MAK-NEWS 15/05/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>

CONTENTS

  • [01] HANDZISKI MEETS PERRY IN WASHINGTON

  • [02] VANCE IS OPTIMIST

  • [03] GOVERNMENT MEETS POLITICAL LEADERS OF ALBANIANS

  • [04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S OBSERVERS TO VISIT SKOPJE

  • [05] DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS

  • [06] STOP FOR BUSES FROM MACEDONIA

  • [07] CONFERENCE ON INSOLVENCY

  • [08] NUMBER OF INSOLVENT COMPANIES GROWING

  • [09] DELEGATION OF YOUTH COUNCIL VISITS GREECE

  • [10] REPORTS ONE-SIDED AND GROUNDLESS, GREEK SCIENTIST SAYS

  • [11] VMRO-SMD ACCUSES SOCIALISTS OF NEO-MACEDONIAN POLICY

  • [12] "ALMAKO" WINE AWARDED GRAND-PRIX

  • [13] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS

  • [14] GREECE STRICKEN BY STRONG EARTHQUAKE

  • [15] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART II (Puls, 12 May 1995)

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    M I L S N E W S

    Skopje, 15 May 1995

    [01] HANDZISKI MEETS PERRY IN WASHINGTON

    Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski is currently on a several-day visit to the US. Yesterday, the official part of his visit began with a reception in Washington, organized in his honor by Joseph Cruesel, US Assistant Defense Secretary. The talks with Secretary of Defense William Perry are scheduled for today and will be attended by Admiral Owen, Deputy Chief-of-staff of the American Joint Army Forces, Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, and under-secretary for defense Walter Slocomb. Working groups of the Macedonian and US defense ministries will negotiate at the same time on security and military program issues. The visit is to end with a plenary session, when Handziski, Slocomb and Holbrooke are expected to give speeches.

    [02] VANCE IS OPTIMIST

    UN mediator Cyrus Vance and US special envoy in the Greek- Macedonian dispute, Matthew Nimitz, met last week in Athens with Miltiades Evert, leader of the Greek opposition. Media in Greece say Vance voiced optimism for progress in the negotiations. Nova Makedonija cites diplomatic sources in Athens as saying the Macedonian-Greek talks will be finished by the end of the summer.

    [03] GOVERNMENT MEETS POLITICAL LEADERS OF ALBANIANS

    In Skopje last week, Macedonian Government officials (minister of the interior, minister of education and minister of justice) met with representatives of political parties of Albanians in Macedonia. The meeting was also attended by Gert Arens, head of the working group on ethnic and national minorities of the International Conference for Former Yugoslavia, and Vladimir Abadjian of the OSCE Mission in Skopje. Participants discussed nationalistic symbols and secondary and higher education in local self-governing municipalities.

    [04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S OBSERVERS TO VISIT SKOPJE

    A three-member delegation of observers to the Council of Europe is to visit Skopje, May 17-19, for talks regarding Macedonia's application for a Council membership, Skopje daily Vecher writes. The final decision is to be made by the Council's Minister Commission. Observers expect Macedonia to become a full member by the end of the year, at the earliest.

    [05] DIPLOMATIC BRIEFS

    - On the occasion of the election of Jacq Chirac a new president of France, Macedonian President Gligorov sent a telegram of congratulations. - President Gligorov received Kurt Spalinger, newly- appointed ambassador of Austria to Macedonia, who presented his credentials.

    [06] STOP FOR BUSES FROM MACEDONIA

    Skopje Vecher writes that the Italian ministries of internal and foreign affairs banned entry of all buses coming from Macedonia for an undetermined period of time. The reasons stated was that Macedonian tourist agencies are suspected of infiltrating Albanian and ex-Yugoslav emigrants into Italy. Macedonia and Italy have an agreement on transportation of passengers. "The decision is unexpected and harmful for both countries; it is primarily political," said Boris Chaushevski, Macedonian Deputy Minster of Transportation, announcing official talks with Italian officials on the issue.

    [07] CONFERENCE ON INSOLVENCY

    The company "Delloite Touche Thomatsu International" and USAID, American International Development Agency, organized last Friday a conference on "Insolvency and Restructuring in Central and Eastern Europe", at the Hotel Continental in Skopje. The conference presented the findings of the large project of this consulting company, conducted in 13 Central and East European countries. The focus was on bankruptcy and related legal regulations along with the effects on the Macedonian economy of shutting down enterprises.

    [08] NUMBER OF INSOLVENT COMPANIES GROWING

    18,528 workers from insolvent companies were registered in Macedonia in March this year (unofficially, their number is far higher and amounts up to 30,000). The Employment Bureau provides compensation for a maximum of 24 months. Chances for reemployment of these workers are remote, as insolvent companies are reactivated only rarely. 12,826 workers from such companies were registered by the end of 1994, against 14,051 in January and 15,087 in February this year.

    [09] DELEGATION OF YOUTH COUNCIL VISITS GREECE

    On an invitation of the non-governmental organization Pan- Macedonian Union of Greece, the Youth Council of Macedonia arrived for a four-day visit to the Greek port of Salonika. The Macedonian delegation is to meet the mayor of Salonika and the rector of the city's university and will appear as guests of the Third Channel of the Greek national Television.

    [10] REPORTS ONE-SIDED AND GROUNDLESS, GREEK SCIENTIST SAYS

    A1 Television reports Mr. Karacostanoglou, a scientific associate at the International Relations Department of the Athens University, published an article in yesterday's edition of the daily Kathimerini to attack international organizations' reports on cases of violation of basic human rights in Greece. He mainly attacked reports saying, "the Slav-Macedonian national identity does exist, it has been historically proven and refers to a relatively numerous and obvious part of the population of modern Greece..." and that this Macedonian national minority's basic rights have been undoubtedly violated ever since the beginning of the century, and authorities in today's Greece continue with the same policy and practice. According to Karacostanoglou, such claims are groundless beause of their methodology of research and the one-sided recycling of information through abuse of bibliography. Rights of minorities in Greece indeed used to be violated, he says, but only back in the times of the Metaxas dictatorship. He explains the organizations' attitude by the fact that they have based their reports on data gathered in Skopje or statements of "certain militant organizations of refugees living there." His analysis concludes that the international organizations visited Aegean Macedonia in 1993 and have only exchanged information since then.

    [11] VMRO-SMD ACCUSES SOCIALISTS OF NEO-MACEDONIAN POLICY

    The ruling Socialist Party in Bulgaria is attempting to impose a neo-Komintern and neo-Macedonian policy, said Evgeni Ekov, one of the vice-presidents of VMRO-SMD, A1 Television reports. According to him, it is no accident that the Bulgarian socialists have not had a clear position toward Macedonia so far and are now deviating from the national foreign policy, previously directed at recognizing Macedonia and a potential integration of the two countries. VMRO-SMD president Krasimir Karakachanov stated similar views, adding the authorities in Bulgaria demonstrated tolerance toward OMO "Ilinden" , the Macedonian organization in Bulgaria , by allowing them to pay respect to the tomb of Jane Sandanski at the Rozhen monastery.

    [12] "ALMAKO" WINE AWARDED GRAND-PRIX

    At the First International Zagreb Fair of Wine, held from April 24 to 28, the Macedonian wine "Almako" was awarded a grand-prix in the red-wine category, in a competition with 377 different varieties and types of wine. "Almako" is produced by "Lozar" of Titov Veles and the year of the wine is 1993.

    [13] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS

    The Movement for All-Macedonian Action MAAK held its second congress in Strumica yesterday. The congress was attended by 196 delegates who adopted a political resolution and several political declarations regarding problems considered fundamental for the future activity of the movement, now operating as a political party. One of them is a declaration on the prevention of further demographic occupation of Macedonia by non-Macedonian population. Several participants stressed MAAK is to struggle for a free, independent and sovereign Macedonia as a national state of the Macedonian people, forming a professional Macedonian army, securing the Macedonian language as the only official language in the country, ban on political parties on one-nation bases and scheduling premature elections. They also announced the possibility of a coalition with opposition parties (VMRO- DPMNE, the Democrats, Workers Party, etc.) MAAK reelected president Ante Popovski underlined the need for forming a Macedonian patriotic front as soon as possible for the purpose of defending the seriously endangered Macedonian cause.

    [14] GREECE STRICKEN BY STRONG EARTHQUAKE

    A strong earthquake of 6.6 degrees on the Richter scale struck the central part of northern Greece last Saturday. 15 citizens were injured and hundreds of houses destroyed. Athen News Agency reported that more than 1,000 aftershocks have been recorded, of which at least 100 have been of an intensity of 4 Rchter or above, including 4.8 Richter quake early Sunday. Seismologists belive the post-quake activity may continue for up to two months, and warned residents not to enter buildings that have not been previously cleared by engineers as safe. The earthquake was felt in the Republic of Macedonia sa well.

    [15] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART II

    (Puls, 12 May 1995)

    Under a title "Strategy for Quicker Reforms", the Skopje daily Vecher published an article earlier this month, interpreting the interview with Dr. Gordana Siljanovska, ex- minister and a member of the Liberal leadership. "What is needed now is that this government come up with a strategy and convince us all that it will first of all regulate its reform course by appropriate legislation and only then get down to carrying the reforms out." According to her, "the period of the transition to come has to be specifically determined and the actions to be undertaken must convince the ordinary citizen, regardless of their economic status, that, if not today, then at least in five years, the strategy will result in changes." When determining the new direction, the Liberals will insist on placing the focus on privatization, ways of trade union organization, electoral laws, judiciary and local self-government. Does this imply an official demand of Liberals to their coalition partners?, was the question discussed with Ace Kocevski, Liberal Party secretary. During the latest parliament debates on police laws and reforms in the ministry of the interior, he apparently announced the need of a common platform of all coalition partners. The priorities themselves are not disputable, nor is the pace of the privatization process. Yet, there is a dilemma as to what exactly is the political motive of the cabinet. Should the government have two platforms, one common for all coalition partners and another one, solely for the use of the prime minister? The abstinence of Liberals from voting on the current Crvenkovski administration should be taken into serious consideration when dealing with this dilemma. The need of a government platform has not yet been made official by any Liberal organ, the secretary assures. The attempts to present obstacles for the Alliance for Macedonia in its bid to win power are more dangerous and uncontrollable trends, Kocevski says. Two viewpoints of top Liberals were evident during the election with regard to the question of whether parties constituting the Alliance will preserve their separate identity. Vice-president of the Liberal Party Stevo Crvenkovski said on one occasion that his party would play a role of a "problem opposition" when its comes to certain issues. The party's newspaper "Democracy" reminded last month of this statement by Crvenkovski, adding that the Liberal parliament group "occasionally plays a role of a program Macedonian national opposition." The second viewpoint was that of the then spokesman Tito Petkovski, who said the parties in the Alliance have a right to act independently and to preserve their programs and principles. Immediately after this, he was accused by the Liberals of directly attacking the unity of the Alliance for Macedonia. The newly appointed SDSM Secretary General Ljupco Popovski confirms that the standpoint of Siljanovska is to be understood only as a Liberal view and not as part of an official platform to be voted on by SDSM or the prime minister. Such a platform, in his opinion, is to be expected during preparations for the coming third annual summit of the Liberal Party in July, when the party is likely to become more active in promoting new ideas for reforms of the administration's structure and the political system. One of the key issues related to the possibility of establishing a platform common for all coalition partners is also the position held by PDP. Differences between the Albanian and Macedonian political factions in Macedonia, which Abdurahman Aliti recently said could be resolved only "through the institutions of the system", remain distinct on the political scene. In a recent interview, Liberal leader Stojan Andov said, "The only chance left for Albanians in Macedonia is a persistent and hard struggle for the constitutional concept." The party paper Liberal, on the other hand, writes, "no anti-constitutional activity can go unpunished and anyone attempting to suspend or change the constitution through anarchic undertakings is doomed to lose." The idea for a common platform came after the latest SDSM congress at which, according to the secretary general, the delegates never opened the issue of relations with the coalition partners. The only statement remotely related to the issue was the narcissistic bragging of the SDSM leader who said Macedonia is succeeding thanks to the Social Democrats. This could be interpreted as an answer to the Liberals' motto saying the able will succeed with them. The rivalry between Crvenkovski and Andov (evident in their attempts to demonstrate power by emphasizing their party cohesion on the one hand and their elite and massive concepts on the other) does not seem to affect the distribution of obligations and tasks within the cabinet for the time being. What is more, it can be freely said that Jane Miljovski and Risto Ivanov are among the most influential ministers in terms of the their duties and obligations. The former is a favorite of the prime minister and the latter a direct and confidential associate of the parliament president. Yet, regardless of relations between government members, the need for a common platform was openly publicized by the prime minister himself at parliament, when he presented cabinet's course in the field of economy and the ongoing stabilization. "In order to carry out such wide and important reforms, we have to have a determined and efficient executive authority. We also need a far wider consensus, a complete mutual exchange of information and coordination of all institutions and subjects in the state. The success of the reforms directly depends on the degree of support it will receive." The course of the reforms itself is not brought into question; the pace of realization of certain legal projects and the necessary critical analyses of their implementation in the practice, however, are far from sufficient to cause a positive reaction and trust among citizens. This may have a direct impact on voters' during the coming local elections. To add legitimacy to the democratic character of the current government, the latter has to issue a package of laws to regulate the local self-government. Dr. Siljanovska particularly insists on this, warning that this package of laws must be implemented also because of the existing vacuum, until a political authority is fully established. The risk in losing a part of the already gained trust because of the neglect of the state administration in initiating these laws, may well turn into one of the motives for coalition partners to create political excuses for the discrepancies between campaign promises and their realization.

    (end)

    mils-news 15 May '95

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