MAK-NEWS 12/05/95 (M.I.L.S.)

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>

CONTENTS

  • [01] NOYAN LEAVES MACEDONIA

  • [02] GLIGOROV RECEIVES SOROS

  • [03] UNIVERSITY STEP TOWARDS DISINTEGRATION, SOROS SAYS

  • [04] DELEGATION FROM HOLLAND VISITS MACEDONIA

  • [05] HONORING ST. CYRILL

  • [06] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DISCUSSES EDUCATION OF MINORITIES

  • [07] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS

  • [08] BULGARIAN PRESS ON VMRO-DPMNE'S CONGRESS

  • [09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART I (Puls, 12 May 1995)

    •

    M I L S N E W S

    Skopje, 12 May 1995

    [01] NOYAN LEAVES MACEDONIA

    Yesterday Macedonian President, Kiro Gligorov, received the Turkish ambassador to Macedonia, Suha Noyan, at a farewell reception. Gligorov expressed gratitude for Noyan's contribution to the strengthening of bilateral relations, wishing him success in future assignments. The Turkish ambassador was also received by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. Noyan said the potential for cooperation between the two nations is enormous, promising to help in any way that he can to foster cooperation. Parliament President Stojan Andov also received Noyan and expressed gratitude for Noyan's participation in the parliamentary cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia. Noyan stated his satisfaction with the welcome he received while in Macedonia.

    [02] GLIGOROV RECEIVES SOROS

    President Gligorov yesterday received the US businessman and founder of the Open Society Foundation, George Soros. They exchanged ideas, which differed in some areas, on the current situation in Greek-Macedonian relations and on the development of ethnic relations in the country.

    [03] UNIVERSITY STEP TOWARDS DISINTEGRATION, SOROS SAYS

    Prior to leaving Macedonia, George Soros stated in an interview with A1 television, "...I think intensive and constructive efforts are being undertaken in the adoption of legislature regarding the treatment of minorities, especially in the field of their education... I definitely do not support the initiative for a university in Tetovo, nor have I ever supported it, as I instinctively feel that it would be a step towards the disintegration of Macedonia. At the same time, it is wrong to use police methods to prevent it... The establishment of the Pedagogical academy I believe is a step in the right direction... There have been suggestions to establish a three-language educational institution within one of the universities, which I am ready to support if the international community does so; but, it is not me who is leading this initiative and I personally believe it will be of limited effect."

    [04] DELEGATION FROM HOLLAND VISITS MACEDONIA

    An economic delegation of Holland's Council for Trade Promotion, led by Mr. van Lent, has arrived for a two-day visit to Macedonia. The aim of the visit is to improve current economic cooperation. The delegation was received by Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski. They stated mutual satisfaction with the development of relations between Macedonia and Holland. The delegation met with several representatives of Macedonian companies at the Chamber of Commerce. In attendance was Gerhard van Pallant, ambassador of Holland to Macedonia. The delegates, including representatives of companies such as Phillips and Daf, expressed readiness to get directly engaged in the Macedonian economy. Cooperation would start in the field of agriculture and then continue in the fields of tourism, transportation, textiles and other industries. The Netherlands comprises 2.1 per cent of the total foreign exchange of Macedonia. Last year Macedonia exported goods worth $14.5 million to Holland, while imported goods amounted to $38.1 million.

    [05] HONORING ST. CYRILL

    The traditional festival "Macedonia in Honor of St. Cyrill" will take place on 23-26 May in Rome, Italy. Besides President Gligorov, the delegation is to include Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and Minister of Culture Estref Aliu. During the stay in Rome and the Vatican, the Macedonian delegation will meet with Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, Foreign Minister Susana Angelli, as well as with the Pope and Angello Sodanno, Secretary of State of the Holy See. The delegation, including a group from the Macedonian Orthodox Church led by the Head of Church Father Mikhail, will attend the ceremony honoring St. Cyrill in Rome .

    [06] CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DISCUSSES EDUCATION OF MINORITIES

    The Constitutional Court of Macedonia has requested re- examination of the decision of the Pedagogical Academy of Skopje to organize training courses for teachers in the languages of minorities. Yesterday's preparatory session, initiated by private individuals, was attended by Minister of Education Emilija Simoska, law professor Gale Galev and professor Tito Belicanec. According to the initiators, the Academy's decision is opposed to the Law on Specialized Education and the Constitution itself. The initiators, reminding that the decision was made upon the suggestion of the Ministry of Education, said the cabinet should be aware that it is only an executor and not a maker of laws. Speaking on behalf of the Government, Simoska said that since the right to an education in one's mother tongue in elementary and high-schools is safe-guarded by the Constitution, it is also necessary to provide conditions for this, i.e., to train teachers for courses in minority languages. Professor Galev explained that there are, at present, no facilities for a higher education in minority languages. However, he said, if the Ministry decides to provide courses in languages of the minorities and fails to train competent teachers for this purpose, then this decision will become only an empty declaration. Professor Belicanec pointed to the current Law on Specialized Education as the main problem, as it had been created on the basis of a constitution valid under quite different conditions.

    [07] MAAK HOLDS CONGRESS

    The All-Macedonian Movement MAAK will hold its second congress in Strumica next Sunday. The party leaders believe the congress will eliminate all those working against the good of the party. The name is also expected to be changed. Straso Angelovski and Jagnula Kunovska are the nominees for a new leader.

    [08] BULGARIAN PRESS ON VMRO-DPMNE'S CONGRESS

    The last congress of VMRO-DPMNE brought about reactions both at home and abroad. Duma, the ruling Socialist Party's paper, writes that he congress more or less recognized the Bulgarian character of the national liberation movement in Macedonia. The paper, Continental, reports that the congress rehabilitated the commanders of the 11th Macedonian Division of the Bulgarian Army during the Balkan War. The paper underlines the conclusion of the congress saying that the development of VMRO during the times of Vanco Mihajlov and Todor Aleksandrov was a part of the history of opposition to Macedonia. With such conclusions, the paper comments, the Macedonian opposition led by VMRO-DPMNE is making a turn in its inner political action. This turn is diametrically opposed to the official Skopje standpoint regarding the history of Macedonia and the separate identity and language of the nation - as different from those of Bulgaria. VMRO- DPMNE refuted all this, saying that there were no Bulgarian reporters at the congress.

    [09] MILS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: SUMMING UP VICTORIES - PART I

    (Puls, 12 May 1995)

    Activities of political parties in Macedonia are, or will be, concentrated on congress valorization of the moves that the ruling block and opposition parties have carried out or intend to realize. No party seems willing to give up the logic and scenarios of summing up victories, even at times when battles were lost. The reviews of results achieved by inner parties all have a common denominator - the parties in power seem, for the time being at least, without any new ideas when it comes to the realization of promises made during campaigns. The opposition parties apparently intend to transform their political ideals into pragmatic steps. However efforts to regroup or revive shattered membership remain a constant in their activities. The latest Liberal initiative for a joint platform signals, and even seriously indicates, plans for putting the coalition back on solid ground. On the other hand, VMRO-DPMNE leader Ljupco Georgievski said at the congress that even at the cost of premature suspension of its program goals, VMRO-DPMNE will promote future "pragmatic policies" with the basic goal being to secure participation in the government. Criticizing the "several smaller mistakes" of the leadership, Georgievski mentioned the missed opportunities in 1990 and 1992 to take over power in the country and thus probably "limiting any chances to thwart the second parliamentary elections." Yet he said, "we would have had to abandon a number of our program goals to do this." At the same time, introducing a mild turn towards cooperation with the political factor of Albanians in the country, this "most national" party is building a policy of flexibility, the ultimate goal of which is, after all, gaining power. Contacts between the Democratic Party and PDP-A, led by Arben Dzaferi, have had a considerable impact on the attempts of the opposition to regroup its forces. Meetings between the leaders of these two parties, Goshev and Dzaferi, during their attendance at the Congress of Radicals in Italy, definitely indicate serious attempts for uniting the parliamentary and out-of-parliament opposition. At the same time this could also mean that both VMRO-DPMNE and the Democratic Party count on the participation of the political factor of Albanians in Macedonian institutions. Having in mind the individual contacts between high-ranking officials of VMRO-DPMNE and PDP, both before and after the first parliamentary elections and in the function of representatives of national interests of the Macedonian and Albanian people, the surprise is not so great. What could be interesting, in this potentially mild political pressure at parliament, is the possibility of indirectly introducing the interests of the Democrats on issues that the two parties agree on through, for instance, PDP deputies. The fact that the opposition recently stood behind the political and economic demands of the hungry, or the so-called independent trade union, is an indicator, but not definite proof, for the social stratification of their memberships and interests of these three parties. The serious criticism aimed at the current administration, regarding the privatization process and described as "the robbery of the century", is far from being a common view on the issue. On the contrary, the differences are diametrical, starting with the VMRO-DPMNE's suggestion for a state-controlled economy as a transition stage and finishing with the voucher system insisted on by Goshev's Democrats. The identical confrontation between Dzaferi and Aliti (the former accuses the latter of rude privatization of political and national interests of Albanians in the country for personal purposes) almost illustrates the struggle between the current administration and the opposition. The block of parties in power, regardless of their alliance during the election, has in fact never had a high degree of compactness, not even when revealing their well-intended suggestions for a joint platform to carry out the main goals of the cabinet. It is known that the PDP leadership was criticized for agreeing to participate in the government without first consulting with the other parties of Albanians. This was also done by the present member of cabinet, Muhamed Halili, who appears to have great influence. This agreement was also publicly announced by the current secretary Naser Ziberi and Ismail Ramadani. The focus of interest is concentrated on the need for corrections to the constitution, educational rights of Albanians and the inevitable demand for increasing the number of Albanians employed at administrative posts. Just as during the first mandate of cabinet, Liberals are again raising the issue of an essential joint platform for action. Back in 1992 the Liberals suggested and realized several contacts between the party leadership and government ministers. As a result of the dialogue between vice- president Ivanov and certain party leaders with Miljovski, Tofovski, Stefanov and Crvenkovski, the priority interests of the Liberals were announced at the beginning of 1993. From today's aspect it can be said that a considerable portion of these interests (such as reforms in the ministry of the interior, accelerating the privatization processes and adopting laws to regulate trade associations and public enterprises) have been realized, but with such dynamics and without sensitivity which is likely to endanger the prime minister and his followers.

    (to be continued)

    (end)

    mils-news 12 May '95

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