis of 12 criteria. They are as
follows: Kostadin Berzov (Bargala) - Shtip, Gligoroie
Gogovski (Tetks) - Tetovo, Gjorge Gjurkovic (Herc-
Makedonija) - Skopje, Goce Kamcev (Interkam) - Skopje, Zoran
Krstevski (JPAU-Makedonija) - Skopje, Blagoja Madzarovski
(Tutunski kombinat) - Skopje, Simon Naumovski (Vitaminka) -
Prilep, Slobodanka Popovska (Makoshped) - Skopje, Zoran
Trpevski (Makedonska Banka) - Skopje and Milan Hristovski
(ZUS) - Skopje.
[15] OCCASIONS
- On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of victory over
fascism, the State Committee of the Association of Veterans
in Macedonia yesterday held a ceremonial session with
President Gligorov and representatives of the diplomatic
corps in the country in attendance. Association president
Borko Temelkovski gave an introductory speech.
- The 90th anniversary of the death of the Macedonian
revolutionary and president of the Krushevo Republic Nikola
Karev was marked in Krushevo yesterday. Senior Macedonian
Government officials paid respects at his tomb.
[16] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: PROTEST MEETING IN TETOVO
(Vecher, 28 April 1995)
"Never declare someone as your enemy, unless you can defeat
them."
It was with this old Albanian proverb that one of the
organizers of the protest march in Tetovo of two days ago
ended his speech in front of the gathered ethnic Albanians
before the courthouse in which the initiators of the Tetovo
university were on trial. He added that Fadil Suleimani is
invincible, because he has the people at this side.
The power of this wisdom was just too dangerously expressed
on an occasion like this one, because since the very first
day since announcing the initiative for an Albanian-language
university in Tetovo, there have been attempts to polarize
the Macedonian public on national issues. All messages for
co-existence and understanding will go down the drain if
such and similar "wisdom" is often spoken; speaking of
winners and losers, they can only increase the intolerance.
The beginning of the trial of Suleimani and Feiziu has only
confirmed this polarization, going so far as having the two
sides engage reporters who witnessed the event : the
prosecution summons Macedonian reporters, and the defense
calls ethnic Albanian journalists.
What is even more frightening, the executive power is
already being identified with the judicial one and
spectators seem to be sure that the accused will be
sentenced no matter what. The leader of the PDPA, Arben
Dzaferi, whose party obviously stood behind the idea of a
university in Tetovo, assures that "the entire process will
be just another farce."
The question is what will happen if the Municipal Court in
Tetovo frees Suleimani and Feiziu of the charges? Will the
public not say that the court decision has been made under
pressure of the Tetovo events, that is the protest march of
some ten thousand people? Again, then, a conclusion
questioning the independence of the judiciary.
The claim of political parties of Albanians in Macedonia
that this is a political instead of a court process seems to
be literally groundless. The fact that this initiative
violates the Constitution and law in Macedonia does not
worry them at all.
To proclaim someone as invincible because he is backed up by
their "people" is too dangerous a thesis to contribute to
the attempts to solve all problems through dialogue. On the
contrary, it provokes the other side to oppose the idea with
more numerous people and prove its own invincibility. Such
statements, of course, can win many votes for someone, but
certainly bring no good to the country in which he lives and
tries to gain as much power as possible.
On the other hand, the government also contributed to
polarizing the situation with the very fact that it did not
find it necessary to point out the possible consequences of
the initiative to the initiators themselves and try and find
alternative solutions for problems of ethnic Albanians in
the field of education, within the legal educational scheme.
Communication through public statements and without personal
appearance at the scene is bound to lead to such an
outcome. In fact, this is not an outcome, but a beginning of
something the outcome of which is hard to predict.
(end)
mils-news 28 April '95
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