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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-03-13Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 13 March, 1997[01] COMBAT READINESS OF MACEDONIAN ARMED FORCES INCREASED DUE TO EVENTS IN ALBANIAFollowing the take-over of the watch-towers at the Albanian-Macedonian border by non-governmental forces in Albania, the Supreme Commander of the Macedonian Armed Forces of the Republic of Macedonia - President Kiro Gligorov - has ordered the HQs of the Macedonian Armed Forces to increase the combat readiness of the Second Army Corps, whose area of engagement covers the Macedonian- Albanian border (particularly with its garrisons at Ohrid, Kichevo, Debar, Gostivar and Tetovo). This information has been made available by the MOD in shape of an official press release. The latter further emphasises that unrest and confrontations in Albania stretched towards the SW section of the Macedonian-Albanian border, its surrounding and the cities Korcha and Podgradec on the shore of Lake Ohrid - as well as across most of North Albania. In this region clashes have been registered at the towns Bayram Curi, Kuke, Peshkopeya and the home town of President Berisha: Tropaya. It is also being revealed that most of these communities have fallen into the hands of non- governmental forces already. More confrontations have been registered at Elbassan, Tirana and a few more towns in this area. The release informs that the Ministries of Defence and of the Interior have coordinated their efforts to obstruct the illegal crossing of the border, and to secure means of extradition of possible illegal immigrants into their country of origin. The MOD is continuously monitoring the development of events, and the public is to be informed of all novelties and undertaken measures on a regular basis - according to the release issued by the cabinet of Defence Secretary Blagoj Handzhiski.MTV reports that unrest and the firing of arms have been detected at several settlements along the Macedonian- Albanian border, especially at Peshkopeya. Thus border checkpoints between Macedonia and Albania (Blato and Stenje) are being reinforced with additional police and army detachments - as well as UNPREDEP troops. Another thing increased considerably is the control regime and alertness along the entire border. The frequency of passenger and freight vehicles, however, has been drastically lowered at all these points. [02] PARLIAMENTARY SESSION RESCHEDULED FOR TODAY DUE TO DECLARATION ON INTER-ETHNIC RELATIONSThe 63rd session of the Macedonian Parliament - which had been scheduled for 15 h. yesterday afternoon - will commence at 11 o'clock in the morning today - based on information issued by the Information Office of the Parliament. This change has been attributed to the submission of a proposal- declaration by 33 MPs of the SDSM, 2 of the SPM and MPs Kenan Hasipi, Faik Abdi and Avdi Bajram to the Parliamentary Chairman yesterday. The paper contains the suggestion to focus today's session on the subject of furthering inter-ethnic relations in the spirit of tolerance, dialogue and mutual trust and respect. The proposal has been divided into nine points which are to represent the future foundation for the development and furthering of inter-ethnic relations in the country. In order to ensure that all parliamentary factions are acquainted with the contents of the declaration, Chairman Tito Petkovski has rescheduled the session for today - official sources reveal. According to Petkovski the session may also serve to separately examine current conditions generated by the protest of students in connection to the enactment of the law regulating the issue of languages of instruction at the Pedagogical Faculty, as such a request has been aired by the LP.Let us only remind of the fact that so far the leaders of the IMRO-DPMNE and the DP, as well as the Organisation Board of the student protests, have refused to attend the session. [03] IMRO-DPMNE: `SESSION AN ATTEMPT BY SDSM TO DENY ITS LIABILITY'IMRO-DPMNE leader Ljupcho Georgievski has notified Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski yesterday, that he would not be able to attend the scheduled session for several reasons. Based on the IMRO-DPMNE release, this party considers the 1994 parliamentary elections manipulated by the Government on a national level, so that the present parliamentary assembly is illegal and not reflecting the will of the Macedonian electorate. `A policy of closing deals behind closed doors with every political subject separately has left the Macedonian public and the opposition out in the rain in terms of creating domestic policy and inter-ethnic relations, as well as their integration into the acts of law of the Macedonian state.We consider the scheduling of this session an attempt by the SDSM to avoid discussing their own liability - as the generator of Macedonia's economic, social and political crisis. The IMRO-DPMNE once again airs its appeal to the SDSM Chairman to urgently commence a dialogue on the forming of an administrative government which would prepare the conducting of early elections for the sake of remedying the overall crisis in the Republic of Macedonia', states the IMRO-DPMNE reply to Parliamentary Chairman Tito Petkovski as regards the invitation extended to representatives of this party to attend the Parliament Session today. [04] SDSM: `IMRO-DPMNE CONSPIRING TO PLUNGE MACEDONIA INTO CHAOS AND DISORDER'In connection to the refusal of IMRO-DPMNE representatives to attend parliamentary debates on inter-ethnic relations, the SDSM has issued the following statement yesterday: `In view of the verbal replies given by the IMRO-DPMNE leaders, i.e. their refusal to participate in the parliamentary debate on the issue of developing inter- ethnic relations, the Macedonian public has once again been provided with the opportunity to witness their contradictory behaviour. This time through their even more radical views that all issues burdening the citizens of Macedonia can only be discussed in a different way - in the streets. Thus IMRO-DPMNE indicates that it does not respect the institutions of parliamentary democracy - which eventually confirms the ignoring of the independent and sovereign Macedonian state. Lacking the courage to publicly step onto the speaker's podium in front of the Parliament, in order to provide their own views on developing inter-ethnic relations in the Republic of Macedonia, this party advocates extremism, the inciting of large-scale unrest and undemocratic show-downs. Via such a policy the IMRO-DPMNE encourages the direct immersion of the Republic of Macedonia into chaos and a state of no perspective, a return back into conditions which cannot bring about the solving of economic, social and inter- ethic issues. For this very reason, the SDSM once more emphasises the threats entailed by an increasing of tension, and announces the initiating of all necessary measures to resolve the latter and develop them in a favourable direction.'[05] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SCHEDULED PREPARATORY DISCUSSIONOn 27th March the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia is to hold a preparatory session with the objective to assess the constitutional compatibility of the Law regulating the use of minority languages at the PF. This decision has been passed during yesterday's regular session of the Constitutional Court. It has further been decided to abstain from suspending the PF- Bill on a temporary basis, until all procedures at this legal instance have been completed.A-1 TV reveals that during the session the Court determined the three most contested issues entailed by the initiative to assess the Constitutional compatibility of the PF-Bill and the Government view as regards this question. It is questionable whether this law violates the Constitutional provision that the Macedonian language and its Cyrillic script enjoy official status, whether the law is conducive to implement the right of minorities to instruction in their mother tongue at an elementary and secondary education level - or if it represents an augmenting of Constitutional rights. Another bone of contention is to be seen in the question on whether this act of law violates the autonomy of the university. With regards to this spokesperson Judge Todor Dzhunov stated in his written analysis that the right on instruction in minority languages had only been codified at an elementary and secondary education level - and not within the tertiary education sector. Dzhunov, however, poses the question whether the right to education in their mother tongue for the minority students of the PF is not entailed by international law - so that the legal justification of this act could be found there. [06] PARTICIPANTS IN HUNGER STRIKE ISOLATEDOn day 26 of the student demonstrations and day 9 of the hunger strike of Skopje students, the Organisation Board of student protests informed that it was staging its last press conference. The health condition of strikers had obviously become more dangerous, and three of them have already been admitted to hospital for treatment - Board Chairman Mirjana Kitanovska said yesterday. `In protest of the deaf-mute attitude exhibited by the Government and in support of our friends in hospital, the remaining members of the Board commence their hunger strike and refuse to attend the Parliamentary session which has been postponed on purpose. We will suspend all contacts with the public.Should our requests not be fulfilled within the next 24 hours, we will demand the resignation of the entire Government. We invite all those who have supported us throughout to do so again by assembling in front of the Government on Friday', stated Organisation Board Chairperson Mirjana Kitanovska for the media. The latter reported yesterday that the three students admitted to hospital are no longer in a life- threatening condition, though they are still receiving medical treatment. It has further been informed that the remaining participants in the hunger strike are suffering a deterioration of their health condition as well. They have once again been asked to suspend the hunger strike, this time by the leaders of the MAAK-CP and MAAK (Movement for All-Macedonian Action) who have visited them at the `Zhena-borec' park yesterday. Demonstrations continued in front of the Parliament, the Government and the Constitutional Court as well, and PF students were joined by groups of the Faculty of Law, the School of Veterinary Medicine, the Faculty of Philology and the secondary school pupils of `Rade Jovchevski Korchagin' - as well as a larger number of citizens. [07] `TAT' BANKING SCANDAL CAUSING MORE AND MORE UNREST AMONG THE PUBLICAccording to A-1 TV the NBM has received the information that the overall amount of savings deposits at the `TAT' bank amounts to app. 103 million DM, based on investigations conducted so far. All this is to be addressed by NBM Governour Borko Stanoevski at the session of the NBM Council scheduled for tomorrow - this TV station reports. The three legal counsellours of `TAT' owner Sonja Nikolovska claim that the bank is in possession of around 400 flats, and between 1 500 and 1 700 square metres in business premises - worth 50 to 60 million DM. Meantime, media report that tension in Bitola is on the rise consistently. Yesterday was also marked by another meeting with the bank clients, who once more requested the urgent remedying of conditions prevailing in this bank. On grounds of information circulating through this city the clients are now being represented by several councils backed by different political parties. In addition to this a flyer encouraging clients to an extra- institutional settlement has been distributed through the city. Several media have also informed of the holding of a protest meeting of part of the deceived clients, which is being backed by the IMRO-DPMNE municipal council. The Client Board (headed by Mende Mladenovski) is being accused by this party of attempting to lessen the discontent of clients as it is a body `hatched by the SDSM'. In this context it is being claimed that the damage inflicted by the `TAT' bank scandal amounts to 280 million DM - and not to the estimated 100 million DM.A group of clients has also been received by the Municipal Chairman of Bitola Siljan Micevski yesterday. The clients forwarded the unconditional demand to meet President Gligorov on this occasion. [08] NBM VICE-GOVERNOUR BLAMING THE GOVERNOURThe resignation submitted by NBM Vice-Governour Tome Nenovski to the NBM Governour represents a personal decision, and the Governour is entitled to forward the same to the Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia - the latter stated for MTV.In response to this Vice-Governour Nenovski said that the personal responsibility for all recent events characterising the banking system of the country last week lies with Governour Stanoevski now. Upon realising that the latter felt no responsibility whatsoever with regards to the chaotic state of affairs in Macedonia's banking system, Nenovski had decided to withdraw his resignation - but this request had not been heeded. In the opinion of Nenovski the Governour is attempting to obscure his personal liability, by announcing that his subsequent measures would be directly coordinated with the Parliament, which has appointed him. Nenovski claims that the NBM Council - upon suggestion of Governour Stanoevski - approved a credit to the `TAT' savings house to facilitate the maintaining of daily liquidity without any legal grounds, on 11th February. He further states that the NBM had paved the way for this loan, and aided the judicial registration of the real estate owned by `TAT' owners. Yesterday the NBM Council nullified this decision - again upon suggestion of the Governour, and with no substantial justification. [09] DENIED RUMOURS: `PRESIDENT GLIGOROV DID NOT PARDON TAT OWNER'Yesterday the cabinet of the President of the Republic of Macedonia issued a statement to the public in response to the statement made by DP leader Petar Goshev two days ago, with respect to the so-called pardoning of `TAT' owner Sonja Nikolovska by President Kiro Gligorov. This rumour has been denoted a flagrant distortion of the truth, as both facts and documents confirm that the sentence of Sonja Nikolovska has been reduced by 3 months (from the initial 6), on 28th December 1989, by the then incumbent presidency of the SR Macedonia. The cabinet statement further claims that the views of this presidency are well known to the public.[10] DNEVNIK: `LAM-BROS EXCHANGE OFFICE BANKRUPT - AND PRESPA- TRANS PRIVATISED'Discontent creditors and clients of the Resen-based `Lam- Bros' exchange office have formed an Initiative Board yesterday, which is to ask for their funds from this exchange office - yesterday's edition of `Dnevnik' reports. The estimated damage varies between 15 to 18 million DM.Members of this Council claim that they have neither received interest rate payments nor installments on the main debts over a long period of time. A protest meeting has been scheduled for Saturday. The exchange office has not only given loans to citizens of Resen - but also from other cities, with a promised interest rate of even 12% a month. The owner Bobi Lamanovski promised that he would settle all dues by the end of May this year. What makes this affair even more interesting - as `Dnevnik' reports - is the fact that as of April last year this very same Bobi Lamanovski officially became the new owner of the `Prespa-Trans' trucking company, a business evaluated to be worth 740 000 DM. The implemented privatisation model amounted to `selling the ideal part of the copany', and the contract has been signed on 13th March 1996. One month later Lamanovski paid the first installment of 407 000 DM, and officially became the new owner of `Prespa-Trans'. MILS SUPPLEMENT[11] `Beginning Heralds Year of Uncertainty'(`Nova Makedonija' - 12th March 1997)The physical scope of industrial production in January this year has dropped by 15% compared to December 1996. The first month this year has also been marked by the lowest level of funds in circulation over the past 14 months - which has directly affected conditions in the business and banking sectors. The latter holds over 13.5% of the overall financial means. Of these 64% are compulsory reserves with the NBM, while the remainder is implemented within the placement restriction regime. The total amount of economic revenues are lower by 2% in January with respect to December `96 - whereas 95% of investment funds have remained in Skopje. Not one single denar has been forwarded to over half of the 30 municipalities in the country. Such conditions within the economy complement the measured optimism of the Economy Chamber of Macedonia, which prevailed throughout the compiling of forecasts on this year's macro-economic policy. This - in the opinion of Chamber Vice-President Milan Hrovat - has only been confirmed by the direct data available to this association on: the dimensions of the trade deficit issue, the dropping of last year's export rate by 26.4% and of the import rate by 8.2%, the delayed transformation of ownership, the domestic deficit of 11.5 billion denars, etc. Such conditions impose the implementation of urgent `troubleshooting' measures - stated Milan Hrovat - as well as the prioritising of economic issues over political and the `politicised' ones. During the debate on conditions in ongoing reproduction , it has been registered towards the beginning of this year that several businessmen had been battling with the lack of protection of domestic production, with the prevailingly low quality and import at dumping prices - as well as with the position of laid-off employees and bankruptcy managers, etc. We - `OHIS' director Jorgo Kjuka states - have endeavoured to decrease employment in the economic sector. Meantime unemployment in the non-economic sector has risen by 3.8% - which indicates the unequal burden distributed by social policy. As far bankruptcy is concerned, and for the sake of capital protection, Kjuka suggested that the appointment of the management in such cases should not be a purely political decision, and that appointees should still be active in their field. The absurdity accompanying this issue (i.e. the shelving of bankruptcy announcement) has also been addressed by `Kimiko' executive Gjorgji Miladinov who quoted the `Red Star' example, as this company is in possession of equipment which is not being used at the moment, but is urgently needed by his company to maintain production and meet export arrangements. Upon analysing initial economic indicators, Development Minister Abduljmenaf Bedzheti said it was too early to assess their impact on production - as well as that there was still no room for pessimism. We cannot expect - Bedzheti states - to resuscitate production overnight, since the Government has undertaken a series of steps as for example the preservation of giant systems which require a great deal of capital, and to reform those takes time. The resolving of these issues, however, is visible including the ones in connection to bankruptcy, by the merger of the Customs Services Administration and the Dept. of Public Revenues, etc. The Development Minister has also raised the issue on the economy's debt towards the state (i.e. towards certain funds), and requested the compiling of a discrete analysis by the Chamber on this subject. This study would then be submitted to the Government for discussion during a separate session of this body. While bringing the debate to a close, Chamber Chairman Dushan Petreski stated that issues like lack of transferable capital, lack of a strategy on international trade relations (instead of the Bank for Export Support it has been suggested to form a Fund for the same purpose - which would be supported by its participants as well), etc. are still left unaddressed. In terms of bankruptcy in the business sector - Petreski concluded - the Privatisation Agency should take on its fair share of responsibility, as it is obliged to continue monitoring companies once their transition has been completed. It should not immediately become an Agency concerned with the attracting of international investments. (end)mils news 13 March 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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