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MILS: News from the FYROM, 97-02-21Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: "Macedonian Information Liaison Service" <mils@mils.spic.org.mk>CONTENTS
MILS SUPPLEMENTMILS NEWSSkopje, 21 February, 1997[01] PART OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM KUMANOVO, VELES AND KICHEVO ALSO PROTESTEDThe forth day of protests of the students in Skopje against the Law on the Pedagogical Faculty went in an atmosphere similar to the previous days. Around 5-6 thousand high school students and hundreds of university students made processions through the streets in Skopje carrying posters and shouted out slogans in which again most dominating was the slogan on resignation of the Education Minister, Sofija Todorova. Eggs, firecrackers cans and stones were thrown at the buildings of the Education Ministry, the Government, and the General Assembly and a dozen of windows of the Education Ministry were broken.Yesterday the protesting students were given the support by the student dormitories in Skopje. The delegates of the Students Union at the Pedagogical Faculty who organized the protest were not received by President Kiro Gligorov although there were announcements of such a meeting. Yesterday in almost all high schools in Skopje the head masters held meetings with the parent councils. Assessing that the children have been manipulated, the teachers and the parents made appeals to act in order to take the children off the streets so as to continue following the lectures and if necessary , to make them express their dissatisfaction through the system institutions. Yesterday the media reported that part of the high school students from Kumanovo, Veles and Kochani joined the demands of Skopje's students and they organized quiet protests pointing out the well known demands. For now the media in the course of the protests have not recorded any larger incidents besides the insolent slogans ant the broken windows of the state institution buildings. According to the announcements the student protests should continue today. [02] HELSINKI COMMITTEE - EXPRESSING DISSATISFACTION IN AN UNBECOMING WAYYesterday the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of Macedonia assessed that the dissatisfaction of the students, particularly the way in which they expressed it, is extremely unbecoming. According to this Committee the problem regarding the nationalities languages and their usage is an issue which should be discussed publicly and in the spirit of the international standards for human rights with no political involvement and least expression of xenophobia verging with racism. `We do not only rebuke that incident but we also coax the Macedonian citizens to stand in the way of incidents like these and to initiate a public discussion on it', it is said in the announcement of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights of Macedonia.[03] MINISTER FRCHKOVSKI - FALSE INFORMATION ON BREACHING THE CONSTITUTIONThe Foreign Affairs Minister of Republic Macedonia, Ljubomir Frchkovski, in an interview for the BBC talking about the students protest stated that 'the protests are definitely a political manipulation with the children and it is a false information that it presents breaching of the Constitution'. The Macedonian Television reports, Minister Frchkovski stated that the enforcement of a Law on the Pedagogical Faculty discards the realization of an idea for alternative education structure, i.e. the so- called `Tetovo university'.[04] SDSM - SEPARATE POLITICAL PARTIES GAVE UP THE UNDEMOCRATIC AND VIOLENT METHODS`SDSM has always claimed that the building of stable and tolerant inter- ethnic relations is one of the pillars holding the stability and the democratic development of the Republic Macedonia as a civilized, independent and sovereign state. We have always pointed out that the sources of resolving all open issues in this sphere are in the Macedonian Constitution and its citizen concept which everyone today calls upon. In fact due to this characteristics it enjoys international support'. This was cited in yesterday's announcement given by the Macedonian Social Democrat Union regarding the current students protests.The announcement further reveals that besides their declarative statement that they accept this kind of approach towards the problem solution in the sphere on international relationships, several political parties (mostly VMRO-DPMNE), with these new events in Macedonia, have clearly revealed that they haven't given up their undemocratic and violent methods for realization of their own political goals. ` These events confirm that this party which has never stopped being a supporter of the so-called `street democracy' this time is using a new method. Instead of taking in the streets its own supporters it takes the juvenile citizens of Republic Macedonia. SDSM holds the attitude that the resolution of all problems should be carried out through legal institutions of the system because otherwise we might live to se the bloody solution of such issues from some countries near us', it is said in yesterday's announcement of SDSM. [05] VMRO-DPMNE JUSTIFIES THE PROTESTS AGAINST BREACHING THE MACEDONIAN CONSTITUTION`VMRO-DPMNE as a democrat party supports the recent protests of all interest groups concerned with the voluntarism of the government lead by SDSM. This government in Macedonia has totally hindered the establishing of a legal state and establishes a legal vacuum instead i.e. it made it possible chaos to overcome our state on both political and economic field. Thus we support the students protests happening these days which are against the breaching of the Macedonian Constitution or to be more precise, of act 48 which regulates the high education and the right of the minorities education', it is cited in yesterday's announcement given by VMRO-DPMNE.The party further on underlines the fact that the Macedonian Government has made a precedent by enforcing the Law on the Pedagogical Faculty and the usage of the nationalities' languages. That precedent, according to VMRO-DPMNE, will become a rule i.e. it will legalize the illegal Albanian university in Macedonia. `If the justified protests have been organized by VMRO- DPMNE, as it has been speculated to the Macedonian public, the party would have called its public membership and supporters to join the protests and thus make them more massive. The main demand would not only have been resignation of Minister Todorova and repeal of the Law, but also resignation of the Macedonian Government and creating conditions for pre- term elections. It is a fact that VMRO-DPMNE has called Mr. Branko Crvenkovski on a dialogue on creating conditions for pre-term elections, but there has been no reply so far. The Government does not want a dialogue neither with the political parties nor with the demands of the Macedonian citizens, the robbed clients of the savings banks, the students' demands on enforcement of a Law on high education. Due to this the citizens are impelled to express their dissatisfaction with quiet protests', it is cited in VMRO-DPMNE's announcement. [06] SPM - THE PROTESTS DO NOT CO-WORK WITH DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES DEVELOPMENT IN MACEDONIA`The students protests according to the Social Party is a way of expressing the democrat right of every citizen to set the problem solution before competent bodies.According to SPM the usage of that right carries obligations for every citizen, and the students protests are an act that at this moment do not co- work with the development of democratic processes in Macedonia. `The street solution of the problems set by the students do not lead towards a mutual solution of the problems in Macedonia. The solution of the language issue and the Law on the Pedagogical faculty enforced by the Parliament are issues that are to be solved within the system institutions, it is assessed in the announcement given by SPM. [07] `STUDENTS' VANDAL ACT' REBUKED BY ALBANIAN STUDENTSRegarding the protests of the Macedonian students, yesterday the Albanian Students Union reacted by criticizing the `vandal act of the Macedonian students and high school pupils, saying that their behaviour is in favour of some political parties which aim towards destruction of the sovereignty and integrity of the state as well as threatening the international relations and the democracy in Macedonia. The Albanian Students Union also said that their colleagues particularly the juveniles are being manipulated by `forces from the Pedagogical faculty and from outside'.[08] LAW ON THE PEDAGOGICAL FACULTY PRACTICALLY ENFORCED YESTERDAYAt yesterday's session the Teaching and Scientific Council at the Pedagogical Faculty arranged the way of enforcing the Law on languages in which the lectures in this faculty are being conducted and thus this law was practically put into effect, report the Macedonian media.At the session it has been decided that during the following week there will be an open competition for teachers and cooperative workers for all teaching and scientific disciplines covered by the teaching plan for the first and second studying year. The dean of the Pedagogical faculty, according to the Macedonian TV, yesterday informed that 230 Albanian students in the first and second year who had boycotted the winter semester today have applied to certify the semester and it has been decided that the professors will give them signatures although they had not attended the lectures. The Albanian students are attending for now only the lectures that are conducted in the Albanian language. At yesterday's session it has been decided that for the group which follows the lectures in the Turkish language there will be no open competition for new professors because this group consists of only 14 students, and according to the law new professors can be employed if there are at least 20 students. Thus in Turkish will be conducted the same lectures that have been conducted in Turkish by now. [09] UNIFICATION OF PDPA AND PDP IN THE RACE FOR MAYOR SEAT IN TETOVOThose who until yesterday were opponents at the local elections particularly in the mayor election for Tetovo - the parties of the Albanians in Macedonia, PDP and PDPA- before round 2 of the local elections in Tetovo have agreed to support the candidate from PDPA, Alajdin Demiri.With this sudden unification of the Albanian political parties in Macedonia, as the media report, the only candidate of Macedonian nationality, Tomislav Stojanovski Bombaj has been dropped out of the election race in Tetovo. According to the leader of PDPA, Arben Dzaferi, this opens a new dimension among the Albanian political parties in Macedonia which has to be continued in future through intensive contacts . PDPA in future will support PDP so as to get a stronger opposition in the Government, declared Arben Dzaferi for `A-1' Television. [10] THE SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPEAN STATES REQUIRE HELP FROM EU FOR REGION STABILIZATIONSeven states from the Balkans (Macedonia, Albania, Bulgaria, SR Yugoslavia, Romania, Greece, and Turkey) have called the European Union to help the political and economic stabilization in the region, reports the `Makfaks' agency. The mutual attitude of these seven states from South- Eastern Europe is achieved at the two- days meeting of their diplomacy representatives in Sofia.The message from the EU in the name of these states is to be announced by Greece at the Union meeting to be held in Brussels on 24 February. According to reports from the `A- 1" TV, Greece will try at the meeting in Brussels to explain to the EU Ministry Council its attitudes towards organizing a conference in Athens which will deal with the situations in the region. At this conference besides states from the Union there should also be present the USA, Russia and the states from the region (according to the latest information Macedonia is invited as well). The goal of this conference is: viewing the mechanisms of realizing the ideas for regional collaboration and good neighborliness in the Balkans. According to information given by `A-1 Television', the European diplomacy in Brussels has assessed that the situation in Albania might create negative consequences on the neighbouring states where Albanian minority lives. According to this TV, the EU Council of the Foreign Affairs ministers at the meeting in Brussels on Monday will pay particular attention to the goings-on in Albania, Serbia and Bulgaria, and it is possible that the latest events regarding the students protests in Macedonia will be looked-upon as well. [11] DELEGATES FORM THE EUROPEAN `CENTER FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT' MEET WITH PRESIDENT GLIGOROVThe Macedonian Chief of State, Kiro Gligorov yesterday received delegates from `The European center for peace and development' by the UN University for Peace headed by the ambassador Almark Anil. As it is cited in the official announcement from the meeting, the guests have acquainted President Gligorov with the activity of the Center and some projects with a Balkans' regional character. At the meeting they also went through the possibilities of including Macedonia into the projects of the Center.[12] DELEGATES FROM GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTRY IM MACEDONIAThe media report that these days in Macedonia there are three visiting high military delegations. Besides the NATO team of experts and the American team for studying the performances of the NATO multi-national training `Rescuer 96' which is to be held in Macedonia in May, there is also a visiting delegation from the Headquarters of the German Defense Ministry which came two days ago. The brigade general Karl Haine Later, heading the German military delegation yesterday had a meeting with the Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Handziski and the Chief of the General Headquarters of the ARM, general Trajche Krstevski. At the meeting they announced a visit of the German Defense Minister Folkre Rue to Macedonia at the beginning of April this year. They also exchanged opinions regarding situations in Macedonia and the neighbouring states, expansion of the Alliance and deepening of the collaboration between the two states in the field of military and politics. They also gave positive assessments to the achieved results and the collaboration in the frames of the Macedonian - German Agreement on military collaboration.MILS SUPPLEMENT[13] `The official secret paper is not constitutional, but theregulations in it - are constitutional?'(`Dnevnik' 19 February, 1997)The initiative of Dimitar Sekulovski for the constitutionality of the Special official paper has only partly passed at the last session of the Constitutional Court. The court has come to a decision to start proceedings to examine the constitutionality of the Law which allows the existence of such a phantom and secret paper, but it refused the initiative to start such proceedings for the acts published in the paper. What happens to all those sub-legal general acts published so far in the paper? Does the Constitutional Court consider them legal and constitutional? How, then, will the citizens know whether a certain behaviour is concordant to the law and the regulations and other general acts when they can not know what is regarded as allowed by the state and what is to be sanctioned as illegal behaviour? How many and what regulations have been issued in the special official paper by now? Do these regulations published in that paper bind only the high state officials? Such regulations for instance are: the Rule on the conditions under which the citizens are bound to give away vehicles and cattle for the needs of the ARM and compensation for their usage and the rule on conducting humanitarian activities and assignments in a state of war; the Rule on the ranks in the Army of the Republic of Macedonia; the Rule on the criteria and measures for protection of data secrecy which is of great importance to the defence; the Rule book on the criteria for establishing secret information of importance to the Army which must be kept secret and measures for their protection...None of these regulations have got to be examined before the judges in the Constitutional Court. A rule on personal names The Special official paper has been publishing ` rules and general acts containing data the publication of which would be contrary to the interests of the state security and defence, and other social interests determined by law which will be established by the official, i.e. the staff that had enforced the rule.' This is said in act 2 in the Law on law publishing and other republic regulations and general acts. The former Foreign Affairs Minister talks about the fact that the acts published in the secret official paper have a great impact and direct repercussion on the citizens who are not familiarised with them. `This official paper also issues decisions made by the ministries, which would cause negative consequences if published in public and wider, but all the while they do not concern the whole public. While I was working in the Ministry one such decision was the ban on changing personal names of the Albanians into names that are similar to the Albanian etymology. Since such a thing could not have been published publicly, it was published in the Special official paper of the former SRM. For instance, it was not allowed a name to be changed into Tirana, Valona and similar, says Grozdan Cvetanovski who for many years worked at the Internal Affairs Ministry. The Constitutional Court has rejected the initiative to discuss the constitutionality of another four sub-legal acts which according to the arguments of the proposer are not concordant to the Constitution and the new political system in Macedonia. The army rank as a state secret This decision of the Constitutional Court indirectly confirm some funny situations which have already been legislated. The secrecy of the acts published in the Special official paper sometimes creates ridiculous situations because they are not well chosen, says the proposer Dimitar Sekulovski who under his initiative from 26 th November last year has been proposing to the Constitutional Court, under official duty, itself to begin an initiative for examining the constitutionality of: `The rule on the way of publishing and using the Special official paper of the Republic of Macedonia', `The rule on the criteria and measures for protection of the information secrecy which is of importance to the defence' and other controversial acts. According to Sekulovski, from the controversial rules it turns out that all members of the ARM continually and every day betray high state secretes because they wear their ranks publicly on their uniforms. `The regulation on criteria for establishing secret information of importance to the army of the Macedonian Republic and the regulation on the criteria and measures of protecting the information secrecy which is of importance to the defence, also by which the ranks of officers and other members of the Army are determined, have not been published in the Official paper but have been published in the Special official paper. Thus it turns out that the ARM officers unwillingly betray the highest military and state secrets by publicly wearing their uniforms with their ranks', says Sekulovski. (end)mils news 21 February, 1997Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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