MAK-NEWS 12/05/95 (M.I.L.S.)
From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>
CONTENTS
[01] NOYAN LEAVES MACEDONIA
[02] GLIGOROV RECEIVES SOROS
[03] UNIVERSITY STEP TOWARDS DISINTEGRATION, SOROS SAYS
[04] DELEGATION FROM HOLLAND VISITS MACEDONIA
[05] HONORING ST. CYRILL
[06] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DISCUSSES EDUCATION OF MINORITIES
[07] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS
[08] BULGARIAN PRESS ON VMRO-DPMNE'S CONGRESS
[09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART I (Puls, 12 May 1995)
M I L S N E W S
Skopje, 12 May 1995
[01] NOYAN LEAVES MACEDONIA
Yesterday Macedonian President, Kiro Gligorov, received the
Turkish ambassador to Macedonia, Suha Noyan, at a farewell
reception. Gligorov expressed gratitude for Noyan's
contribution to the strengthening of bilateral relations,
wishing him success in future assignments.
The Turkish ambassador was also received by Prime Minister
Branko Crvenkovski. Noyan said the potential for cooperation
between the two nations is enormous, promising to help in
any way that he can to foster cooperation.
Parliament President Stojan Andov also received Noyan and
expressed gratitude for Noyan's participation in the
parliamentary cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia.
Noyan stated his satisfaction with the welcome he received
while in Macedonia.
[02] GLIGOROV RECEIVES SOROS
President Gligorov yesterday received the US businessman and
founder of the Open Society Foundation, George Soros. They
exchanged ideas, which differed in some areas, on the
current situation in Greek-Macedonian relations and on the
development of ethnic relations in the country.
[03] UNIVERSITY STEP TOWARDS DISINTEGRATION, SOROS SAYS
Prior to leaving Macedonia, George Soros stated in an
interview with A1 television, "...I think intensive and
constructive efforts are being undertaken in the adoption of
legislature regarding the treatment of minorities,
especially in the field of their education... I definitely
do not support the initiative for a university in Tetovo,
nor have I ever supported it, as I instinctively feel that
it would be a step towards the disintegration of Macedonia.
At the same time, it is wrong to use police methods to
prevent it... The establishment of the Pedagogical academy I
believe is a step in the right direction... There have been
suggestions to establish a three-language educational
institution within one of the universities, which I am ready
to support if the international community does so; but, it
is not me who is leading this initiative and I personally
believe it will be of limited effect."
[04] DELEGATION FROM HOLLAND VISITS MACEDONIA
An economic delegation of Holland's Council for Trade
Promotion, led by Mr. van Lent, has arrived for a two-day
visit to Macedonia. The aim of the visit is to improve
current economic cooperation. The delegation was received by
Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. They stated mutual
satisfaction with the development of relations between
Macedonia and Holland.
The delegation met with several representatives of
Macedonian companies at the Chamber of Commerce. In
attendance was Gerhard van Pallant, ambassador of Holland to
Macedonia. The delegates, including representatives of
companies such as Phillips and Daf, expressed readiness to
get directly engaged in the Macedonian economy. Cooperation
would start in the field of agriculture and then continue in
the fields of tourism, transportation, textiles and other
industries.
The Netherlands comprises 2.1 per cent of the total foreign
exchange of Macedonia. Last year Macedonia exported goods
worth $14.5 million to Holland, while imported goods
amounted to $38.1 million.
[05] HONORING ST. CYRILL
The traditional festival "Macedonia in Honor of St. Cyrill"
will take place on 23-26 May in Rome, Italy. Besides
President Gligorov, the delegation is to include Foreign
Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and Minister of Culture Estref
Aliu. During the stay in Rome and the Vatican, the
Macedonian delegation will meet with Italian President Oscar
Luigi Scalfaro, Foreign Minister Susana Angelli, as well as
with the Pope and Angello Sodanno, Secretary of State of the
Holy See.
The delegation, including a group from the Macedonian
Orthodox Church led by the Head of Church Father Mikhail,
will attend the ceremony honoring St. Cyrill in Rome .
[06] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DISCUSSES EDUCATION OF MINORITIES
The Constitutional Court of Macedonia has requested re-
examination of the decision of the Pedagogical Academy of
Skopje to organize training courses for teachers in the
languages of minorities. Yesterday's preparatory session,
initiated by private individuals, was attended by Minister
of Education Emilija Simoska, law professor Gale Galev and
professor Tito Belicanec. According to the initiators, the
Academy's decision is opposed to the Law on Specialized
Education and the Constitution itself. The initiators,
reminding that the decision was made upon the suggestion of
the Ministry of Education, said the cabinet should be aware
that it is only an executor and not a maker of laws.
Speaking on behalf of the Government, Simoska said that
since the right to an education in one's mother tongue in
elementary and high-schools is safe-guarded by the
Constitution, it is also necessary to provide conditions for
this, i.e., to train teachers for courses in minority
languages.
Professor Galev explained that there are, at present, no
facilities for a higher education in minority languages.
However, he said, if the Ministry decides to provide courses
in languages of the minorities and fails to train competent
teachers for this purpose, then this decision will become
only an empty declaration.
Professor Belicanec pointed to the current Law on
Specialized Education as the main problem, as it had been
created on the basis of a constitution valid under quite
different conditions.
[07] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS
The All-Macedonian Movement MAAK will hold its second
congress in Strumica next Sunday. The party leaders believe
the congress will eliminate all those working against the
good of the party. The name is also expected to be changed.
Straso Angelovski and Jagnula Kunovska are the nominees for
a new leader.
[08] BULGARIAN PRESS ON VMRO-DPMNE'S CONGRESS
The last congress of VMRO-DPMNE brought about reactions both
at home and abroad. Duma, the ruling Socialist Party's
paper, writes that he congress more or less recognized the
Bulgarian character of the national liberation movement in
Macedonia. The paper, Continental, reports that the congress
rehabilitated the commanders of the 11th Macedonian Division
of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan War. The paper
underlines the conclusion of the congress saying that the
development of VMRO during the times of Vanco Mihajlov and
Todor Aleksandrov was a part of the history of opposition to
Macedonia. With such conclusions, the paper comments, the
Macedonian opposition led by VMRO-DPMNE is making a turn in
its inner political action. This turn is diametrically
opposed to the official Skopje standpoint regarding the
history of Macedonia and the separate identity and language
of the nation - as different from those of Bulgaria. VMRO-
DPMNE refuted all this, saying that there were no Bulgarian
reporters at the congress.
[09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART I
(Puls, 12 May 1995)
Activities of political parties in Macedonia are, or will
be, concentrated on congress valorization of the moves that
the ruling block and opposition parties have carried out or
intend to realize. No party seems willing to give up the
logic and scenarios of summing up victories, even at times
when battles were lost. The reviews of results achieved by
inner parties all have a common denominator - the parties in
power seem, for the time being at least, without any new
ideas when it comes to the realization of promises made
during campaigns. The opposition parties apparently intend
to transform their political ideals into pragmatic steps.
However efforts to regroup or revive shattered membership
remain a constant in their activities. The latest Liberal
initiative for a joint platform signals, and even seriously
indicates, plans for putting the coalition back on solid
ground. On the other hand, VMRO-DPMNE leader Ljupco
Georgievski said at the congress that even at the cost of
premature suspension of its program goals, VMRO-DPMNE will
promote future "pragmatic policies" with the basic goal
being to secure participation in the government. Criticizing
the "several smaller mistakes" of the leadership,
Georgievski mentioned the missed opportunities in 1990 and
1992 to take over power in the country and thus probably
"limiting any chances to thwart the second parliamentary
elections." Yet he said, "we would have had to abandon a
number of our program goals to do this." At the same time,
introducing a mild turn towards cooperation with the
political factor of Albanians in the country, this "most
national" party is building a policy of flexibility, the
ultimate goal of which is, after all, gaining power.
Contacts between the Democratic Party and PDP-A, led by
Arben Dzaferi, have had a considerable impact on the
attempts of the opposition to regroup its forces. Meetings
between the leaders of these two parties, Goshev and
Dzaferi, during their attendance at the Congress of Radicals
in Italy, definitely indicate serious attempts for uniting
the parliamentary and out-of-parliament opposition. At the
same time this could also mean that both VMRO-DPMNE and the
Democratic Party count on the participation of the political
factor of Albanians in Macedonian institutions. Having in
mind the individual contacts between high-ranking officials
of VMRO-DPMNE and PDP, both before and after the first
parliamentary elections and in the function of
representatives of national interests of the Macedonian and
Albanian people, the surprise is not so great. What could be
interesting, in this potentially mild political pressure at
parliament, is the possibility of indirectly introducing the
interests of the Democrats on issues that the two parties
agree on through, for instance, PDP deputies. The fact that
the opposition recently stood behind the political and
economic demands of the hungry, or the so-called independent
trade union, is an indicator, but not definite proof, for
the social stratification of their memberships and interests
of these three parties. The serious criticism aimed at the
current administration, regarding the privatization process
and described as "the robbery of the century", is far from
being a common view on the issue. On the contrary, the
differences are diametrical, starting with the VMRO-DPMNE's
suggestion for a state-controlled economy as a transition
stage and finishing with the voucher system insisted on by
Goshev's Democrats. The identical confrontation between
Dzaferi and Aliti (the former accuses the latter of rude
privatization of political and national interests of
Albanians in the country for personal purposes) almost
illustrates the struggle between the current administration
and the opposition.
The block of parties in power, regardless of their alliance
during the election, has in fact never had a high degree of
compactness, not even when revealing their well-intended
suggestions for a joint platform to carry out the main goals
of the cabinet. It is known that the PDP leadership was
criticized for agreeing to participate in the government
without first consulting with the other parties of
Albanians. This was also done by the present member of
cabinet, Muhamed Halili, who appears to have great
influence. This agreement was also publicly announced by the
current secretary Naser Ziberi and Ismail Ramadani. The
focus of interest is concentrated on the need for
corrections to the constitution, educational rights of
Albanians and the inevitable demand for increasing the
number of Albanians employed at administrative posts.
Just as during the first mandate of cabinet, Liberals are
again raising the issue of an essential joint platform for
action. Back in 1992 the Liberals suggested and realized
several contacts between the party leadership and government
ministers. As a result of the dialogue between vice-
president Ivanov and certain party leaders with Miljovski,
Tofovski, Stefanov and Crvenkovski, the priority interests
of the Liberals were announced at the beginning of 1993.
From today's aspect it can be said that a considerable
portion of these interests (such as reforms in the ministry
of the interior, accelerating the privatization processes
and adopting laws to regulate trade associations and public
enterprises) have been realized, but with such dynamics and
without sensitivity which is likely to endanger the prime
minister and his followers.
(to be continued)
(end)
mils-news 12 May '95
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