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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-05-06Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 06 May, 1997[01] `IMRO-DPMNE' TO RESCHEDULE PROTEST MEETING FOR MID-MAYA-1 TV reports that the largest opposition party in Macedonia, the IMRO- DPMNE, is to reschedule the protest meeting which had been postponed to give PM Crvenkovski enough lee-way to counter Organised Crime, as he had promised. In the opinion of IMRO-DPMNE leader Ljupcho Georgievski the meeting will now most probably be held on 15th or 16th May, though the final decision on this is to be passed by the party's Executive Committee. In his statement for A-1 TV Georgievski stressed that the party had be forced to undertake this measure as achievements of the incumbent SDSM have been disappointing so far, i.e. over the past six weeks (since the meeting had been scheduled initially and then postponed) nothing had changed in the country. According to Georgievski not only has one of the country's burning issues not been addressed, but there have been attempts to obscure the entire affair. Another thing missing - and previously promised by PM Crvenkovski - is the interaction between the government and the opposition. Georgievski stated that the only objective pursued by the SDSM at the moment was the buying of time.[02] `TAT' BANKING SCANDAL: `COURT HEARINGS AND BIG-SHOT NAMES AS OF TOMORROW'Court procedures with regards to the `TAT' banking scandal, scheduled for yesterday, have been postponed because of technical difficulties. Thus they are most likely to commence tomorrow, Macedonian media report. This postponing on behalf of the authorities has been imposed by the need to complete records and to guarantee the outlined deadline to Sonja Nikolovska within which she is entitled to appeal the NBM findings.This also entails the postponing of her fulfilling the promise that once court trials started (and access to the case documents was granted), she would release the lists containing the names of all `big-shots' who have withdrawn around 30 million DM two months prior to the `undoing' of this bank. Besides this, it has to be mentioned that the bank client representatives, Mayor Siljan Micevski and the SDSM MPs of this city who had forwarded the request to meet PM Crvenkovski did not arrive in Skopje yesterday. Media report that the reason why the PM did not meet them were the possibilities that the suspension of the proposed draft-bill would have become the thematic focus of talks. The Government building of Macedonia was besieged by deceived bank clients of `Makedonija Reklam' yesterday. These demonstrators also demanded a meeting with the PM, as they are discontent with their treatment by the state and ask to be included into the draft-bill providing restitution for the clients of `TAT', `Lavci', `ALFA-S', etc. [03] CROATIAN-MACEDONIAN TREATY ON FREE TRADE ZONE DUE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS WEEKDuring yesterday's session the Macedonian Government has outlined and accepted the Free Trade Zone Agreement between Croatia and Macedonia. This treaty - to be signed in Skopje towards the end of this week - makes provisions to gradually establish a free trade zone between both countries based on EU and TWO principles.Official records reveal that the Government has further outlined a treaty to secure temporary and special assistance to Albanian Customs Services HQ by its Macedonian counterpart. This agreement provides conditions for a certain number of Albanian customs officials to operate at the Ohrid terminal and tax goods transiting through Macedonia to Albania. It has been assessed that with this agreement the Macedonian Government aids the establishment of customs structure and operability of these services in neighbouring Albania, as unrest in this country had put a halt to both. [04] NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AS REGARDS DEMARCATION OF YUGOSLAV- MACEDONIAN BORDERAs of today a team of Macedonian experts - headed by Foreign Office Ministerial Aide Branislav Stojanovski - is staying in Belgrade in order to outline the Yugoslav- Macedonian border with their Yugoslav counterparts. MTV is quoting Macedonian Foreign Office sources while stating that there are no significant differences as regards border demarcation.[05] DENYING SPECULATIONS ON MILOSHEVIKJ-GLIGOROV MEETINGA release issued by the cabinet of President Kiro Gligorov states that all speculations stirred up by the coverage of some Slovenian and Belgrade media concerning a possible meeting of Serb President Slobodan Miloshevikj and Macedonian Head of State Kiro Gligorov are entirely unfounded and a distortion of the truth - `Dnevnik' reports. No sort of initiative by President Miloshevikj has come to the attention of President Gligorov. Thus all speculations as to why such a meeting did not occur, and all mentioned reasons, do unfortunately represent a piece of fictitious writing by the journalist who launched this piece of false information.[06] RUSSIAN RECOGNITION FOR BALANCED MACEDONIAN POLICYThis Monday President Kiro Gligorov received the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Macedonia, H.E.Amb. Pyotr Dobroserdov, upon request of the Russian diplomat. On this occasion the latter forwarded a personal message from Russian President Boris Yeltsin to the Macedonian Head of State.The Macedonian Radio reports that the message expresses the conviction that the so far balanced policy of Macedonia - through which it avoided being sucked into the armed conflicts raging across the territory of the Former Yugoslav Federation - will ensure national harmony and stability in the country. While supporting the strengthening of overall bilateral relations, President Yeltsin stressed that mutual cooperation on an international level will be of common interest to peace and security in the Balkans and in Europe. The Macedonian Head of State confirmed the interest and readiness of Macedonia to further bilateral relations in all spheres, incl. the maintaining of cooperation on an international level. [07] BULGARIA HAS TO ACCEPT NEW REALITY WITH REGARDS TO LANGUAGE-ISSUEThe language-issue with Macedonia could be overcome by Bulgaria's accepting the new reality, stated Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Secretary Valentin Dobrev. In an interview for Sofia periodical `Demokratija' Dobrev said that Bulgaria has to accept the existence of the Macedonian language, as it is outlined within the Constitution and used as the official language of this country.[08] 15 MEMBERS OF `OMO ILINDEN' ARRESTED`Makfax' reports that police at Blagoevgrad (Bulgaria) have arrested 15 members of OMO `Ilinden' as they have attempted to lay down wreaths and flowers at the monument of Goce Delchev on the `Makedonija' square in this city, in order to mark the 94th Anniversary of his death.According to Bulgarian paper `Standard' these members of OMO `Ilinden' are being charged for provocating action during the official marking of the death of Goce Delchev, while the DA Office had prohibited any celebrations of this anniversary. [09] TORT CHARGES AGAINST MAYORS OF TETOVO AND GOSTIVARYesterday the Macedonian Ministry of the Interior has initiated legal procedures (i.e. filed tort charges) against the Mayors of the Tetovo and Gostivar municipalities, as well as against the Secretary of the Gostivar municipality and 12 civil servants of both municipalities. MTV reports that tort charges have been filed due to the founded suspicion that flags of a foreign country have been hoisted on Macedonian territory upon the order of these two local politicians. It is being stated that Tetovo Mayor Alaydin Demiri had passed the decision obliging all institutions, businesses and schools in his constituency to hoist the flag of the Republic of Albania during International Labour Day on 25th April this year. A similar decision had been enacted by the Gostivar Municipal Council and other local government structures at the municipalities of Tetovo and Gostivar. Thus, in concordance to these documents, the flags of the Albanian and Turkish Republic have been exhibited at all institutions, businesses and schools during the holidays - police records state.[10] RADIO TIRANA: `ALBANIANS IN MACEDONIA DO NOT GIVE UP THEIR NATIONAL FLAG'`Regardless of all violence and prohibitions imposed by Skopje authorities, Albanians in Macedonia will not give up their right to use their national flag even for a second', stated the Tetovo correspondent of Radio Tirana during a broadcast on the use of flags at Tetovo and Gostivar. The hoisting of flags at public institutions, according to the reporter, was not `an act of free choice' of both mayors but `the unfaltering determination of the Albanian political factor in Macedonia.' In this context it has been said that the latter firmly adheres to what has been stated on previous occasions: that the Albanian flag would be used as long as there is even one Albanian in Macedonia.' According to Radio Tirana both mayors claimed that possible pressure by the Macedonian Government due to the use of these flags could be fatal for the state itself.[11] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED BY 4.3% OVER FIRST QUARTERBased on data released by the National Statistics Office, the industrial production in Macedonia has risen by 4.3% over the first quarter this year - compared to the same time span in 1996. The largest contribution to this is being ascribed to an increase of 18.8% in terms of consumer goods production (chemical, food and tobacco industry). A similar trend of increase has been registered with the cost of goods and services. Compared to December 1996 industrial products have become more expensive by 2.3%; consumer prices have risen by 3.3% and hotel and gastronomic services by 0.8%. In April consumer prices have been higher by a mere 0.8% with respect to December 1996, while living expenses have been lower by 2.4%. Over the period January / February 1997 the export of goods amounted to 160 million dollars; import totalled 240 million dollars... This means that the former covered the latter by 66.5% in this period.The average income in January and February 1997 totalled 9 058 denars, i.e. 5.7% more compared to last year. Employees in the non-economic sector received 655 denars more pay than those in the economic sector, while 24.1% of the labour force did not receive any pay in February 1997. Throughout January and February the work force has shrunk down by almost 5% to the total of 332 334 employees. The number of those seeking employment - according to the Employment Agency - amounts to 246 584 in January. Compared to January `97 this means an increase by 7.7%. The National Statistics Office has also revealed that a trade deficit of app. 500 million dollars has been created by Macedonia in 1996. This represent a decrease by 7% with respect to 1995. Export revenues in 1996 amounted to 1 billion 174 million dollars, i.e. 4.7% less than in `95. Import totalled one billion 627 million dollars, i.e. 5.4% less. Main partners in both terms are EU member-states (export: 38.7% and import 42.7%). MILS SUPPLEMENT[12] `Young People Lack Money to Get Married - Number of Children Born Out Of Wedlock Growing'(`Dnevnik' - 5th May 1997)Half of the households in the Republic of Macedonia live on the edge of poverty; 10% are recipients of social welfare; young people lack money `to tie the knot' even; only the number of children born out of wedlock are on the rise - according to the findings of the European Research Project `Eurobarometre `95'. The transition in Macedonia has been conducive to substantial social stratification: a large portion of the population is becoming poorer, while a small group is becoming wealthy extremely fast... `Besides the high rate of unemployment (over 30%), another worrisome fact is their structure as young and qualified cadre is prevailing. This is generating frustration among the young, as well as discontent since young people are forced postpone marriage and parenthood indefinitely. In such conditions the mere reproduction of the population is being threatened in many areas of the country. One more relevant paradox is the following: the number of children born out of wedlock seems to have been increasing from 7% in 1990 to 8.5% in 1994', states Dr. Jorde Jakimovski - the Director of the Institute for Sociological, Political and Legal Research of Skopje. European statisticians have registered that almost 50% of the household budget is being spent on food in our country. In EU countries this average amounts to 22% and in the US to 16% respectively. Compared to 1990, absolute living expenses have been increased 350 times. Those closest to the poverty line include households with unemployed members, pensioners, unskilled workers and elderly people. `Privatization and the restructuring of economy have been conducive to a rise of unemployment and the disintegration of a stratified society. The majority of the population has become impoverished, while a small portion only has been acquiring wealth', Jakimovski states. In his opinion the restructuring of enterprises should have been conducted first, followed by their privatization. The period of transition has also been marked by a plunge of the number of health insured people from 96.6% of the overall population in 1990 to 73.9% in 1994. The actual worth of social welfare is being conditioned by the poverty line, i.e. by the prerequisite minimum of living expenses per annum. Due to limited possibilities in the country, social welfare amounts to 50% of these required expenses i.e. between 1 482 and 2 537 denars per month for one adult member of each household. Thus a five- member family may receive 4 530 denars of social welfare in the city - and 3 705 in the countryside. Current economic conditions boil down to the following: a dive of the economic growth rate by 8.6% between 1990 and 1995, a decrease in investments, a low rate of capacity exploitation (app. 40% in the industrial sector) and a high unemployment rate have been conducive to a drastic decrease in buying power among the majority of the population whose income moves on the verge of the existential minimum in several industrial branches such as construction, textile production, agriculture, etc. (end)mils news 06 May 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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