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MILS NEWS 96-10-18Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 18 October, 1996[01] GHALI: MOST IMPORTANT TASK OF UN - PREVENTING CONFLICTSMacedonian Television reported that UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali had sent a message to the participants of the International Seminar on Preventive Diplomacy, which began in Skopje yesterday. Ghali had underlined preventing of conflicts as the most important task of the UN, adding that UNPREDEP was the first and only preventive Mission which has proved what can be done in prevention of conflicts when good services and troops disposition are effectively used.Yesterday, Macedonian Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frchkovski had a meeting with OSCE Ambassador Lorenzo Albert, who is leading the delegation that is participating in the Seminar. In the course of the talks, the mandate of OSCE Mission to Macedonia had been evaluated as a very successful and useful one. [02] SLOVENIAN INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER IN MACEDONIASlovenian Internal Affairs Minister Andrei Shtef and Macedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski met yesterday in Skopje and talked about the already improved bilateral cooperation in the communication between Internal Affairs Ministries of the two countries, which had been confirmed through a number of joint activities. Slovenian official also met with his Macedonian counterpart Tomislav Chokrevski yesterday.[03] MACEDONIAN-RUSSIAN BUSINESS COUNCIL ESTABLISHEDMacedonian Economic Chamber and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation yesterday established a Macedonian-Russian Business Council. The Agreement on that was signed in Moscow by the Presidents of the two Chambers - Dushan Petreski and Stanislav Smirnov, Macedonian Radio reported. The basic goal of the Council is going to be assisting in the development of direct business relations between enterprises in order to expand possibilities for the bilateral trading.[04] PANGALOS ABOUT GREEK-MACEDONIAN RELATIONS AND KOSOVO ISSUE'We are negotiating with Skopje according to the Interim Accord and each party has established its own attitude. Thus, each one has to make a step forward in order to make a progress,' Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos had stated for Belgrade daily 'Politika', answering the question of what could be expected to happen in the development of Athens-Skopje relations, which was quoted by Macedonian daily 'Dnevnik'.Meanwhile, Pristine daily 'Buiku' yesterday cited an article of the Greek paper 'To Vima' about Greek diplomacy stands referring to the Kosovo issue. It was about the interest and offer of Greece to mediate in the Kosovo problem solving, which had been, according to 'Dnevnik', one of the subjects discussed by Pangalos and Serbian President Miloshevic at their meeting yesterday. Greek party had, allegedly, proposed three forms: loose autonomy, such as the one of South Tirol; an autonomy in a combination with other units, such as that of Vojvodina and Montenegro; a federal system in which Kosovo would be one of the four (or more) federal units of FR Yugoslavia; an asymmetric federal system in which smaller units, such as Kosovo and Vojvodina, would have the status as those in Switzerland; or in which one unit (a republic) would be protected and would have more rights than the others, such as Quebec in Canada. [05] TURNOVER AT MACEDONIAN STOCK EXCHANGE INCREASEDMacedonian Stock Exchange had made a turnover 14,021,360 denars with the total number of 5,426 securities sold during its six months long work. The turnover in the last three months has been 8,476,197 denars, which was 52.86% more than in the first three. According to 'Vecer' daily, these data had been issued at the second number of the Stock Exchange bulletin, which further said that it has mostly been traded with the shares of the Skopje City Shopping Centre. The bulletin read that 3,367 shares had been sold 8,4 million denars worth of the Skopje City Shopping Centre.[06] KEROSENE SUPPLY PROBLEM SOLVEDThe problem of the lack of kerosene at the Ohrid Airport was solved yesterday at a meeting between the representatives of Skopje Oil Refinery 'OKTA' and of the distributor 'Makpetrol', A-1 Television reported. 'Makpetrol' had accepted the new price 'OKTA' had offered for the kerosene of $250 a tone (the previous one was $228). Refinery representatives had explained the price rising with the increased price of raw oil on the international market, and underlined that the new price had been rather lower than the one at the world markets. This means that 'Makpetrol' will continue to supply the Ohrid Airport with kerosene obtained from 'OKTA', by which the problem will be solved.[07] NEW LAW ON ELECTIONS POSITIVELY ESTIMATEDMacedonian Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski yesterday received a delegation of the US National Democratic Institute for International Issues, led by Brenda Pearson. Macedonian Television reported that the forthcoming local elections in Macedonia had been discussed, and that in the course of the talks the Institute representatives had positively evaluated the new Law on Elections and preparations made for them.[08] TIME LIMIT FOR MAYORS AND COUNCILS MEMBERS NOMINATIONS EXPIREDThe time limit for mayors and councils memebrs nominations expired yesterday at midnight. The pre-electoral campaign for the local elections in the Republic of Macedonia, scheduled for 17 November, is thus beginning today. Local media had reported about parties conventions on which they had presented their candidates.Till yesterday afternoon, groups of voters had promoted the following candidates for Skopje City mayors: Avdi Bairam, and MP; Ljupcho Nikolovski, currently a President of the Skopje City Executive Board; and Gordana Mihajlovska, a lawyer. Party for Democratic Prosperity had promoted Aljush Halimi, a teacher, as its candidate; Democratic Party of Macedonia - Simeon Gelevski, a university Professor; VMRO-MNDS - Tomislav Stefkovski, a lawyer; and PDPA - Dzevad Nimani, an actor. Social Democratic Alliance had decided to nominate Jovica Ugrinovski, a surgeon, for a mayor of Skopje. SDSM President Branko Crvenkovski informed those present at the convention held the day before yesterday, that this party would have 108 candidates for mayors, and 1,703 candidates for councils members in 112 municipalities. The candidate for mayor of Skopje nominated by the Socialist Party is Mile Dimitrovski, a Professor at the Faculty of Mechanics in Skopje. This Party will have its candidates for mayors in 87 municipalities, and for councils members in 90 municipalities. They would appear in a coalition with SDSM only in the municipality of Vinica, where they would have a joint list for council members. Macedonian Radio reported that Liberal Party had nominated the architect and caricaturist Darko Markovic for a mayor of Skopje. This Party leader Stojan Andov emphasized yesterday that they would appear independently at the local elections, and that their slogan would be 'Liberal Party Knows'. He added that coalitions would be possible only if such a thing is agreed on with municipal organizations. This Party will have its candidates for mayors in 63 municipalities and in 70 - for councils members. Andov also said that there were possibilities for manipulations to take place at these elections because the citizens would not have electoral IDs, because the exact number of voters has still not been established and because during the nominating procedures pressures had been made on some candidates, and they had been even blackmailed. He concluded by reporting that Liberal Party would inform the public of all the manipulations and cases of misuse. Democratic Party of Macedonia (DPM) would participate at the local elections with 27 candidates for mayors, and would withdraw the candidates in the municipality of Vratnica. This was announced yesterday by the Party leader Tomislav Stojanovski, who also made many objections to the electoral lists. He described them as being identical to those in 1994, which means that two generations had not been included in the new ones. [09] ABOUT 20 PARTIES WILL PARTICIPATE AT THE LOCAL ELECTIONSThe latest information presented by Macedonian Television was that 28 of the total number of 37 registered political parties in Macedonia have required certificates of their registration from the competent Court. According to this TV station, this might show the approximate number of parties which are interested in participating at the elections. The nominations for 123 mayor positions submitted so far show that the number of political parties which would compete at the elections would be about 20. On the other hand, it is possible for up to 20,000 candidates to be nominated for the 1,900 positions of councils members.[10] WHO EXPERTS STARTED THEIR WORK ON POISONING CASESFollowing the request of the Macedonian Ministry of Health and the Government, a group of experts of the World Health Organization had started their work in order to establish an expert opinion about the recent cases of 'poisoning' among pupils of the Albanian nationality in Tetovo area. Local media reported that the four experts would be given the results of the analyses made in Vienna, which had excluded the possibility of 'poisoning'. They would have talks with those employed at the Tetovo Medical Centre and with other organizations, institutions and citizens, which they would choose by themselves. The arrival of the American expert, which was expected to take place yesterday, was not confirmed by the media. The official expert opinion is to be announced on Saturday.It was reported, at a press conference held in the Ministry of Health yesterday, that the vaccination against infantile paralysis would start on 21 October and would last for about 20 days. It would be carried out in medical institutions, primary and secondary schools and in homes. All individuals who would travel to Albania would also be obligatory submitted to a vaccination. The data of the Health Care Institute presented said that no cases of this disease had been registered in Macedonia to date. The regular immunization of children against infantile paralysis had included over 96% of them, but it was said that this additional vaccination would be made because the disease outburst in Albania showed no intention of decreasing, and that it had even appeared in Kosovo and in Greece. [11] DIVIDED OPINIONS ON THE 'NEW PASSPORT' ISSUE FOR MACEDONIANS OF THE AEGEAN AREAThe extended session of the Association of Macedonians of the Aegean Area, held in Skopje yesterday, exposed the opposing opinions on the possibility of listing the country instead of the place of birth (in Macedonian) with Macedonians born in the Aegean area - since this would facilitate their travelling to Greece. According to 'Vecer' some of the attending members considered this option unacceptable, as it represented merely another typical example of discriminatory policy.In opposition to this stands the viewpoint that such a measure would represent a step forwards towards the achieving of a free progression of people within the country of our southern neighbours; and that - furthermore - no condemnation of people who should take this option be made. The representatives of the association from Shtip, Radovish, Bitola and Skopje agreed to request assistance from the Helsinki Human Rights Watch, besides asking for a meeting with President Gligorov in order to acquaint him with this burning issue (as well as the problems regarding revoked citizenship and confiscation of property in Greece) concerning approximately 100 000 citizens born in the Aegean region of Macedonia. It was also stressed that Greece should be held responsible for the genocide conducted in 1949. [12] 'MAKPRESS': ALBANIAN STUDENTS BOYCOTT CLASSES AT THE PEDAGOGICAL FACULTY IN SKOPJEAccording to information released by 'Makpress' the first- year students of the Pedagogical Faculty in Skopje, of the Primary Education Dept. in Albanian Language, have not attended lectures in general (compulsory) subjects of study conducted in Macedonian. The release further states that the students have also forwarded a formal demand to the Dean of the faculty, requesting that all subjects be taught in Albanian.The Dean has confirmed the reception of such a demand - according to A-1 - but he denied any rumours on boycotts of any kind. The Secretary of the faculty and the students, however, claimed that the boycott is being implemented. [13] VICE-PRESIDENT MILJOSKI OBTAINS LIGHT INJURIES IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTJane Miljoski, Vice-president of the Macedonian government, obtained light injuries during a traffic accident which occurred on the motor way Kumanovo - Kriva Palanka yesterday afternoon. Others affected by minor injuries are Mite Mitrev (the driver) and a passenger of the accompanying vehicle - Gorica Cejeva. After medical treatment Vice-PM Miljoski was released into domestic care, whereas the other two injured were retained for further treatment. The accident occurred due to the fact that - for reasons unknown up to the present - the vehicle of Vice-PM Miljoski crossed onto the left track of the motor way and crashed into a vehicle approaching form the opposite direction.MILS SUPPLEMENT[14] 'A Ministerial Duel' - Part 2('Nova Makedonija', 17 October, 1996)In the interview Handziski made for 'Puls' weekly (which was entitled 'No Alternative Cooperation', which was almost opposite to the title of the article issued in Yugoslav daily 'Politika' - 'Readiness for Cooperation'), he notified the rivalry between the two Ministries (of Foreign Affairs and of Defense), and talked about who was in charge of negotiating about the border line. He stated that 'regardless the fact that the joint diplomatic-expert Commission is in charge of the issue, according to international principles, the interest of the Defense Ministry is clearly defined, since it is securing the border. The two Ministries ... have the greatest responsibility. That was why it was necessary to exchange opinions referring to the interest of the two parties to have the border line fully established and about the instructions we had given to our representatives'. A question arises whether the Ministers are using each possibility to 'plant' something to each other and are they really leading a 'war' via the media in order to create bases for the realization of their ambitions? In context of their Presidential ambitions, neither of the two Ministers has confirmed that he has them, nor that he does not. Weekly 'Puls' included Handziski among the 'possible future Presidential candidates' last summer, adding that he has 'minor problems with Frchkovski, since one of them was 'an ecologist' and the other one was 'an intellectual', and an intolerance between the two of them was thus natural'. To a direct question on this matter, included in the above mentioned recent interview, Handziski replied: 'I had not done anything without ambitions. I am currently a Vice President of SDSM, a member of the Macedonian Government and I am managing a very complex area. I am fully devoted to my duties both physically and intellectually and I am making efforts to fulfill them as successfully as possible. In fact, I do not even think about other things.' The reply of Frchkovski to a recently asked similar question was: 'My ambition to make a serious mechanism of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is clear. It is a serious thing and I am using my political power to do that. Practicing of that power in public is going in the following direction: I make attempts to make my stands acceptable for the citizens via the media, since it is important for me to convince them that my position and that of my party are better than the others. The media are powerful means through which different stands are reaching the public. They are the crucial mediators.' Those who are familiar with the situation are not confused, because it is not only about two Ministers in the same Government, but in the same Party also, who are Heads of the two most important Ministries. That is where the rivalry is originating from, which can easily be used by a third party or even by the media themselves for their aims and interests. Such a rivalry is, in fact, not anything new or unknown either here or anywhere else in the world. It is also probably originating from the time when Frchkovski was the Head of the police and Handziski was at his current position, since these two areas are always 'competing' which each other because of many points of contact. The competence can certainly be a 'health' thing, but settling of accounts with somebody through such capital issues such as the establishing of the border line are things which should be settled inside the Government itself. Because the country can not gain anything good from Ministers who are more interested in their own ambitions than in the interests and improvement of the country itself. (end)mils news 18 October, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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