MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-02-13

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From: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>

CONTENTS

[01] UNPREDEP COMMAND: `LESS TROOPS ON SAME ASSIGNMENT'

[02] BULGARIAN SOCIALIST LEADER PRVANOV: `NO POLITICIANS READY FOR COMPROMISE'

[03] MACEDONIAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS TO BE TRAINED IN FRANCE

[04] MEETING OF DECEIVED BANK CLIENTS WITH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

[05] SAVINGS INSURANCE FUND OPERATING AS OF 31ST JANUARY

[06] THE MEDIA ON CURRENT PARTY TURMOILS

[07] DUE TO AIR POLLUTION `FENIMAK' OF KAVADARCI CEASES PRODUCTION

[08] REQUEST OF GREEK NGO'S: ` ENTRY FOR MACEDONIAN REFUGEES INTO GREECE'

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[09] `Honour and Reputation of Politicians Placed Higher Than That of Common Mortals' (`Dnevnik' - 10th February 1997)

[10] DNEVNIK: `INEVITABLE RESPECTING OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS'

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 13 February, 1997

[01] UNPREDEP COMMAND: `LESS TROOPS ON SAME ASSIGNMENT'

Upon stressing the importance of `a stable and peaceful Macedonia, as a cornerstone to regional stability', Brig.- Gen. Wranker stated that the fact that the border with SR Yugoslavia has not been demarcated yet explicates why he intends to leave only military observers posted along the Albanian-Macedonian border after 30th April - whereas remaining troops would concentrate on the northern border.

Brig.-Gen. Wranker further revealed for `Vecher' several mission sustainability options were being considered, in order to familiarise UN Security Council of what kind of UN presence would contribute to the success of the mission, for the benefit of the host-country and regional safety.

It would be worth to remember in this context that only last week Macedonian Foreign Secretary Ljubomir Frchkovski asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (during their meeting in New York) to extend the UNPREDEP mandate, after the expiring of the current 6-month-mandate as of 1st May.

[02] BULGARIAN SOCIALIST LEADER PRVANOV: `NO POLITICIANS READY FOR COMPROMISE'

Bulgarian-Macedonian relations would have been on a different level altogether between these two most fraternal people - had both of them politicians and statesmen willing to make the necessary compromises.

[03] MACEDONIAN CUSTOMS OFFICERS TO BE TRAINED IN FRANCE

[04] MEETING OF DECEIVED BANK CLIENTS WITH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES

[05] SAVINGS INSURANCE FUND OPERATING AS OF 31ST JANUARY

In case of any risk the Fund is to disburse up to 75% of all savings - plus interest rate yields (concordant to NBM values, domestic interest rate for hard currency deposits) - to each client. The Fund represent a stockholding company, with assets totalling at least 15% of overall savings in the Republic of Macedonia, which need to be secured for the minimum period of 4 years. Fund members forward a monthly premium out of the percentage of real savings deposits. Those banks and savings houses which are not members of the Fund, are most likely to lose their work permit (the NBM is revoking the latter). By establishing this Fund - in the opinion of authorities - all issues concerning the safety of bank deposits should be settled. According to most recent information the several recent bank scandals generated the overall damage of app. 40 million DM.

[06] THE MEDIA ON CURRENT PARTY TURMOILS

Yesterday A-1 TV quoted unofficial sources according to which `something is rotten in the state of PDP' too - i.e. after the debacle of their candidate in Tetovo mayor elections it may happen that party leader Abduraham Aliti submits his resignation. This TV station further reported (as did `Dnevnik' quite recently) that discord within the PDP was becoming more obvious and audible - as far as leaving the Government coalition is concerned... this and other issues are to be discussed at the Central Council session of this party - also scheduled for 15th February.

These days media also reported that DP Executive Council members Denko Skalovski and Dragan Gorenchev have submitted their resignations. Both DP members justify this by stating that they did not approve of the `overnight merger', that `certain leadership members are willing to destroy what thousands of party member and supporters have created.' In this context Skalovski stated that he was in favour of the unification of the political centre, but in terms of the current alliance with the IMRO-DPMNE and MAAK-CP - as this opposition coalition had achieved considerable success at local elections.

[07] DUE TO AIR POLLUTION `FENIMAK' OF KAVADARCI CEASES PRODUCTION

According to inspection authorities the `Fenimak' management will most likely be required to obtain a new filter worth 1 300 000 DM.

[08] REQUEST OF GREEK NGO'S: ` ENTRY FOR MACEDONIAN REFUGEES INTO GREECE'

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[09] `Honour and Reputation of Politicians Placed Higher Than That of Common Mortals'

(`Dnevnik' - 10th February 1997)

Criminal Law regulations addressing the honour and reputation of people, do favour politicians i.e. public personalities over ordinary citizens. The European Convention and the Human Rights Tribunal did not insist on such additional forms of protection upon exercising the right to freedom of speech - states the conclusion of the governmental interdisciplinary expert team after monitoring the state of affairs in our positive legislation...

Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights guarantees the right to freedom of speech - including the rights to freedom of thought, to receiving and forwarding information and ideas - as well as the right to enjoy and implement these rights without Government interference.

The European Human Rights Tribunal considers the freedom of expression (see: Handyside case) `one of the vital prerequisites for the development of democratic societies and the evolution of each individual.' All these rights are contained within the Constitution as well.

The Criminal Law goes about to operationalise these basic Constitutional provisions - departing from the perspective that the implementation of any human right may not occur at the expense of the rights and liberties of other people. This act of law therefore differentiates several general offenses (Articles 172 - 182), such as: libel, insult, the exposing of personal and family conditions and belittling via mass media.

The new provisions of this Law regulate legal procedures / prosecution in cases (Article 184, Paragraphs 2 and 3) if the honour and reputation of the Macedonian President are besmeared. Another offense is the insulting of a candidate of an election list during or shortly before voting procedures.

This provision favours politicians as regards the protection of their honour and their reputation, in the opinion of experts. European standards indicate that politicians have to be prepared for far more severe public criticism with respect to their statements and actions.

Such criticism does not represent slander should it present sufficient grounds for doubting a politician's personal character and reputation. Bearing this in mind, the EU thinks that discussing certain ethic aspects of a politician's privacy does not violate the latter - until the debate of the public morale of a certain deed of theirs comes close to libel.

A discrete chapter of the Criminal Law has been dedicated to offenses affecting honour and reputation, in particular Article 178 (harming the reputation of the Republic of Macedonia), Article 179 (exposing the Macedonian nation and its ethnicities to ridicule), Article 181 (violating the reputation of another state) and Article 182 (harming the repute of an international organisation) raises many questions on whether they do not represent a restriction of the freedom of expression, and a pruning of the population's liberty speak freely and stage protests.

Precisely because of this - Macedonian experts consider - `every society declaring itself a democracy must not allow the incrimination of speech, as this does not limit the freedom of speech but rather instigates public political activity among the population - as a contribution to sustaining a healthy democratic system.

[10] DNEVNIK: `INEVITABLE RESPECTING OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS'

A reality countered by ` Vinozhito `, a political organisation dedicated to the struggle of the Macedonian minority in Greece, endeavouring to affect global public opinion... the opinion of a public who forgot it... ` A large number of Macedonians of Aegean Macedonia do feel but are not aware that they are Macedonian. We are working on turning the former into the latter `, states Peco Benishev (a.k.a. Petros Vasiliadis ) of Lerin - based ` Vinozhito `. He further adds that many Macedonians have retained their songs, customs, and even the language - though the open recognition of their descent is lacking.

This - according to the ` Vinozhito ` members - is due to several factors ; first and foremost there is the educational system.' From their very infancy these children are taught that Macedonian is a barbaric language, an ugly language spoken by nobody `, says Benishev, adding it this is not a coincidence that only in this part of Greece there are kindergartens where children stay until 18 hr. in the evening. Thus it is being attempted to separate the children from the adults, and to convince them that Macedonian is not their language.'

Vinozhito ` members claim that the educational system exerts a great deal of influence on Greek nationals in general - as they are taught at a very early age that only Greeks live in Greece.

Macedonians in Greece also claim that they are being discriminated when seeking employment.' For years it has not occurred that a Macedonian has been employed in the government sector. Now there are certain changes, but it is still a miracles `, says Krste Ashlakov (a.k.a..

Anastasiadis Stavros) of Ovcharane, Lerin. Evidence supporting this are unemployment figures: the total unemployment rate in Greece amounts to 10%, but in the Kostur region it is 23% - and in Lerin 33%. To the knowledge of ` Vinozhito ` few Greeks accept the fact that there are minorities in their country. ` Vinozhito ` is also networking with Greek NGOs.

` Cooperation with them is good, but it should be on a higher level `, says Benishev. It has also been attempted to influence the public, but possibilities for doing so are small as media shy away from the minority issue.

` This is why we publish our own periodical. The first edition (available in Greek and Macedonian ) is due in 10 days `, Benishev says.

The cold war against the Macedonians minority continues even on a municipal level when funding is being requested.

There is either little or nothing for Macedonian villages... This new movement also started from scratch.

At the moment it is gaining momentum, as the youth is interested in its language and its origin. This is being Attributed to the establishment of an independent Macedonian state. The resolving of the name-issue would also mean a step forward in their struggle. In its Political Manifesto ` Vinozhito ` has declared itself as a political organisation of the Macedonian minority living in Greece, as an organisation of ethnic Macedonians participating in the country's political life. They fight for the obtaining of all minority rights of ethnic Macedonians. ` Vinozhito ` has set itself a number of tasks, including the introduction of standard Mac. language in Greece's nine educational system at those places populated by ethnic Macedonians, or the forming of a Mac. Dept. on a university education level. the furthering of national culture, the reinstalment of dual toponym - listing and changing the election law (to ensure minority representation in Greece and the EU) are a few other objectives...

Welcome to another showing of `Hardware Inferno' i.e. we are SSSSSOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRYYYYYYYY for the delay, hope you haven't missed us too much.

(end)

mils news 13 February 1997

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