VMRO-DPMNE Leader, FYROM Expert Reject ICG's 'Intimidating Scenarios'
Skopje Utrinski Vesnik in Macedonian 14 Sep 04 p 2
Report by Katica Cangova: "ICG Seems To Want Crisis in Macedonia"
The International Crisis Group [ICG] seems to want to destabilize Macedonia. This nongovernmental organization's descriptions of the country in terms of the November referendum are apocalyptic. The reports addressed to the European Union, signed by Nicholas Whyte, the International Crisis Group director for Europe, stress that the Ohrid [Framework] agreement will suffer a significant delay in its implementation. This directly indicates the serious situation in Macedonia, hence, Whyte proposes an alternative solution if the referendum succeeds. The peace process in Macedonia, which began at the end of the 2001 conflict, has encountered unexpected impediments when the opposition parties collected signatures for a referendum on the most sensitive issue, the revision of the local borders, ICG wrote in its letter to [EU High Representative] Javier Solana in Brussels and Bernard Bot, current EU chairman and Dutch foreign minister. The International Crisis Group includes Macedonia in a group of 10 countries, with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Chechnya, Congo, Georgia, India, Israel, and Zimbabwe, in which the general situation is being aggravated. It also advises the European representatives to reinforce their communication with the Macedonian politicians and emphasize to them the importance of the Framework Agreement for the country's long-term stability and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Nicholas Whyte's intimidating scenarios have caused reactions among the politicians and intellectuals in Macedonia who do not agree with the views of the ICG director for Europe. "Nicholas Whyte is trying to present the entire opposition as opposing reforms, but his remarks are unfounded because an opinion poll by the influential Institute on Sociological, Political, and Legal Research has indicated that 70 percent of the Macedonian citizens disapprove of the coalition partners' political agreement on such revision of the local self-government borders. Moreover, 41 of a total of 123 municipalities have organized local referendums, whereby they have expressed their will to retain the present municipal borders and have opposed the new law. Even the municipalities with an Albanian or Turkish majority have held such referendums."
VMRO-DPMNE [Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity] leader Nikola Gruevski presented these arguments to the ICG director for Europe through European Voice regarding his article entitled "Forthcoming Referendum To Ignite Fire in Macedonia." Whyte wrote that the peace process in Macedonia, which had brought stability in the small Balkan country after the 2001 armed conflict, had received an unexpected blow when the opposition parties had managed to collect enough signatures to hold a referendum on the most delicate issue, the revision of local borders.
Gruevski also says that the opposition "is fighting for an administrative and fiscal decentralization, but it strongly opposed the artificial division along ethnic lines, which is evident in the government's law on territorial division." The opposition leader considers that the most important thing is to respect the will and needs of all the citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.
Philosophy Faculty Professor Biljana Vankovska, provoked by the ICG's qualifications of Macedonia, wrote in a letter to Nicholas Whyte, "At this moment, it is of vital importance for the European Union not to use intimidating scenarios, which have already begun to be widely fabricated by various political and international centers." She is convinced that the referendum initiative is a success for the citizens and opposes the claims that this is the political opposition's activity. "The ordinary citizens of the Republic of Macedonia are puzzled by the questions about protecting Macedonia. From whom they should defend it and who poses a threat to the country? The way in which the peace process is being implemented must not harm democracy. Otherwise, we may think that the international community wants Macedonian citizens to have democracy, but not use its instruments," Vankovska notes in her letter to Whyte. She agrees that the situation in Macedonia deserves more attention, but, however, notes that it is exaggerated to call it a serious situation now that the citizens have had a significant victory by applying democratic and constitutional mechanisms.
Report by Katica Cangova: "ICG Seems To Want Crisis in Macedonia"
The International Crisis Group [ICG] seems to want to destabilize Macedonia. This nongovernmental organization's descriptions of the country in terms of the November referendum are apocalyptic. The reports addressed to the European Union, signed by Nicholas Whyte, the International Crisis Group director for Europe, stress that the Ohrid [Framework] agreement will suffer a significant delay in its implementation. This directly indicates the serious situation in Macedonia, hence, Whyte proposes an alternative solution if the referendum succeeds. The peace process in Macedonia, which began at the end of the 2001 conflict, has encountered unexpected impediments when the opposition parties collected signatures for a referendum on the most sensitive issue, the revision of the local borders, ICG wrote in its letter to [EU High Representative] Javier Solana in Brussels and Bernard Bot, current EU chairman and Dutch foreign minister. The International Crisis Group includes Macedonia in a group of 10 countries, with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Chechnya, Congo, Georgia, India, Israel, and Zimbabwe, in which the general situation is being aggravated. It also advises the European representatives to reinforce their communication with the Macedonian politicians and emphasize to them the importance of the Framework Agreement for the country's long-term stability and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Nicholas Whyte's intimidating scenarios have caused reactions among the politicians and intellectuals in Macedonia who do not agree with the views of the ICG director for Europe. "Nicholas Whyte is trying to present the entire opposition as opposing reforms, but his remarks are unfounded because an opinion poll by the influential Institute on Sociological, Political, and Legal Research has indicated that 70 percent of the Macedonian citizens disapprove of the coalition partners' political agreement on such revision of the local self-government borders. Moreover, 41 of a total of 123 municipalities have organized local referendums, whereby they have expressed their will to retain the present municipal borders and have opposed the new law. Even the municipalities with an Albanian or Turkish majority have held such referendums."
VMRO-DPMNE [Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity] leader Nikola Gruevski presented these arguments to the ICG director for Europe through European Voice regarding his article entitled "Forthcoming Referendum To Ignite Fire in Macedonia." Whyte wrote that the peace process in Macedonia, which had brought stability in the small Balkan country after the 2001 armed conflict, had received an unexpected blow when the opposition parties had managed to collect enough signatures to hold a referendum on the most delicate issue, the revision of local borders.
Gruevski also says that the opposition "is fighting for an administrative and fiscal decentralization, but it strongly opposed the artificial division along ethnic lines, which is evident in the government's law on territorial division." The opposition leader considers that the most important thing is to respect the will and needs of all the citizens, regardless of their ethnicity.
Philosophy Faculty Professor Biljana Vankovska, provoked by the ICG's qualifications of Macedonia, wrote in a letter to Nicholas Whyte, "At this moment, it is of vital importance for the European Union not to use intimidating scenarios, which have already begun to be widely fabricated by various political and international centers." She is convinced that the referendum initiative is a success for the citizens and opposes the claims that this is the political opposition's activity. "The ordinary citizens of the Republic of Macedonia are puzzled by the questions about protecting Macedonia. From whom they should defend it and who poses a threat to the country? The way in which the peace process is being implemented must not harm democracy. Otherwise, we may think that the international community wants Macedonian citizens to have democracy, but not use its instruments," Vankovska notes in her letter to Whyte. She agrees that the situation in Macedonia deserves more attention, but, however, notes that it is exaggerated to call it a serious situation now that the citizens have had a significant victory by applying democratic and constitutional mechanisms.