Albanian minority in FYROM: news and developments

[Tsontos]

This thread is reserved for any news and developments regarding the Albanian minority in FYROM.

[Tsontos]

From BalkanInsight:

Reconciliation Bid In FYR Macedonia Crisis

18 March 2008, Skopje

Demands for an Albanian boycott of all government institutions by a key official from the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, is a rushed move, the party's leader, Menduh Taci told media on Monday.

Taci said this after meeting Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski to discuss possible reconciliation and agreement on the list of six demands that DPA previously handed to him, which initially sparked the government crisis last week.

“I will do everything for an agreement but it is still too early to be more precise if that would happen and if the DPA would return to the government,” Taci told media after the meeting.

On Sunday, Imer Aliu, FYR Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister and DPA member had urged the country's ethnic Albanians to boycott the newly agreed minority government headed by Gruevski, just two days after the leaders of the main political parties, including the DPA agreed to support it.

Backing for the minority government was agreed in order to avoid political crisis in a crucial period for FYR Macedonia’s NATO bid, after the DPA, last week, decided to leave the government due to an unfulfilled list of six demands. Read more at http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/8568/

FYR Macedonia is under increased diplomatic pressure to reach a quick compromise over the “name” dispute with Greece in order to avoid its veto on the April’s NATO summit in Bucharest where it is hoping to receive invitation for joining the alliance.

Skopje previously received a warning form Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis “not to use its internal government crisis as an excuse” in the ongoing talks.

Athen’s objects Skopje’s use of its constitutional name “Republic of Macedonia”, arguing it might imply territorial claims over Greece's own northern province called Macedonia.

Earlier in the day, the leader of main opposition party in the country, Radmila Sekerinska from the Social Democrats, warned the ruling parties that they “do not understand the seriousness of the situation the country is in.”

Sekerinska asked for a another meeting of party leaders in order to readdress the situation.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/8683/

[Tsontos]

From Makfax:

Leaders of FYR Macedonian Albanians summoned in Pristina

Skopje /18/03/ 17:20

The leaders of DUI, DPA, PDP and DUA have been summoned for a meeting with the heads of the Kosovo's institutions in Pristina on Thursday.

The meeting has been initiated by the Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu, Alsat-M TV Station reported.

According to the same source, Kosovo's PM Hashim Thaci is also expected to attend the meeting with Albanian leaders from FYR Macedonia.

No other details as to the purpose and the subjects of discussions have been announced

[Truth Bearer]

Macedonia's ethnic Albanian party returns to coalition gov't

www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-24 23:55:42
TIRANA, Albania, March 24 (Xinhua) -- An ethnic Albanian party in Macedonia has decided to rejoin the coalition government after quitting 10 days ago, restoring political stability in the country, reports from Skopje said Monday.

Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and President of the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) Menduh Thaci have agreed to deal with the party's demands for wider rights for the country's 25 percent Albanian minority.

With the DPA's return, the coalition has regained its parliamentary majority. The party quit the government in a row over minority rights.

The DPA demands wider use of the Albanian language, the Albanian flag and more work places for the minority in public enterprises.

It also demands Macedonia recognize Kosovo, whose ethnic Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia last month.


Editor: Yan Liang

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_7851631.htm

[Tsontos]

From Makfax:

Berisha hails DPA's agreement with VMRO DPMNE



Tirana /24/03/ 17:57

Albanian PM Sali Berisha welcomed Monday the agreement of DPA with VMRO DPMNE, describing it as an important positive development in terms of the Ohrid Agreement implementation, FYR Macedonia's stability and its integration with NATO.

According to the Albanian analysts, returning of DPA in Nikola Gruevski's government is a significant step forward in the efforts for defusing the political tensions in FYR Macedonia and for the country's membership in NATO.

Albanian media pay great attention to the political agreement between DPA and VMRO DPMNE, expressing hopes that Gruevski would meet the six demands set by Menduh Thaci's party, Makfax correspondent reported.

Simultaneously with the news of DPA's return to the ruling coalition, Tirana's media cited the statement of the DUI's leader Ali Ahmeti that FYR Macedonia should hold early elections after the NATO Summit in Bucharest.

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=106205&NrIssue=616&NrSection=10

[Tsontos]

From makfax:

No ethnic shifts in Struga's high schools

Struga /20/03/ 15:40

The request of the Macedonian high schools students to attend classes in shifts divided on the basis of student's ethnic belonging, has been rejected.

This is the outcome of the meeting of the school boards of the two high schools Niko Nestor and Ibrahim Temo with the representatives of students, parents' councils and the municipal authorities.

The meeting produced an agreement for undertaking all necessary pedagogical measures against those involved in the fights between Albanian and Macedonian students that took place several weeks ago.

The students attending Macedonian-language classes remain steadfastly on their demand for introduction of ethnic shifts and continue boycotting the classes.

[TirAlb]

Macedonia NATO delay would fuel radicals: Albania

By David Brunnstrom

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A delay in inviting Macedonia to join NATO could encourage radicals and fuel instability in the Balkans, Albania's prime minister said, urging compromise to allow a last-minute deal at an alliance summit on Wednesday.

Greece stood by its threat on Wednesday to veto NATO membership for ethnically mixed Macedonia despite pressure from U.S. President George W. Bush to resolve a name dispute.

NATO was due to consider Macedonia's membership invitation along with that of Adriatic neighbors Croatia and Albania at a NATO summit dinner in Bucharest on Wednesday night.

Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha told Reuters he was "very confident" Albania would get an invitation and hoped a compromise could be reached between Greece and Macedonia.

He said a delay for Macedonia would be "a very serious problem" for the whole Balkans region.

"The stability of this neighbor is very crucial for Albania, for Kosovo, for Greece, to Bulgaria, to all its neighbors," he said in an interview.

"My fear is that radicals from all ethnicities there (in Macedonia) could be strengthened," he said. "Both sides have to compromise. I am convinced both countries have some reason to compromise. I hope that they will find a compromise."

Athens has said it will prevent Skopje joining unless it changes its constitutional name, which is the same as Greece's northernmost province, birthplace of Alexander the Great.

Macedonia uses its chosen name in bilateral ties with many states but is called "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" at the United Nations, and by NATO and the European Union.

U.N. negotiators have suggested a compromise, Republic of Macedonia (Skopje), but it was not accepted by Greece. Athens would accept a name such as Republic of New Macedonia or one with a geographical distinction.

GUARANTEE OF FREEDOMS

NATO urgently wants a solution for the sake of stability in the Balkans, already threatened by Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17.

Balkans experts told a conference in Bucharest there was a risk Macedonia could unravel if it did not get NATO membership and warned of knock-on effects in Kosovo and Albania.

NATO and EU reconciliation efforts pulled Macedonia from the brink of all-out ethnic war in 2001, ending a six-month Albanian insurgency with the promise of greater rights for the country's 25-percent Albanian minority.

Analysts say the worry is that the ethnic compromises could unravel if the anchor provided by the prospect of NATO and eventual EU membership were not there.

Berisha said NATO would be a guarantee of freedoms for Albania, a country that was until the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, the last Stalinist state in Europe.

"This for Albania means the most important decision after its independence," he said.

"Being in NATO, it's a guarantee for freedoms. Having a guarantee for freedoms, you have a guarantee for the future."

He said Albania had shown itself to be a reliable ally for NATO, providing troops for missions from Afghanistan to the Balkans, and would help secure Europe's southeastern flank.

"Together with Greece and Italy, Albania, Macedonia and Croatia bring a new dimension to the NATO security," he said.


reuters

[Rob]

So, whats happened since the veto?

[somebody]

Nothing Much

[Astoria]

Shots fired at ethnic Albanian leader in FYROM



SKOPJE, May 12 (Reuters) - Shots were fired at a convoy in FYROM carrying ethnic Albanian opposition leader Ali Ahmeti during election campaigning on Monday, but he was unhurt, police said.

The attack took place near the western town of Tetovo, as Ahmeti toured villages ahead of a June 1 parliamentary election.

It followed a string of violent incidents linked to a fierce battle for the ethnic Albanian vote between Ahmeti's Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) and the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA).

"This was an assassination attempt," said senior DUI campaign official Izet Mexhiti. He blamed followers of the DPA.

Police said they had detained one person suspected of involvement in the shooting. One person was slightly wounded.

The DPA is part of the outgoing ruling coalition led by conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of the VMRO-DPMNE. The government collapsed in April after Greece blocked the country's bid to join NATO in a years-long dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic.

Ahmeti led an insurgency against government forces in 2001, before Western powers mediated a peace accord offering the 25 percent Albanian minority greater rights.

Having entered politics, Ahmeti was frozen out of government by Gruevski in 2006. The West is watching closely for any sign of renewed tension, having only just steered ethnic Albanians in neighbouring Kosovo to independence from Serbia.

Previous elections in FYROM have been marred by campaign violence and voting irregularities, something the European Union says Skopje must stamp out in order to progress towards membership of the bloc. (Reporting by Kole Casule; writing by Matt Robinson)