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MILS NEWS 96-09-30Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 30 September, 1996[01] MACEDONIAN FOREIGN POLICY PROMOTEDLocal media reported that, during the last two days of his stay in New York, within the framework of the UN General Assembly 51st session, Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov had met with the following officials: former US Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, German Foreign Minister Claus Kunkel, European Commissioner Hans van den Broek, the mediator in the Greek-Macedonian dispute Cyrus Vance, the Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Ahadhir and Macedonian citizens who live and work in the USA.According to 'Nova Makedonija', Gligorov's meeting with Holbrooke was of a private character, during which the two officials had discussed the situation in the south-eastern part of Europe. 'Dnevnik' daily reported that Gligorov and German Foreign Minister Kunkel had concluded that establishing of Macedonia in the Security Council would be a step forward in the economic cooperation between the two countries, especially regarding German investments in Macedonian economy. Kunkel had underlined the good bilateral relations, adding that Germany would continue to support the bilateral and multilateral connections of Macedonia. During the talks with Hans van den Broek, the cooperation so far was estimated as a well-developing one, and was said that it should continue in the same way by solving the open issues through concrete agreements. Macedonian media reported that the candidacy of Macedonia for a temporal membership in the UN Security Council for 1998_99 had been promoted at the Assembly. The interceding for Europeanization of the Balkan area was again promoted, Macedonian stand that the name of the country can not be changed had been stressed, and it had been underlined that certain UN forums should not include Macedonia in the group of Balkan countries which were involved in the war. It had been also announced that a Balkan meeting would take place in Skopje in January, 1997, which would be attended by the UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, as well. [02] PANGALOS: 'USA SHOULD MAKE A PRESSURE ON SKOPJE''Official Athens considers that USA should be included in the solving of the issue of Macedonia by making a pressure on Skopje,' Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos had said in New York. 'Makfax' agency reported that Pangalos had stated this for Greek reporters in context of the recent statement of Nicholas Barns that Washington was prepared to help in solving of the 'Skopje issue'. 'In case Mr. Barns understood that help as making a pressure on Skopje, it would be useful,' Pangalos said, adding that 'Skopje' had still not showed that it was prepared to agree on a mutually acceptable solution, which was anticipated in the second part of the Interim Accord.Regarding the other contacts with Macedonia, Pangalos said Greece was fully respecting the Accord, that good economic connections were being created and that there was a good exchange of people and capital between the two countries. [03] MACEDONIAN-FR YUGOSLAV AGREEMENTS RATIFIEDFR Yugoslav Parliament last Friday ratified the package of Agreements on commercial and economic cooperation with the Republic of Macedonia, 'Makfax' agency reported. The Agreements were signed during the visit of FR Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic to Macedonia on 4 September this year.Meanwhile, A-1 Television cited the information of Belgrade agency 'Beta' that Macedonian and Serbian Academies of Sciences and Arts would sign a cooperation agreement. The document should regulate the cooperation in the field of sciences, i.e. scientific symposiums, exchange of publications, etc. [04] FOREIGN CURRENCY RESERVES DIVIDED ACCORDING TO IMF MODELAccording to A-1 Television, the third meeting of National Banks Governors of former SFRY republics had taken place in Washington yesterday. The subject discussed was dividing of former Yugoslavia reserves according to the proposal of the Bank for International Clearings in Basle. The meeting, which was this time organized by Croatia, had been attended by the Finance Ministers of Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. FR Yugoslav representatives had not attended it, but had sent a letter saying that their National Bank was incompetent of deciding about the matter, and that the IMF model could not be followed, since the countries were not members of this institution.The participants of the meeting had agreed each National Bank of the four countries to send a separate letter to the Bank for International Clearings in Basle, saying that they all agree with the proposal for the $600 million foreign currency and gold reserves of former Yugoslavia to be divided according to the IMF formula. It means that each country would be given as much as it had participated in the former federal budget. The four countries had also agreed to appear joined at the London Club of Creditors and to intensify the mutual meetings on the succession of former SFRY property. A-1 Television reported that the final decision about the foreign currency reserves of former federation should be made by the Board of the Bank in Basle on 3 June, 1997. [05] REFORMS IN MACEDONIA SUPPORTED WITH $45 MILLIONMacedonian delegates who are participating in the work of annual assembly of the World Bank and the IMF in Washington had reached an agreement on financial aid for Macedonia $45 million worth. The Structural Adjustment Loan (or SAL credit) approved by the World Bank would be used to support the payment balance of Macedonia, which means that it would not be used for financing of concrete projects. According to 'Nova Makedonija' daily, Macedonian party had obliged itself to continue the reforms of the foreign trade regime and the privatization of agriculture, as well as to complete the already started reforms in other fields. The credit was given without an interest rate, and $30 million will be repaid within a period of 20 years with a 5 years grace period, while the rest $15 million should be repaid within 35 years with a 10 years grace period.[06] MEMORANDUM ON DOIRAN LAKE PROTECTION NOT SIGNED DUE TO THE NAME OF MACEDONIAThe Memorandum on Understanding between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Albania on the project of Doiran Lake Protection was not signed last Friday due to a problem referring to the name of Macedonia, local media reported. Unofficially, 'Vecer' daily read that Albanian Government had insisted to be stated in the document that it had been signed by the 'Macedonian Government, while Macedonian party had insisted on using the Constitutional name, i.e. 'the Government of the Republic of Macedonia'.However, Macedonian Vice Minister for Civil Engineering, Works and Ecology Kiril Nastevski and Albanian Vice Minister for Territorial Planning and Tourism Erenes Noka, who were supposed to sign the document, had expressed their expectations for the misunderstanding to be overcome soon and the document to be signed. [07] 'NOVA MAKEDONIJA': GREECE ACCUSED OF DISRESPECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTSIn its recently published annual report on respect of human rights in EU member countries, the European Parliament has accused Greece of great violations of the basic rights, today's issue of 'Nova Makedonija' daily reads. As alleged, Greece was accused of humiliating and mistreating of prisoners, of limiting the freedom of expressing an opinion, as well as of limiting the religious freedom and free gathering and associating of citizens.In the part referring to human rights violations, according to 'Nova Makedonija', the case of Sideropoulos, i.e. Sidorovski, had been pointed out, a man who had been in court four times during one year only, because he had stated at the CESC Conference on Human Rights in Copenhagen that a Macedonian minority existed in Greece. Greek Government was accused of continuing to apply laws against citizens who had been declaring their opinions about sensitive issues, such as the relations with the Republic of Macedonia. Greece was also accused of limiting the right to associating, especially regarding the national minorities. An example of that was that the State Council of Greece had banned the work of the Macedonian Cultural Society in Lerin (Florina) in 1994. The report read that this was, allegedly, done due to the opinion of the authorities that the Association had intended to promote the idea of the existence of Macedonian minority in Greece, which was opposite to the Greek national interests and laws. [08] SDSM WITH BIGGEST CHANCES ON LOCAL ELECTIONSThe agency 'Data Press', which works within the framework of 'Nova Makedonija' publishing house, carried out a research referring to local elections in Macedonia this November.According to the questionnaire, carried out by random choice of 2,800 telephone users in Skopje, Bitola, Gostivar, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Shtip, Ohrid, Veles and Strumica, 12.57% of them replied that they would vote for the leading party of SDSM, 10.29% said they would vote for the Democratic Party, 9.70 for PDP and 7.86% for VMRO- DPMNE. The radical opposition Albanian parties would be supported by 4.95%, the Liberal Party by 3.43%, and the Socialist Party by only 2%. 51.71% of those questioned said they expected from the new authorities to give the priority to the economic problems, 16.14% were more interested in social issues, 7.14% had found the relations between nationalities most important, and only 3.14% were most interested in political issues. 'Vecer' daily read that the six parties which were entitled to suggest candidates for Commissions members had already done that. SDSM had nominated their candidates in all 124 electoral units, the Socialist Party in 85, PDP in 35, VMRO-DPMNE in 105, the Democratic Party in 100 and the Liberal Party in 70 electoral units. [09] SDPM IN A COALITION WITH SDSM IN SOME MUNICIPALITIESThe Social Democratic Party of Macedonia (SDPM) will have joint lists of candidates for mayors and municipal councils members in some municipalities with the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM). SDPM would also cooperate with other political parties that have similar stands to theirs. According to 'Vecer' daily, the official announcement of this party also said that they had decided to appear in a coalition with SDSM due to their similar programmes, same visions of the democratic development of Macedonia and of the peace-keeping foreign policy, as well as due to similar stands about vital interests of the country.[10] VMRO-DPMNE, DP AND MAAK-CP AGREED ON JOINT APPEARANCEToday's issue of 'Dnevnik' daily reads that opposition parties VMRO-DPMNE, Democratic Party and MAAK - Conservative Party have made final the Agreement on joint appearance at the local elections in Macedonia, and should sign it tomorrow. As alleged, the Coalition Agreement includes the principles of their joint appearance and lists of municipalities in which each party would nominate its own or joint candidates for mayors. VMRO-DPMNE and DP would have 45 joint candidates each, and MAAK-CP would nominate its candidates in 8 municipalities. According to 'Dnevnik', the parties will have joint candidates for mayors and separate lists of candidates of municipal councils, unless the municipal branches agree with each other to appear together.[11] DPM: 'BETRAYED BY THE 'MACEDONIAN' PARTIES'Democratic Party of Macedonia (DPM) leader Tomislav Stojanovski, at a press conference the day before yesterday, had presented the already known opinion of his party that the Law on Territorial Dividing of Macedonia and the Law on Local Elections were an epilogue of a bargaining between SDSM and the Albanian parties, as otherwise the Parliament and the Government would have been disbanded. According to 'Vecer', Stojanovski this time expressed his surprise with the 'inferior and totally passive attitude' of the so-called 'Macedonian parties', VMRO-DPMNE and the Democratic Party about this issue. He said these two parties used to develop their platform and rating on the basis of the map of west Macedonia and on their concern for Macedonians of this part of the country. However, the people had realized that their politics was a betraying one and they would have no chances to win the votes of Macedonians in western part of the country, Stojanovski said.[12] MEETING OF NDP REPRESENTATIVES WITH IBRAHIM RUGOVAA delegation of the National Democratic Party (NDP) from Macedonia had met last Friday with the leader of Albanians in Kosovo Ibrahim Rugova in Pristine, 'Dnevnik' daily read. Rugova had been informed of the activities of this party to present itself as good as possible before the local elections in Macedonia, scheduled for 17 November. Kosovo Albanians leader had highly estimated the work of NDP and other Albanian parties as regards the demands of Albanians in Macedonia and called on a closer and more effective cooperation between them.MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] 'Tetovo - The Main Electoral Target of Albanian Parties'('Dnevnik', 30 September, 1996)The forthcoming local elections will be one of the most important tests of the rating of parties of Albanians in Macedonia among this part of the electorate. Since the Law on Territorial Dividing of the Republic of Macedonia had been passed, the Albanian political subject has been expecting to win the positions for mayors in about thirty municipalities. It is expected that the most difficult battles between the two greatest opponents - the Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) on one side and the Party for Democratic Prosperity of Albanians (PDPA) and National Democratic Party (NDP) on the other side - will take place in a great number of municipalities in western part of Macedonia and in some on the territory of Skopje and Kumanovo. The other two parties, the Democratic Alliance of Albanians - Liberal Party (President Dzemil Idrizi, ideologist Hisen Ramadani) and the Republican Party (leader Nevzat Halili), will most probably try to get a number of positions of municipal councils members. The first will most probably join PDP, while the latter - PDPA and NDP. The elections will probably be more than a battle for governing on a local level. They would be a proof to the parties of their right to a mandate. Both sides claim to be the real representatives of Albanians in Macedonia, and the future winners will obtain the right to promote that even louder. The main battle, which would give the greatest territory to the winner, will be for the position of a mayor of Tetovo. Parties leadership have taken the importance of Tetovo most seriously, as a thing which would determine the future of their party, and have concentrated their main forces precisely in this town. Being aware that they might win only if they nominated a good candidate, both PDP and PDPA-NDP will come up with their best 'aces'. Similar to all the other political parties in the country, the Albanian ones have still not announced the names of their candidates, explaining that they were still waiting for the results of the analyses, for the suggestions of their branch offices, etc. However, rumours, unofficial talks with parties members and the attitude of future potential candidates, all might lead us to certain names. The only individual who had presented his candidacy in public (although he warned that his decision was still not definite) was the PDP member Abdulhadi Veiseli, who was chosen as an NDP candidate at the last elections. This popular businessman from Tetovo (also known as a President of the football club 'Shkendia') stated recently that the decision was not only his, but of his Party as well. On the other hand, we were told at the PDP that they had still not nominated candidates for mayors, and that 'the fact that some people had started their campaign was done on their own initiative, without any approval of the Party'. Ex-minister Iliaz Sabriu was mentioned as the other possible candidate of PDP, since he is a man rated highly in Tetovo. But, according to unofficial information of 'Dnevnik', Sabriu has been nominated for another high position, which makes it uncertain whether he would accept the candidacy. According to PDPA Spokesman Aljaidin Demiri, PDPA and NDP will most probably jointly appear in most of the municipalities where they would have candidates for mayors. They had still not 'divided' the municipalities between them, but it is almost certain that the candidate for a mayor of Tetovo will be a PDPA member. Although these parties have still not made a final decision (or are restraining from revealing it), there are rumours that one of the three PDPA leaders would be the candidate for a mayor: the ideologist Arben Dzaferi, the 'hawk' Menduh Tachi or the recently much exposed Aljaidin Demiri. (end)mils news 30 September, 1996Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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