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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-08-28Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 28 August, 1997[01] ALBANIAN MPS ON GOSTIVAR EVENTSYesterday the Macedonian Parliament resumed discussions on data supplied by the Ministry of the Interior with regards to the police removing the illegally exhibited flags in front of the Gostivar and Tetovo municipality buildings. The session began with a motion submitted by PDP faction coordinator Ismet Ramadani who proposed that besides police reports the Parliament should also see several recordings made by private TV stations on events going on at the time. Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski, however, countered this with the view that police data sufficed - that these recordings had already been seen by the public and that this motion was unsustainable. After a 30-minute `time-out' requested by Ismet Ramadani, spent in additional consultations among Parliamentary factions, several hours of debating followed. These were dominated by the views of Albanian representatives within the Parliament.The main objection brought forth by the PDP referred to the failure to inform the Albanian Ministers within the Govt. of the planned police operation; then to the congratulations of PM Crvenkovski and Minister Chokrevski to the police for their `brutality and the murdering of Albanians' - or the fact that President Gligorov `identified himself with the interest of but one segment of the Macedonian population.' Media report that the PDP eventually assessed the data provided by the Ministry of the Interior as insufficient which is why this party demands the establishing of a discrete Commission which would investigate the events of Gostivar and Tetovo. DPA representatives denoted the police intervention as a `planned massacre, cannibalism, anti- Albaniansim and an anti-civilizational deed' - while requesting the unconditional acquittal of Gostivar Mayor Rufi Osmani and all arrested people, and the resignation of Interior Minister Chokrevski. There were also opinions concordant to which these events marked the birth of the `Kosovo syndrome' - i.e. that the Govt. launched this operation on purpose to divert attention from the denar- devaluation and social difficulties. Fault was also to be found in the immoderate statements given by some party leaders. The SP leadership aired the view that these unfortunate events should be forgotten as soon as possible, while priority should be given to `real-life problems' i.e. economic and social issues. The SDS and LDP representatives did not distinguish themselves by a brilliant participation record this time - and their presence was more noted in the corridors of the Parliament rather than on the speaker's podium. The session has been readjourned (to 10 00 today) towards 19 00 h yesterday. [02] WHAT THE GOVT. IS UNWILLING TO ACCEPT.......is any sort of change to the UNPREDEP mandate as of 1st October. The announced reduction of the Forces component - it has been assessed - may have a negative impact on the mission's efficiency and decrease its capacity, particularly in light of the most recent regional developments. `Nova Makedonija' reports this to be the Govt. point of view, which is also to find its way into a document addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan next week.The paper is to dwell on Annan's report in connection to the UNPREDEP mandate and the impossibility to alter the mandate of this mission as implied by the UN Secretary-General. This is being justified with the argument that a strengthening of the `civil component' to monitor internal conditions violates the basic framework of the Preventive Deployment. Besides this the resident OSCE mission is already covering this domain, which makes any overlapping superficial. Thus the letter is to advocate the sustaining of UNPREDEP's current mission and structure after 30th November this year. [03] ALL QUIET AT THE MACEDONIAN-YUGOSLAV BORDER`Conditions at the Macedonian-Yugoslav border are stable', concluded Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Yugoslav Armed Forces HQ, Gen. Dragoljub Ojdanikj and UNPREDEP Forces Commander Gen. Bent Sohnemann at their latest meeting at Vranje past Tuesday. The joint press release issued in Belgrade mentions that such a communication regimen between UNPREDEP and the Yugoslav Armed Forces has been conducive to facilitating the demarcation process between Yugoslavia and Macedonia.[04] ALL-ALBANIAN CONSULTATIONS ON KOSOVO AND MACEDONIAN ALBANIANSAlbanian state leaders have agreed to consider the possibility of holding All-Albanian consultations on all political subjects of Albania on Kosovo and Macedonia, revealed Vice-President of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, Fehmi Agani, during his stay in Tirana. Agani further said that the objective of these All-Albanian consultations is the determining of a new strategy and the coordinating of activities on two key issues: Kosovo and the Albanians in Macedonia. In a statement for Prishtina-based paper `Koha Ditore' Agani stated that official Tirana supported the request of Albanians for the independence of Kosovo, while adding that the solution to these issues and the corresponding policy is to be formulated on Kosovo.[05] GREEK-MACEDONIAN SUMMIT?The attendance of President Gligorov at the Inter-Balkan Summit is being expected in the beginning of November. The moderate left-wing paper `Elephterotypia' reported yesterday that though the participation of the President of Skopje at this event on Crete has not been confirmed yet - it would provide a possibility for a first top-level summit between both countries at a time when the denouement to the name- issue is being anticipated. According to the above mentioned daily Turkish President Mesoud Yilmaz has already confirmed his arrival at this gathering of Balkan leaders.[06] FREDERICO MAYOR'S VISIT - ACT I.......SCENE I: the UNESCO Secretary-General Frederico Mayor arrives on a several-day visit to Macedonia yesterday. First on the agenda a meeting with UN Special Envoy and UNPREDEP Chief-of-Mission Henryk Sokalski, then the visiting of a few cultural / historical sights in Skopje.SCENE II: a meeting with President Kiro Gligorov today, as well as talks with PM Branko Crvenkovski and the Ministers for Civil Engineering, Urbanism and Environmental Protection and for Education and Physical Education. EXPECTED SCENES: the signing of a Cooperation Protocol between UNESCO and the Republic of Macedonia with Ministers Sofija Todorova (Education) and Slobodan Unkovski (Culture). Meetings with Rector Radmila Kiprijanova of the `Ss. Cyril and Methodius' University, the Chairman to the Macedonian Academy of Science and Art - attendance of the Opening Ceremony of the `Struga Poetry Evenings.' A FEW WORDS ON THE PRODUCTION: Macedonia has been a member of UNESCO since 1993; since then this UN Agency has invested app. 200 000 dollars into 11 projects covering our country. [07] ELISABETH REHN TO WRAP UP HER REPORT.......on Human Rights in Macedonia for the corresponding UN Commission. During the following two days the `design of the wrapping (up) paper' is to be determined, as the Human Rights Report on the Republic of Macedonia is to be submitted by 30th September. To this purpose the Special Rapporteur is to be received by President Gligorov, the Foreign Secretary, the Minister of the Interior, the Secretary of Justice and the Minister of Education. Media have been brimming with reminders that this April the Macedonian diplomacy asked to be excluded from Elisabeth Rehn's mandate (covering Former Yugoslav constituents). The UN Human Rights Commission decided to postpone any decision on this request for another six months, implying a positive outcome provided nothing `unforeseen' happened in the meantime...[08] I'LL BE DONE SOONThis title of a spiritual could conditionally be applied to the progress being made in passing prerequisite election legislation, MTV reports. The Justice Dept. is expected to submit the draft-version of the entire package to the Govt. by the end of September. At present the aforesaid Dept. is still considering which election model to select for upcoming parliamentary elections. Two options are being considered: the majority correlation system with a priority of the majority principle (80 plus 40 MPs) or the pure correlation system (in which the state would not be considered one election units but divided into several equal/different regions.The Justice Dept. expects that the completion of compiling these provisions will put an end to speculations that early elections are being delayed on these grounds. The opposition (both parliamentary and extra- parliamentary) persists to hold elections this autumn. This has become obvious during negotiations with PM Crvenkovski and via recent statements made to the press recently. The regular time slot to call elections would be autumn 1998. So far the PM has not made any announcements as to whether early elections are to be held, in contrast to implications made last spring in the aftermath of several major financial scandals. [09] RADIO FREQUENCY FEE DETERMINEDConcordant to a recent Govt. decision TV stations covering the entire city of Skopje are to pay 21 000 DM for their granted frequency, while radio stations will have to pay 10 500 DM. The fee decreases in correlation to the scope of a station, on grounds of a formula used for any user of the radio-spectrum: the basis of 50 DM per annum is being complemented by other parameters (frequency scope, geographic location, the range of the granted frequency channel, size of the serviced zone, duration of usage per day, is the channel being held by one user or more).`Vecher' reports that the Govt. decision is to be conducive to create the prerequisites for the functioning of the Radio Broadcasting Council and the determining of the value per concession, as this fee is not being equalled with the latter. The cost of the concession - according to the law - is to be outlined by the Govt. while the Council will be entitle to propose an even higher rate. The determined fee is ergo a minimum charged by the Govt. for one segment of Macedonia's national treasure (radio frequencies) which has been `squandered away' so far. The exact number of frequencies (outlined in the corresponding plan) to be placed at the disposal of stations will yet have to be outlined by the Broadcasting Council. The Govt. decision also affects functional radio-stations (taxi companies). [10] A PRESCRIPTION HERE - A PRESCRIPTION THERE.......prescriptions will be everywhere, since patients in Macedonia (covered by the Health Insurance Fund) will be able to obtain medicines on the `positive list' (available on prescription and for a fee) in private pharmacies as well. Thus the Dept. of Health hopes to put a halt to many irregularities within this sector. This should also apply to queues in front of the chemists' whenever a new shipment arrives, the setting up of backyard stores and the administering of medicines by employees on their own finding. This will also place state and private stores on an equal footing with regards to the Health Insurance Fund.[11] `STRUGA POETRY EVENINGS' OPENING TODAYThe internationally-renowned `Struga Poetry Evenings' are being opened this evening, in the presence of UNESCO Secretary-General Frederico Mayor who will read the `Poets' Epistle' for this year. The Laureate of this year's festival (which ends on 31st August) and recipient of the `Golden Wreath of Struga' Arabic poet Adonis will be introduced through a presentation of his literary output at the `Sv. Sofija' church at Ohrid, while he will receive the award during the event named `Mostovi' (`Bridges'). This year's poetry festival will focus on contemporary Korean poetry, the recipients of the `Brakja Miladinovci' (Miladinovci Brothers) Award Gligor Stojkovski and Ivan Chapovski, etc. The programme will be complemented by a round table on the topic `My Country, my Poetics' (Latin `poetica' = theoretical framework of standards on literary writing).MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] `Autumn Oracles'(`Vecher' - 26th & 27th August 1997)`It won't be easy!' states SDS Secretary Ljubomir Popovski, while adding that `this autumn will be of exceptional importance to the SDSM. In my opinion priority will be given to the following issues. In the political domain key emphasis will undoubtedly be placed on not just the party's but the entire nation's preparations for upcoming elections. To be more precise: the enactment of prerequisite legislation regardless whether elections will be held early or not (in their regular term in 1998). To this purpose the dialogue with political parties needs to be continued.' These legislative novelties will be coupled with series of other legislative projects which are to round up the legal- political national framework. Ergo Popovski thinks that the Parliament will be just as busy this autumn, a period of dynamic and responsible assignments such as `the Parliamentary interpellation of the Ministry of the Interior, the debate on events occurring at Gostivar this July and life is certain to impose some other political issues requiring a Parliamentary vote.' From an economic aspect there are also many tasks for both the Parliament and the Govt., as Popovski underlines...'But what I would like to draw public attention to is the need of an economic policy which will not devalue but protect - and if possible even multiply - expected economic effects brought about by the recent denar-devaluation. The Govt. is actually already introducing measures to this purpose, while underscoring the importance of preserving the living standards of the population. As a result of this we have become the witnesses of how initial attempts to unleash the `inflation gyre' have been halted. In my opinion the endeavours of the economic sector in this respect have been extremely remarkable, in addition to those of the corresponding state institutions to retain and even strengthen positive economic tendencies emerging over the past two years. Thus we all expect the textile industry to rise out of its own ashes via the recently ratified Cooperation Agreement with the EU.' Based on all this Popovski concludes that `we are entering a season which will hold little ease or tranquillity for us. An autumn abundant in many predicted and unforeseen events, which will raise the temperature of both politician and citizen alike. Part of the opposition has also announced to air its discontent and requests to change the incumbent Govt. and call early elections through the ogranisation of protests and demonstrations... I nevertheless believe', states Popovski `that these events will not assume any dramatic proportions which could endanger the political stability of the country or its international rating.' `Early Parliamentary Elections!' is the counter battle-cry of the MAAK-CP. According to party leader Strasho Angelovski `this autumn will be a season marked by early parliamentary elections for the MAAK-CP. Should this not be the case, the SDSM will be guilty of dragging Macedonia into a state of chaos, demonstrations and - Heaven forbid - a fierce social revolution...then empty school-satchels, empty freezers, wood storages, lacking money to put your children through college, to make the pensioner ends meet will raise their voices. We will see our daughters selling themselves for a couple of DMs and our sons becoming criminals to secure their physical survival.' MAAK-CP leader Strasho Angelovski complements this picture with describing the `utter social impotence of the majority in this country in contrast to the ruthless enrichment of a small percentage of it: the incumbent Govt. and its close business associates. Ergo several `migrations' of people who have willfully and illegally destroyed the Macedonian economy while having gotten rich overnight - are to be expected... the MAAK-CP is advocating early parliamentary elections in order to bring those in Macedonia `in front of the qadi' who plunged the country into this chaos.' Angelovski attributes the holding of the extra-ordinary party congress in October to the commitment to achieve this goal: `at this Congress we will give the Macedonian people what the incumbent Govt. should have provided ages ago - a national development strategy. We will offer the future Govt. of Macedonia, comprised of unblemished people. We are preparing ourselves for a peaceful, democratic take-over, while retaining our willingness to stand up in front of the Macedonian people to correct the social wrongdoing.' `Either Quakes or Calmness!' has been the profound forecast of LDP Council Chairman Stojan Andov, in whose opinion `the crisis keeps to gain momentum, as do socio-economic problems and interior political and inter-ethnic relations. As you can see external pressure has been mounting as well. In a situation like this the Govt. may retain its complacency i.e. its head stuck in the sand - or it may accept our requests and proposals. The latter would be conducive to a constructive dialogue with the opposition.' Andov further claims that `should this not be the case major quakes are possible - while the opposite would lead to a wee break. The follow-up would depend on the outcomes of the aforesaid dialogue... We will persist in sustaining interaction in terms of the most vital political issues. Should the Govt. continue to ignore our attempts to maintain a constructive and continual dialogue, it will prove its inability to shape the lot of this country.' In conclusion to his forecast, Stojan Andov stated that `a lack of communication between the Govt. and the opposition on major political issues is the most evident proof that democratic procedures in this country have been deadlocked. This alone will lead to the further deterioration of conditions in the country which will eventually affect the international rating of the Republic of Macedonia. 'Social Low Dictates Turmoil!' is the prognosis aired by DPM leader Tomislav Stojanovski - Bombaj, while stating that `this autumn we are in for a lot of heat and turmoil since we as the opposition are going to pressure the Govt. for early elections. The holding of latter, it appears, is however not too certain.' And yet the DPM leader advises to `await the development of events in the region (esp. Albania and FR Yugoslavia). We should also see what course the new Albanian Govt. intends to pursue, as well as election outcomes in FR Yugoslavia.' The second issue raised by the Stojanovski concerns the country's social sector, `in particular the current pruning of employee rights and their social benefits... of no less importance is the next Parliamentary Session delving into events at Gostivar and Tetovo, the interpellation of Interior Minister Tomislav Chokrevski and other legislative issues.' In this context the DPM leader is also addressing the following question: the completion of the Macedonian legislation with appropriate election laws, while expressing his hope that opposition and minor parties will be included in their creating.' In the end Stojanovski ascribed particular relevance to the mandate of UNPREDEP within Macedonia as `this issue needs to be considered with a great deal of care as soon as possible.' (end.)mils news 28 August, 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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