There was no official comment from Greece last night on the violence and suspected irregularities that marred yesterday's parliamentary elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and prompted concern among Greek commentators about the potentially explosive situation in the neighboring country.
One person was shot dead and nine wounded in FYROM's ethnic Albanian areas and the electoral commission recorded instances of suspected fraud.
The government in Skopje responded by saying that voting will be repeated in 22 polling stations that were shut down yesterday because of violence or allegations of fraud.
Government spokesman Ivica Bocevski said that problems were reported at 1 percent of polling centers.
As of late last night, the government in Greece had not made any official statement, despite an array of commentators appearing on television to express concern at the situation developing in Greece's northern neighbor.
PASOK's spokesman for foreign affairs, Andreas Loverdos, suggested that some politicians in Skopje had fanned the flames by engaging in nationalistic rhetoric against Greece during their campaigns.
«We Greeks were serious and stayed away from dangerous brinkmanship. From tomorrow, we hope that prudence will prevail so that the necessary compromise solution [to the name dispute] can be found.»
Friday, June 06, 2008
Athens on FYROM poll violence
Greece officially commented on Sunday's violence-plagued general election in the neighbouring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) a day later, with the foreign ministry again emphasising Athens' policy of ignoring much of the nationalistic rhetoric aired during the pre-election period in the landlocked former Yugoslav republic over the recent period.
"Greece, throughout the entire period, carefully and critically monitored and assessed developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said, adding:
"We share the international community's conclusions over the (violent) incidents, the irregularities and, overall, the democratic deficit that characterised the holding of yesterday's (Sunday) elections ... Beyond this, Greece now expects the continuation of the negotiating process, under the United Nations' auspices, with the representative of the government that will be formed in Skopje, in order to achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the 'name issue' for the benefit of peace, stability and cooperation in the region," he stressed.
"Greece, throughout the entire period, carefully and critically monitored and assessed developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said, adding:
"We share the international community's conclusions over the (violent) incidents, the irregularities and, overall, the democratic deficit that characterised the holding of yesterday's (Sunday) elections ... Beyond this, Greece now expects the continuation of the negotiating process, under the United Nations' auspices, with the representative of the government that will be formed in Skopje, in order to achieve a mutually acceptable solution to the 'name issue' for the benefit of peace, stability and cooperation in the region," he stressed.
Macedonians ‘Know Who is Behind Violence’
The public knows who is responsible for the pre-election violence in Macedonia, the United States ambassador to Macedonia argues.
However Gillian Milovanovic restrained from pointing fingers at anyone arguing that it would be counterproductive to do so just three days before the June 1 vote.
“I can not and I do not want to name the people who are causing incidents during the election campaign but the public knows who is responsible,” Milovanovic told local Alsat M TV.
The U.S. Embassy is not happy with how the police have handled the violence adding that the biggest victims far have been the ethnic Albanians.
Since the beginning of the campaign a series of incidents have taken place mainly in the rural north-west of the country which are largely populated with ethnic Albanians.
The media have counted nearly 30 incidents so far mainly involving attacks on local party headquarters of the main Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.
The police arrested two for the May 12 shooting near the western town of Tetovo which the DUI leader Ali Ahmeti claims was an attempt on his life.
The DUI accused their bitter political rivals from the ruling Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA for orchestrating the violence. The DPA denied allegations of any involvement.
Senior European Union officials have set free and fair elections as one of the country’s benchmarks that will decide whether Macedonia gets a firm date for the start of EU accession talks this autumn.
On Sunday, nearly 1.7 million Macedonian voters will cast their votes in the first snap general election since the country’s independence.
However Gillian Milovanovic restrained from pointing fingers at anyone arguing that it would be counterproductive to do so just three days before the June 1 vote.
“I can not and I do not want to name the people who are causing incidents during the election campaign but the public knows who is responsible,” Milovanovic told local Alsat M TV.
The U.S. Embassy is not happy with how the police have handled the violence adding that the biggest victims far have been the ethnic Albanians.
Since the beginning of the campaign a series of incidents have taken place mainly in the rural north-west of the country which are largely populated with ethnic Albanians.
The media have counted nearly 30 incidents so far mainly involving attacks on local party headquarters of the main Albanian opposition party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.
The police arrested two for the May 12 shooting near the western town of Tetovo which the DUI leader Ali Ahmeti claims was an attempt on his life.
The DUI accused their bitter political rivals from the ruling Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA for orchestrating the violence. The DPA denied allegations of any involvement.
Senior European Union officials have set free and fair elections as one of the country’s benchmarks that will decide whether Macedonia gets a firm date for the start of EU accession talks this autumn.
On Sunday, nearly 1.7 million Macedonian voters will cast their votes in the first snap general election since the country’s independence.
Tetovo police deny involvement in pre-election violence
The Tetovo police chief Faik Dervishi denied any involvement by police in elections-related incidents.
The statement came after the opposition DUI claimed that Dervishi was involved in maltreating of local residents in Dobri Dol. Dervishi labeled the allegations a pure speculation and groundless discrediting campaign.
"The accusations raised by DUI's candidate for parliament Talat Xhaferi, which discredit the Tetovo Police Department and its chief, are nothing but anxious personal pre-election frustrations that missed the target. It is a political manipulation of the public in a bid to court the voters in the run-up to elections," says the media statement posted by Dervishi.
The statement came after the opposition DUI claimed that Dervishi was involved in maltreating of local residents in Dobri Dol. Dervishi labeled the allegations a pure speculation and groundless discrediting campaign.
"The accusations raised by DUI's candidate for parliament Talat Xhaferi, which discredit the Tetovo Police Department and its chief, are nothing but anxious personal pre-election frustrations that missed the target. It is a political manipulation of the public in a bid to court the voters in the run-up to elections," says the media statement posted by Dervishi.
Macedonia: Ethnic Albanians protest vote violence
About 3,000 supporters of Macedonia's largest ethnic Albanian opposition party marched Thursday to protest violence during Sunday's national elections.
The Democratic Union for Integration, or DUI, said the peaceful demonstration in the capital, Skopje, also aimed to protest electoral "manipulation and illegitimacy."
Gunbattles and reports of ballot fraud in areas where the minority ethnic Albanians live prompted authorities to suspend voting in at least 22 polling stations on Sunday. One person was killed and eight were wounded in the fighting, which brought international condemnation at a time when Macedonia was trying to prove its credentials for European Union and NATO membership.
About 50 people have been detained over the last three days in connection with the violence and irregularities, while a court ordered at least 30 of them to be held for 30 days — including one policeman.
The election commission said reruns will be held June 15 in at least 25 polling stations, and the number could rise. The commission is reviewing 56 complaints from political parties.
The reruns could determine which of the two main — and bitterly opposed — ethnic Albanian parties will be invited into a governing coalition: DUI, run by former rebel leader Ali Ahmeti, or the Democratic Party of Albanians, run by Menduh Thaci.
The Democratic Union for Integration, or DUI, said the peaceful demonstration in the capital, Skopje, also aimed to protest electoral "manipulation and illegitimacy."
Gunbattles and reports of ballot fraud in areas where the minority ethnic Albanians live prompted authorities to suspend voting in at least 22 polling stations on Sunday. One person was killed and eight were wounded in the fighting, which brought international condemnation at a time when Macedonia was trying to prove its credentials for European Union and NATO membership.
About 50 people have been detained over the last three days in connection with the violence and irregularities, while a court ordered at least 30 of them to be held for 30 days — including one policeman.
The election commission said reruns will be held June 15 in at least 25 polling stations, and the number could rise. The commission is reviewing 56 complaints from political parties.
The reruns could determine which of the two main — and bitterly opposed — ethnic Albanian parties will be invited into a governing coalition: DUI, run by former rebel leader Ali Ahmeti, or the Democratic Party of Albanians, run by Menduh Thaci.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Ruling Party Wins In Violence-Tainted Parliamentary Vote
Electoral Commission officials say that with 97 percent of the vote counted, Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party won 48 percent of the vote. The opposition Social Democrats (SDSM) finished a distant second with 23 percent, followed by the Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) with 11 percent, and the Democratic Party of Albanians (dpa) with 10 percent.
The poll was marred by violence in the country's ethnic Albanian areas between supporters of the rival DUI and dpa. Authorities suspended voting in 22 polling stations due to allegations of fraud and intimidation.
Re-votes will be held in these precincts, which make up only a small portion of the electorate, but could affect the final balance between the two main Albanian parties.
In claiming victory, Gruevski also acknowledged the vote was far from problem-free.
"Now we can say that Macedonia's rebirth continues," Gruevski said. "I would like to congratulate all citizens for today's elections. In most polling places in Macedonia, we had fair and democratic elections. Unfortunately, in some areas, there were incidents and some irregular voting. VMRO-DPMNE and the Coalition for Better Macedonia will do everything in our authority to hold re-votes in these places so that every member of parliament will be chosen in a fair and democratic way."
Fueled By Anger Over Greece
Elections weren't expected until 2010. But analysts say that with a high approval rating, Gruevski was looking to seal four more years for his ruling coalition. Observers see his victory as fueled by anger over Greece blocking Macedonia's NATO membership invitation at the alliance's April summit in Bucharest.
Hundreds of the prime minister's supporters celebrated in central Skopje, waving flags and chanting Gruevski's name.
The leader of the opposition Social Democrats, Radmila Sekerinska, congratulated Gruevski, but added that due to the violence, "the price Macedonia had to pay was too high."
Macedonia is seeking to join the European Union, in addition to NATO, and the West is alert to any instability in the volatile Balkan country.
Sekerinska added that SDSM did well considering what she called its disadvantage in paid advertising.
"Even with a five-to-one disadvantage in paid political advertising on television, it was still possible to get citizens, one by one, to get on the side of [SDSM]," she said. "I would like to show them that this is a team that is moving forward. This is a team that says, 'That which doesn't defeat us will only make us stronger.' "
One man was killed and nine wounded in violence among ethnic Albanians on election day. Gunfire halted voting in one town. Ballot boxes went missing. Two election officials were held briefly by gunmen before being freed unharmed by police.
International observers are expected to present their assessment of the vote on June 2.
Animosity between the two ethnic Albanian parties has been intensifying since elections in 2006, when the DUI -- which won more ethnic Albanian votes -- were left out of Gruevski's coalition government in favor of the rival dpa.
Not Recognize Results
DUI leader Ali Ahmeti said due to the violence, his party would not recognize election results in seven municipalities, including in the main ethnic Albanian town of Tetovo. He also accused police of colluding with his rivals.
"I would like to underline that those criminal groups have had the support of police and state structures," he said. "So the state cannot avoid responsibility [for the violence]."
Dpa leader Menduh Taci, meanwhile, urged the DUI to recognize the election results. Taci addressed his supporters at a rally in Tetovo as music blared from loudspeakers, with supporters waving flags and shooting into the air.
"I think that DUI should recognize the results. I believe that in some places there should be a re-vote," he said. "I believe that from tomorrow we will have good relations with the opposition."
Gruevski's next task is to form a ruling coalition in the 120-seat parliament. The prime minister has said he prefers to continue his alliance with the dpa, despite the fact that it again finished behind the DUI -- a move which would further alienate that party's supporters.
Violence mars Macedonia poll
Macedonia's hopes of speedy Nato and EU membership were dealt a major blow when its parliamentary elections were hit by widespread violence.
At least one person was killed and several others wounded in gunbattles across the country.
The polling was also hit by allegations of fraud, intimidation and ballot box stuffing.
Most of the violence was between ethnic Albanians, whose two political parties have in recent years descended into a bitter feud. It forced Macedonia's electoral commission to suspend voting in up to 20 polling stations.
The bloodshed is a embarrassment for the Balkan nation, which came within a whisker of civil war in 2001. It was hoping flawless elections would prove its readiness to join the EU and Nato.
Instead, British MP Denis MacShane, who is an observer at the election, said results had been fatally compromised by the violence.
"No government can be formed as a result of this election," he said.
"New polls must be organised in all the districts where violence, intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes have taken place."
The polls had been called two years early by conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in the wake of Macedonia's failure to secure Nato membership earlier this year.
Greece blocked Macedonia's Nato bid in April, after the two countries failed to find a solution to their long running dispute over the name Macedonia.
Ancient Macedonia, the homeland of Alexander the Great, stretched over territory which now falls largely within the borders of Greece and its northern neighbour.
At least one person was killed and several others wounded in gunbattles across the country.
The polling was also hit by allegations of fraud, intimidation and ballot box stuffing.
Most of the violence was between ethnic Albanians, whose two political parties have in recent years descended into a bitter feud. It forced Macedonia's electoral commission to suspend voting in up to 20 polling stations.
The bloodshed is a embarrassment for the Balkan nation, which came within a whisker of civil war in 2001. It was hoping flawless elections would prove its readiness to join the EU and Nato.
Instead, British MP Denis MacShane, who is an observer at the election, said results had been fatally compromised by the violence.
"No government can be formed as a result of this election," he said.
"New polls must be organised in all the districts where violence, intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes have taken place."
The polls had been called two years early by conservative Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in the wake of Macedonia's failure to secure Nato membership earlier this year.
Greece blocked Macedonia's Nato bid in April, after the two countries failed to find a solution to their long running dispute over the name Macedonia.
Ancient Macedonia, the homeland of Alexander the Great, stretched over territory which now falls largely within the borders of Greece and its northern neighbour.
Shootings, Reports of Stolen and Stuffed Ballot Boxes Plague Macedonia Elections
Shootouts with police that led to at least one death and allegations of ballot fraud forced the suspension of voting in at least 20 polling stations Sunday, marring Macedonia's parliamentary election.
The ballot is seen as crucial to the Balkan country's hopes of joining NATO and the European Union, but the violence among rival ethnic Albanian parties and allegations of fraud threatened to derail the election.
Erwan Fouere, head of the European Union office in Macedonia, said he was "deeply concerned."
"We are entering now the critical hour ... before the polls close, and we have appealed to the government and the state authorities to do everything possible to prevent further violence," he told The Associated Press.
One person was killed and eight wounded in shootouts Sunday between rival ethnic Albanian groups or in standoffs with police, Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said. Thirteen people were arrested.
Voting was suspended in at least 20 polling stations — 1 percent of all polling stations in the country — due to irregularities or intimidation, elections commission spokesman Zoran Tanevski said.
The violence was concentrated in ethnic Albanian areas in Macedonia's northwest. Ethnic Albanians make up a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million people. Rebels fought a six-month insurgency in 2001 for more rights for ethnic Albanians but since then, a bitter rivalry has intensified among the minority group's political leaders.
Electoral commission chief Jovan Josifovski said voting was calm in most of Macedonia but "the incidents in the northwest region overshadowed expectations that we would have the best-organized elections ever and we could prove to Europe that Macedonia has the capacity to conduct a free and fair election."
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's center-right VMRO-DPMNE is seen as almost certain to win the early parliamentary election. A recent opinion poll gave his party 31.3 percent compared with the opposition Social Democrats' 11.2 percent. The 37-year-old needs a majority in the 120-seat parliament to avoid having to form a coalition government.
The most serious incidents Sunday were two shootouts with police near the former ethnic Albanian rebel stronghold of Aracinovo and two near the headquarters of the main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration.
Kotevski said DUI supporters triggered some of the shootouts by firing on police. But Ali Ahmeti, the ex-rebel leader who is how head of the DUI party, said DUI supporters were retaliating against police-backed "criminal structures" targeting his party.
"What is happening ... is more than slaughtering," Ahmeti said as he voted in Zajas, 70 miles (115 kilometers) southwest of Skopje. "We tried to escape provocation, but unfortunately these criminal structures are backed by the police. The situation is quite dramatic."
The head of the rival Democratic Party of Albanians, Menduh Thaci, said it was "clear: DUI activists shot at police."
In Aracinovo, near Skopje, Kotevski said police were called in to help election officials prevent a man from voting on behalf of multiple people. DUI supporters fired on the officers when they arrived, Kotevski said. Two people were injured, and one later died at the hospital.
Another shootout occurred near the DUI headquarters in Skopje's Cair district. DUI spokeswoman Ermira Mehmeti told The Associated Press that "all of a sudden, huge shooting started." Ahmeti — who claims he was the target of an attempted assassination in Tetovo on May 12 — was not in the building at the time.
In a separate incident, gunmen fired at a police vehicle near the DUI headquarters, injuring five people, Kotevski said. And at a nearby polling station, a shootout between supporters of DUI and the rival Democratic Party of Albanians left another two people wounded, he said.
President Branko Crvenkovski appealed for calm.
"I want to express my hope that all this will end, that we will manage to calm the atmosphere and that we will end the day in a way that is suitable for a country with democratic potential," he said.
Voting also was suspended in Gurgurnica in the northwest after men showed up armed with machine guns. Polling stations in Malino, northwest of Skopje, never opened because ballot boxes were stolen overnight, the election commission said.
Voting also was halted in Ciflig because of ballot stuffing, and in Vrapciste, south of Tetovo, officials said.
In Tetovo, "no weapons" posters were prominently displayed at the entrance to a polling station. The EU and United States jointly had urged the government "to enforce a 'zero tolerance policy' for acts of violence or intimidation."
Clear winner in Macedonia vote, guns still in play
Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski scored an overwhelming election victory on Sunday but the violence that marred the poll may perpetuate divisions and delay the country's progress towards European Union membership.
Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party will have the healthiest majority in parliament in more than a decade, riding on a wave of nationalist anger over Greece blocking Macedonia's NATO membership invitation in April.
The victory vindicated Gruevski's controversial decision to call a snap election, gambling that the snub would strengthen his hand and pay off with a stronger four-year mandate.
But with one man dead and nine others wounded, some observers blamed Gruevski for ignoring the risk of violence among the 25-percent Albanian minority, divided between two hostile parties both with links to armed groups.
"We can expect a very bad report card," said analyst Dane Taleski. "We won't be getting a date for (EU) accession talks this year."
Though confined to Albanian areas, the violence could perpetuate a Western impression that, seven years after Macedonia was pulled back from the brink of all-out ethnic war, the Kalashnikov is still a part of the political process.
Newspapers ran headlines such as "Bloody Election" and "Macedonia fell into a bloodbath."
"Our fatherland said goodbye to good reason and to its EU and NATO ambitions," influential broadsheet Dnevnik said in an editorial. "If Athens vetoed us (at the NATO summit) in Bucharest, we vetoed ourselves in Aracinovo," he said.
Besides the gunfire, which halted voting in Aracinovo, ballot boxes went missing and two election officials were briefly held by gunmen, then rescued by police.
In 2001, the West used the lure of NATO and the EU to get Albanian guerrillas to disarm and join politics. But the community is now riven by disputes over who gets to share power.
The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) blamed the rival Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) -- Gruevski's partners in the outgoing coalition -- of colluding with the police on Sunday in "provocations, violence and psychological terror."
They have been on bad terms since 2006, when the DUI, the most popular Albanian party, was left out of the government.
"HIGH PRICE"
Radmila Sekerinska, head of the opposition Social-Democratic Union, conceded defeat but said "the price Macedonia had to pay is too high."
The West is alert to any instability in the Balkans so soon after the February secession of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians from Serbia, the latest shudder in a region torn apart by the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
In an ominous echo of 2001, police in armored cars rushed to the bullet-scarred town of Aracinovo after monitors reported the arrival of men with machine guns. They came under fire and retaliated, killing one gunman and injuring two others.
But the DUI said plain-clothes police started the shooting. Among a dozen men arrested later was a notorious veteran of the "Albanian National Army" of 2001, who has links to the DPA.
"In most parts the vote was fair and democratic, but sadly in one part there were irregularities," Gruevski said, promising a re-run in all the areas where there had been trouble.
His next step will be to form a coalition to bolster his estimated 60 seats in the 120-seat assembly. He has said he would prefer an alliance with the DPA, a move likely to further alienate the large number of Albanians who voted for the DUI.
"Despite the violence and ballot-stuffing, we still have more deputies than the DPA," said senior DUI official Xhevat Ademi. "It won't be the first time they convert defeat into victory."
Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party will have the healthiest majority in parliament in more than a decade, riding on a wave of nationalist anger over Greece blocking Macedonia's NATO membership invitation in April.
The victory vindicated Gruevski's controversial decision to call a snap election, gambling that the snub would strengthen his hand and pay off with a stronger four-year mandate.
But with one man dead and nine others wounded, some observers blamed Gruevski for ignoring the risk of violence among the 25-percent Albanian minority, divided between two hostile parties both with links to armed groups.
"We can expect a very bad report card," said analyst Dane Taleski. "We won't be getting a date for (EU) accession talks this year."
Though confined to Albanian areas, the violence could perpetuate a Western impression that, seven years after Macedonia was pulled back from the brink of all-out ethnic war, the Kalashnikov is still a part of the political process.
Newspapers ran headlines such as "Bloody Election" and "Macedonia fell into a bloodbath."
"Our fatherland said goodbye to good reason and to its EU and NATO ambitions," influential broadsheet Dnevnik said in an editorial. "If Athens vetoed us (at the NATO summit) in Bucharest, we vetoed ourselves in Aracinovo," he said.
Besides the gunfire, which halted voting in Aracinovo, ballot boxes went missing and two election officials were briefly held by gunmen, then rescued by police.
In 2001, the West used the lure of NATO and the EU to get Albanian guerrillas to disarm and join politics. But the community is now riven by disputes over who gets to share power.
The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) blamed the rival Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) -- Gruevski's partners in the outgoing coalition -- of colluding with the police on Sunday in "provocations, violence and psychological terror."
They have been on bad terms since 2006, when the DUI, the most popular Albanian party, was left out of the government.
"HIGH PRICE"
Radmila Sekerinska, head of the opposition Social-Democratic Union, conceded defeat but said "the price Macedonia had to pay is too high."
The West is alert to any instability in the Balkans so soon after the February secession of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians from Serbia, the latest shudder in a region torn apart by the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
In an ominous echo of 2001, police in armored cars rushed to the bullet-scarred town of Aracinovo after monitors reported the arrival of men with machine guns. They came under fire and retaliated, killing one gunman and injuring two others.
But the DUI said plain-clothes police started the shooting. Among a dozen men arrested later was a notorious veteran of the "Albanian National Army" of 2001, who has links to the DPA.
"In most parts the vote was fair and democratic, but sadly in one part there were irregularities," Gruevski said, promising a re-run in all the areas where there had been trouble.
His next step will be to form a coalition to bolster his estimated 60 seats in the 120-seat assembly. He has said he would prefer an alliance with the DPA, a move likely to further alienate the large number of Albanians who voted for the DUI.
"Despite the violence and ballot-stuffing, we still have more deputies than the DPA," said senior DUI official Xhevat Ademi. "It won't be the first time they convert defeat into victory."
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Macedonia poll marred by unrest
General election voting has been suspended in five areas of Macedonia amid unrest in which at least one person has been killed and more hurt.
There have been several shootings, including two in Albanian stronghold Aracinovo, where one person died when police clashed with gunmen.
The poll was called after Greece vetoed the former Yugoslav republic's attempt to join Nato because of its name.
Macedonia is also the name of a northern region of Greece.
Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski condemned the outbreaks of violence and reports of voting irregularities including stuffed ballot boxes.
"I want to express my conviction that we will succeed in calming the atmosphere and that we will complete the day as a country with democratic potential," he said in appealing for calm.
'Assault on democracy'
Denis MacShane, the MP who is leading the UK observer delegation, called the violence and disruptions, "an assault on democracy unacceptable in today's Europe".
He added: "No government can be formed as a result of this election. New polls must be organised in all the districts where violence, intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes have taken place."
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski called the election in April hoping to secure an absolute majority for his centre-right VMRO-DPMNE party.
The parliamentary election had originally been scheduled for 2010.
His party promises not to change the name of the country under Greek pressure, to push on with reforms aimed at EU admission, to revive the economy and to tackle corruption.
Greeks say the name implies a territorial claim over its northern province and resent a perceived attempt to claim the heritage of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great.
Kosovo question
The country's ruling coalition is also divided over recognising Kosovo as an independent state.
Around a quarter of the population is ethnic Albanian, like most of Kosovo.
The next government is likely to face strong pressure from the ethnic Albanian parties to speed up the country's recognition of Kosovo, the BBC's Helen Fawkes reports.
Sunday's vote could determine whether Macedonia joins both Nato and the European Union, most of whose members did recognise Kosovo when it declared independence in February.
Macedonia had been warned that any violence could harm its chances of integration with the West.
The election campaign had been overshadowed by violence between rival ethnic Albanian parties.
There have been shootings and grenade attacks on party offices
Recent opinion polls favoured the VMRO-DPMNE, suggesting it would take between 26% and 31% of the vote.
Its nearest rival, Radmila Sekerinska's Social Democrats, was given between 10% and 11% by the same polls.
There have been several shootings, including two in Albanian stronghold Aracinovo, where one person died when police clashed with gunmen.
The poll was called after Greece vetoed the former Yugoslav republic's attempt to join Nato because of its name.
Macedonia is also the name of a northern region of Greece.
Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski condemned the outbreaks of violence and reports of voting irregularities including stuffed ballot boxes.
"I want to express my conviction that we will succeed in calming the atmosphere and that we will complete the day as a country with democratic potential," he said in appealing for calm.
'Assault on democracy'
Denis MacShane, the MP who is leading the UK observer delegation, called the violence and disruptions, "an assault on democracy unacceptable in today's Europe".
He added: "No government can be formed as a result of this election. New polls must be organised in all the districts where violence, intimidation and stuffing of ballot boxes have taken place."
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski called the election in April hoping to secure an absolute majority for his centre-right VMRO-DPMNE party.
The parliamentary election had originally been scheduled for 2010.
His party promises not to change the name of the country under Greek pressure, to push on with reforms aimed at EU admission, to revive the economy and to tackle corruption.
Greeks say the name implies a territorial claim over its northern province and resent a perceived attempt to claim the heritage of Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great.
Kosovo question
The country's ruling coalition is also divided over recognising Kosovo as an independent state.
Around a quarter of the population is ethnic Albanian, like most of Kosovo.
The next government is likely to face strong pressure from the ethnic Albanian parties to speed up the country's recognition of Kosovo, the BBC's Helen Fawkes reports.
Sunday's vote could determine whether Macedonia joins both Nato and the European Union, most of whose members did recognise Kosovo when it declared independence in February.
Macedonia had been warned that any violence could harm its chances of integration with the West.
The election campaign had been overshadowed by violence between rival ethnic Albanian parties.
There have been shootings and grenade attacks on party offices
Recent opinion polls favoured the VMRO-DPMNE, suggesting it would take between 26% and 31% of the vote.
Its nearest rival, Radmila Sekerinska's Social Democrats, was given between 10% and 11% by the same polls.
Security concerns halt voting in Macedonia
Macedonia's parliamentary election was marred by suspected fraud and violence in ethnic Albanian areas on Sunday, undermining Skopje's attempt to show the EU it was mature enough to start membership talks.
One person was shot dead, nine were wounded and voting was halted in one town after a gun battle. The electoral commission noted instances of suspected fraud and irregularities such as broken or missing ballot boxes and stolen voting materials.
Two of its local officials in the ethnic Albanian Tetovo area were briefly detained by an unknown armed group before being rescued unharmed by police, the commission added.
"I have to express my regret and worry that after the 2006 elections, which were overall evaluated as very good, this year we have bad elections," said commission chief Jovan Josifovski.
The ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader, former guerrilla commander Ali Ahmeti, blamed the rival Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) and the police for "provocations, violence and psychological terror".
"What happened today is a black mark on Macedonia," he said.
The two parties are bitter rivals for the vote of the 25 percent Albanian minority. They have been on bad terms since 2006, when the DUI, which won most of the Albanian votes, was left out of a coalition government in favour of the DPA.
The violence is the worst since the end of the 2001 rebellion, when all-out ethnic war was averted by the West using the lure of NATO and the European Union to secure more rights for Albanians and get guerrillas to disarm.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the United States embassy in Skopje both issued statements expressing concern and calling for restraint. Before the vote, Brussels had said the election is a test Macedonia must pass to start EU negotiations.
The West is worried by any signs of instability in the Balkans so soon after the February secession of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians from Serbia, the latest shudder in a region torn apart by the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s
REPEAT VOTE
The situation appeared to have calmed down by the time polls closed at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Turnout was around 46 percent by 5 p.m. (1500 GMT)
"The situation in the country overall is stable," Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski told reporters. "The incidents are small in number and mostly in ethnic Albanian areas. There will certainly be a repeat vote in those areas in two weeks."
Gruevski's conservative VMRO-DPMNE party is expected to win the vote on a surge of nationalist defiance after Greece blocked Macedonia's NATO bid in April in a 17-year row over the name it shares with a Greek province.
Gruevski's government, which will likely have to include a partner from the ethnic Albanian parties, will be asked to get NATO accession back on track, start EU membership talks and calm tensions among the rival Albanian factions.
Weeks of minor armed incidents between the Albanian parties during the campaign led authorities and NGOs to engage an estimated 6,000 local and foreign monitors.
The violence on voting day began soon after polls opened.
Scuffles broke out in several Albanian areas and a small explosive device was thrown at an empty cafe. Near Skopje, voting was stopped in the town of Aracinovo after a gun battle.
Police said officers went to the town after local monitors reported the arrival of men with machine guns. They came under fire and retaliated, killing one gunman and injuring two others.
The DUI said the incident was initiated by plain-clothes police.
"They stopped our convoy and shot one round in the air, it was chaos, we got out from the cars and tried to flee," DUI official Shefik Duraku told Reuters.
In Skopje's Cair neighbourhood, another shooting took place outside a polling station. One DUI official was in critical condition and five other people were wounded, police said.
At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with the violence. They included Agim Krasniqi, a commander of the guerrilla Albanian National Army in a 2001 rebellion who remained active after a peace deal was reached.
Greek journalist, cameraman detained in Skopje
A journalist and cameraman with the Greek Antenna television were detained in Skopje on Saturday.
Mariana Pirgioti and Angelos Misirlis were first detained by representatives of a private company, who asked the Greeks for ID documents and called the police. The police arrested the two for five hours.
The journalist and cameraman had to hand their camera and recordings. The explanation was that the U.S. asked for the equipment and materials.
Greece has undertaken the necessary actions so that the two are released.
Mariana Pirgioti and Angelos Misirlis were first detained by representatives of a private company, who asked the Greeks for ID documents and called the police. The police arrested the two for five hours.
The journalist and cameraman had to hand their camera and recordings. The explanation was that the U.S. asked for the equipment and materials.
Greece has undertaken the necessary actions so that the two are released.
Shootings marr Macedonian's parliamentary election
Shootings that led to at least one death and allegations of ballot fraud forced elections officials to suspend voting in at least 17 polling stations Sunday, marring the start of Macedonia's early parliamentary election.
The election could prove crucial to this Balkan country's hopes to join NATO and the European Union. But even before the polls opened, the campaign was tainted by violence among rival ethnic Albanian parties and claims of fraud, with international monitors recording more than a dozen pre-election attacks.
The most serious election day violence occurred in the former ethnic Albanian rebel stronghold of Aracinovo, near Skopje, where two separate shootings at least one person dead.
Two party supporters were wounded during a shootout with special police, and one later died of his injuries, said Ermira Mehmeti, spokeswoman for the main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration.
Villagers told reporters that trouble began when one person tried to vote on behalf of multiple people.
Police cordoned off the village and the State Election Commission said voting was suspended in eight polling stations in Aracinovo. Earlier in the day, the commission had received reports of broken ballot boxes in the village.
Mehmeti also reported gunfire near the party's headquarters. She said party members inside the building took cover in the basement but the party's leader, ex-rebel leader Ail Ahem, was not in the building at the time.
On May 12, gunmen had shot at Ahmeti's car as he campaigned in Tetovo, wounding a bystander in what he described as an assassination attempt.
Voting also was suspended in Gurgurnica near Tetovo in the country's ethnic Albanian northwest after men appeared armed with machine guns. Polling stations in the village of Malino, northwest of Skopje, never opened Sunday because ballot boxes were stolen overnight, the commission said.
It said voting also was halted in the village of Ciflig near Gostivar in the northwest because of ballot stuffing, and in Vrapciste south of Tetovo.
Ethnic Albanians account for about a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million people. In 2001, rebel forces from the National Liberation Army fought a six-month insurgency against government forces in a bid to win more rights for ethnic Albanians.
Authorities had said a record number of police would be deployed for the vote, especially in volatile ethnic Albanian areas.
In Tetovo, "no weapons" posters — similar to no smoking posters, only with an image of a gun — were prominently displayed at the entrance to a polling station.
The European Union and United States called on Macedonia "to enforce a 'zero tolerance policy' for acts of violence or intimidation," and said in a joint statement Saturday that "there must be an end to impunity for offenders who break the law, tarnishing this country's democratic credentials."
On the eve of the election, Radmila Sekerinska, leader of the Social Democrats, said the appearance of misleading campaign posters mimicking her own and voter lists with names almost identical to those on her own list was "a scheme aimed at transferring some of the votes from our list to the governing list."
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's center-right VMRO-DPMNE is seen as almost certain to the election being held two years early. A recent opinion poll gave his party 31.3 percent of the vote compared with the Social Democrats' 11.2 percent.
But it is unclear whether the 37-year-old leader will be able to win a majority of parliament's 120 seats and avoid having to resort to a coalition to form a government.
The new government will face a formidable task.
It must conclude protracted and bitter negotiations with southern neighbor Greece over Macedonia's name — a dispute that led to the country being blocked from joining NATO at an alliance summit in Bucharest in April, triggering a crisis that led to Gruevski calling the snap polls two years ahead of time.
It must also ensure that a date is set for the start of EU entry negotiations, and calm tensions among ethnic Albanians, as well as decide on whether to recognize its northern neighbor Kosovo as an independent country and conclude negations on delineating their shared border.
Gruevski called the snap poll shortly after a political crisis exacerbated by Greece's veto on Macedonia's NATO aspirations at an alliance summit in Bucharest. Much of his campaign has focused on national pride and the name issue.
Greece refuses to allow Macedonia to join NATO or the EU unless it changes its name, which Athens says implies claims on its own northern province of Macedonia.
The election could prove crucial to this Balkan country's hopes to join NATO and the European Union. But even before the polls opened, the campaign was tainted by violence among rival ethnic Albanian parties and claims of fraud, with international monitors recording more than a dozen pre-election attacks.
The most serious election day violence occurred in the former ethnic Albanian rebel stronghold of Aracinovo, near Skopje, where two separate shootings at least one person dead.
Two party supporters were wounded during a shootout with special police, and one later died of his injuries, said Ermira Mehmeti, spokeswoman for the main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration.
Villagers told reporters that trouble began when one person tried to vote on behalf of multiple people.
Police cordoned off the village and the State Election Commission said voting was suspended in eight polling stations in Aracinovo. Earlier in the day, the commission had received reports of broken ballot boxes in the village.
Mehmeti also reported gunfire near the party's headquarters. She said party members inside the building took cover in the basement but the party's leader, ex-rebel leader Ail Ahem, was not in the building at the time.
On May 12, gunmen had shot at Ahmeti's car as he campaigned in Tetovo, wounding a bystander in what he described as an assassination attempt.
Voting also was suspended in Gurgurnica near Tetovo in the country's ethnic Albanian northwest after men appeared armed with machine guns. Polling stations in the village of Malino, northwest of Skopje, never opened Sunday because ballot boxes were stolen overnight, the commission said.
It said voting also was halted in the village of Ciflig near Gostivar in the northwest because of ballot stuffing, and in Vrapciste south of Tetovo.
Ethnic Albanians account for about a quarter of Macedonia's 2.1 million people. In 2001, rebel forces from the National Liberation Army fought a six-month insurgency against government forces in a bid to win more rights for ethnic Albanians.
Authorities had said a record number of police would be deployed for the vote, especially in volatile ethnic Albanian areas.
In Tetovo, "no weapons" posters — similar to no smoking posters, only with an image of a gun — were prominently displayed at the entrance to a polling station.
The European Union and United States called on Macedonia "to enforce a 'zero tolerance policy' for acts of violence or intimidation," and said in a joint statement Saturday that "there must be an end to impunity for offenders who break the law, tarnishing this country's democratic credentials."
On the eve of the election, Radmila Sekerinska, leader of the Social Democrats, said the appearance of misleading campaign posters mimicking her own and voter lists with names almost identical to those on her own list was "a scheme aimed at transferring some of the votes from our list to the governing list."
Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's center-right VMRO-DPMNE is seen as almost certain to the election being held two years early. A recent opinion poll gave his party 31.3 percent of the vote compared with the Social Democrats' 11.2 percent.
But it is unclear whether the 37-year-old leader will be able to win a majority of parliament's 120 seats and avoid having to resort to a coalition to form a government.
The new government will face a formidable task.
It must conclude protracted and bitter negotiations with southern neighbor Greece over Macedonia's name — a dispute that led to the country being blocked from joining NATO at an alliance summit in Bucharest in April, triggering a crisis that led to Gruevski calling the snap polls two years ahead of time.
It must also ensure that a date is set for the start of EU entry negotiations, and calm tensions among ethnic Albanians, as well as decide on whether to recognize its northern neighbor Kosovo as an independent country and conclude negations on delineating their shared border.
Gruevski called the snap poll shortly after a political crisis exacerbated by Greece's veto on Macedonia's NATO aspirations at an alliance summit in Bucharest. Much of his campaign has focused on national pride and the name issue.
Greece refuses to allow Macedonia to join NATO or the EU unless it changes its name, which Athens says implies claims on its own northern province of Macedonia.
Macedonia - US agreement on May 7
Macedonia and United States wil sign the bilateral military-technical agreement on May 7 in Washington. This agreement had been announced after the Greek veto on the eve of NATO summit in Bucharest.
"Agreement will be signed on May 7th, between Macedonian foreign minister Antonio Milososki, and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, in Washington, said Macedonian Ambassador to the US, Zoran Jolevski, in an interview for Voice of America - Macedonian service.
Ambassador Jolevski was not able to answer on details about the agreement, as it is still being worked on by experts and institutions from both sides.
Italy supports Macedonia for quick EU and NATO entrance
New Italian Government will do everything in its power for Macedonia, along with Croatia, to soon join the European Union, Italian MEP Marcello Vernova said Thursday in Skopje after meeting Vice-Premier Zoran Stavreski.
- Silvio Berlusconi is Nikola Gruevski's great friend and the new Italian Government will support Macedonia on its road to the EU, NATO. New Foreign Minister Franco Frattini is also Macedonia's friend. Berlusconi will urge Sarkozy, Merkel and Aznar to support Macedonia and recognize the excellent results achieved by Gruevski's Government in meeting the European criteria, Vernova said, adding that a new group of Italian businessmen will visit Macedonia next month.
For Vernova, Macedonia is a prosperous country with a stable government, economy - something that attracts Italian businessmen to invest in the spheres of their interest, such as energy, environment, real estate and tourism.
Vernova announced that the new Italian Government would grant financial support to Macedonia for modernization of the public administration.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Gruevski, the bad boxer from Skopje
These were the words on todays Front Page on Greek Daily "Ta Nea".
The paper analyzes Gruevski, back to his 'boxing days'. It states, -Prime Minister Gruevski in his professional boxing career, has one victory and one loss.
"Five years ago Prime Minister Gruevski 'knocked out' his competition in getting to VMRO's throne. However on the NATO Summit, Greek Prime Minister knocked out Gruevski by issuing veto to his country's NATO admission", says 'Ta Nea'
The Greek Daly went deep into Gruevski biography, saying his family's roots hail from Aegean Macedonia, from Lerin, to be precise.
"Ta Nea" admits Gruevski as a Prime Minister would be the worst choice for Greece. The Greek Daily concludes the article by saying he is a formidable foe because -he is very unpredictable and Greece's Government aren't sure how far he can go.
Greece's Government had hoped that Macedonia would not go to early elections, hence the disappointing reactions from Athens. Early elections, according to numerous Macedonian and foreign analysts would mean strengthening of Gruevski Government. The first choice for Greece had always been the SDSM party, due to their close business and family ties.
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Ljubisha Georgievski wished all the parties luck at the forthcoming vote, on June 1st.
The paper analyzes Gruevski, back to his 'boxing days'. It states, -Prime Minister Gruevski in his professional boxing career, has one victory and one loss.
"Five years ago Prime Minister Gruevski 'knocked out' his competition in getting to VMRO's throne. However on the NATO Summit, Greek Prime Minister knocked out Gruevski by issuing veto to his country's NATO admission", says 'Ta Nea'
The Greek Daly went deep into Gruevski biography, saying his family's roots hail from Aegean Macedonia, from Lerin, to be precise.
"Ta Nea" admits Gruevski as a Prime Minister would be the worst choice for Greece. The Greek Daily concludes the article by saying he is a formidable foe because -he is very unpredictable and Greece's Government aren't sure how far he can go.
Greece's Government had hoped that Macedonia would not go to early elections, hence the disappointing reactions from Athens. Early elections, according to numerous Macedonian and foreign analysts would mean strengthening of Gruevski Government. The first choice for Greece had always been the SDSM party, due to their close business and family ties.
Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Ljubisha Georgievski wished all the parties luck at the forthcoming vote, on June 1st.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Macedonia's future in EU, NATO
The electoral campaign gets under way in Macedonia today.
“We’ve had well-organized elections up to now, and we’ve shown that we can do it. So, it’s not a question of if we can, but whether we sincerely want to, and whether the political will and a sense of responsibility for the future of our country exist,” said Crvenkovski.
The Macedonian president added that irregular elections would be a retrograde step to the only real option for Macedonia—NATO and the EU--and called on citizens to protect their vote, and thus the state.
The former leader of the biggest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), claimed that, as at the previous elections, he would remain impartial.
“It’s good and important for the SDSM that this young leadership faces up to its own responsibility and this test of political maturity,” he said.
Regarding the talks with Greece over the “name” dispute, Crvenkovski reiterated that the elections would hamper the negotiating process, and that the status quo played into Greece’s hands.
The president added that “Macedonia cannot afford to err or give in to pressure and provocation from the Greek side, by responding with unreasonable moves that will primarily exacerbate economic relations.”
He said that the document on strategic cooperation with the U.S., recently signed in Washington, was further confirmation of the consolidation of mutual trust, but should not be viewed as an alternative to NATO membership.
“We’ve had well-organized elections up to now, and we’ve shown that we can do it. So, it’s not a question of if we can, but whether we sincerely want to, and whether the political will and a sense of responsibility for the future of our country exist,” said Crvenkovski.
The Macedonian president added that irregular elections would be a retrograde step to the only real option for Macedonia—NATO and the EU--and called on citizens to protect their vote, and thus the state.
The former leader of the biggest opposition party, the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), claimed that, as at the previous elections, he would remain impartial.
“It’s good and important for the SDSM that this young leadership faces up to its own responsibility and this test of political maturity,” he said.
Regarding the talks with Greece over the “name” dispute, Crvenkovski reiterated that the elections would hamper the negotiating process, and that the status quo played into Greece’s hands.
The president added that “Macedonia cannot afford to err or give in to pressure and provocation from the Greek side, by responding with unreasonable moves that will primarily exacerbate economic relations.”
He said that the document on strategic cooperation with the U.S., recently signed in Washington, was further confirmation of the consolidation of mutual trust, but should not be viewed as an alternative to NATO membership.
One Dead in Macedonia Pre-Election Violence
A person was killed in one of several incidents in Macedonia over the weekend, amid ongoing rivalries between the country’s two main ethnic Albanian parties.
The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA said Rustemi was a long standing member of the party.
Earlier on Friday, five activists from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI , were beaten in the village of Kondovo near Skopje after trying to display party flags ahead of the election campaign which officially kicked off on Sunday.
The activists, who needed hospital treatment, claim they were beaten by members from the ruling DPA.
In a separate incident, a night club owned by a former DPA member, Fadil Arslani was torched in Tetovo. A club security guard was previously kidnapped and released shortly afterwards with his head covered and hands tied.
Arslani claimed his club was torched due to his recent association with the DUI.
Meanwhile the DUI party headquarters in the villages of Golema Recica and Kamenjane around Tetovo and Gostivar were shot at on Saturday night.
DUI accused the DPA for the incidents but the ruling party denied any connection.
The police have said the incidents are being probed. So far there have been no arrests.
Prior to the start of the campaign, all major parties signed a code pledging free and democratic elections.
European Union and NATO officials have said that the snap polls set for June 1 must be fair, so Macedonia can continue to deepen its Euro-Atlantic integration
During parliamentary elections in 2006, there were several incidents between the rival Albanian parties but international monitors assessed the procedure on a whole as fair and democratic.
Baskim Rustemi, 42, from the village of Gajre, near the western town of Tetovo, died from stab wounds on Saturday night, after being involved in a quarrel with another man, police said. The identity of the killer is apparently known to police.
The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA said Rustemi was a long standing member of the party.
Earlier on Friday, five activists from the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI , were beaten in the village of Kondovo near Skopje after trying to display party flags ahead of the election campaign which officially kicked off on Sunday.
The activists, who needed hospital treatment, claim they were beaten by members from the ruling DPA.
In a separate incident, a night club owned by a former DPA member, Fadil Arslani was torched in Tetovo. A club security guard was previously kidnapped and released shortly afterwards with his head covered and hands tied.
Arslani claimed his club was torched due to his recent association with the DUI.
Meanwhile the DUI party headquarters in the villages of Golema Recica and Kamenjane around Tetovo and Gostivar were shot at on Saturday night.
DUI accused the DPA for the incidents but the ruling party denied any connection.
The police have said the incidents are being probed. So far there have been no arrests.
Prior to the start of the campaign, all major parties signed a code pledging free and democratic elections.
European Union and NATO officials have said that the snap polls set for June 1 must be fair, so Macedonia can continue to deepen its Euro-Atlantic integration
During parliamentary elections in 2006, there were several incidents between the rival Albanian parties but international monitors assessed the procedure on a whole as fair and democratic.
NATO Slams 'Immature' Macedonia Appeal
NATO says a letter sent by Macedonia urging alliance members not to block the country's NATO membership because of the ‘name’ dispute is 'immature.'
“We have clearly stated that Macedonia and Greece have to resolve the name issue and as we concluded at the Bucharest summit, as soon as Skopje and Athens resolve this dispute, Macedonia’s can count on a NATO invitation,” this official said.
“So far, it is up to Skopje now to start immediately negotiations on name dispute”, he added.
Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki sent the letters to his counterparts in 25 NATO countries, except Greece, on Wednesday, the Associated press agency reported.
“I am confident that you and your country will not allow an imposed bilateral issue to become an additional criteria and a precondition for Macedonia’s membership of NATO” Milososki wrote.
He said Macedonians had been hugely disappointed by the outcome of NATO’s Bucharest summit.
Last week NATO agreed to issue a membership invitation to Croatia and Albania but Macedonia’s bid stumble because of a Greek veto since the ‘name’ row between the two countries remains unresolved.
NATO officials say the fact Macedonia's appeal ignored Athens was 'immature.'
“It was not wise to bypass an ally,” warned the NATO official. “However, the name dispute should remain a bilateral issue and should be resolved under auspices of the United Nations.”
Athens opposes Skopje’s use of the name “Republic of Macedonia” saying it might lead Skopje to make territorial claims over Greece’s own northern province of Macedonia.
Milososki noted his country has already made several concessions to please Greece, including constitutional amendments and changing its national flag. Milososki accused Athens of denying Macedonia its “national identity, language and cultural heritage.”
The increased United States and UN-backed push for finding a compromise to the 17 year-long dispute has so far been in vain. Follow-up talks are expected soon.
An official from NATO headquarters told Balkan Insight that the alliance’s stance is the same as last week.
“We have clearly stated that Macedonia and Greece have to resolve the name issue and as we concluded at the Bucharest summit, as soon as Skopje and Athens resolve this dispute, Macedonia’s can count on a NATO invitation,” this official said.
“So far, it is up to Skopje now to start immediately negotiations on name dispute”, he added.
Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki sent the letters to his counterparts in 25 NATO countries, except Greece, on Wednesday, the Associated press agency reported.
“I am confident that you and your country will not allow an imposed bilateral issue to become an additional criteria and a precondition for Macedonia’s membership of NATO” Milososki wrote.
He said Macedonians had been hugely disappointed by the outcome of NATO’s Bucharest summit.
Last week NATO agreed to issue a membership invitation to Croatia and Albania but Macedonia’s bid stumble because of a Greek veto since the ‘name’ row between the two countries remains unresolved.
NATO officials say the fact Macedonia's appeal ignored Athens was 'immature.'
“It was not wise to bypass an ally,” warned the NATO official. “However, the name dispute should remain a bilateral issue and should be resolved under auspices of the United Nations.”
Athens opposes Skopje’s use of the name “Republic of Macedonia” saying it might lead Skopje to make territorial claims over Greece’s own northern province of Macedonia.
Milososki noted his country has already made several concessions to please Greece, including constitutional amendments and changing its national flag. Milososki accused Athens of denying Macedonia its “national identity, language and cultural heritage.”
The increased United States and UN-backed push for finding a compromise to the 17 year-long dispute has so far been in vain. Follow-up talks are expected soon.
Macedonia dissolves parliament, paving the way for early polls
Macedonian deputies voted on Saturday to dissolve the parliament, thus paving the way for early elections to be called in coming days in a bid to avoid further political crises following Greece's blockade of Skopje's integration into NATO over a name dispute.
After a two-day marathon session, 70 deputies voted for the 120-seat parliament to be dissolved, parliament speaker Ljubisa Georgievski said. Opposition parties did not take part in the vote, although they were present during the session.
"I have noted that the parliament voted its dissolution and I wish you all the best in coming elections," Georgievski said.
Georgievski was expected to call early parliamentary elections by Monday, parliament officials said earlier.
The elections could be held in mid-June, less than two years after the tiny Balkan country's previous legislative polls.
But Zoran Tanevski, State electoral commission spokesman, told AFP that the legal deadline for the polls to be held "sixty days after they are called could be shortened as these will be early polls."
The session was scheduled after the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski backed the request of the opposition ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).
The motion was submitted to parliament a week after Macedonia's bid to join NATO was blocked by Greece in a long-running row over the right to the name Macedonia, which is shared by a northern Greek province.
Gruevski said on Friday that the opposition parties "have been blocking the work of the parliament."
"We remain committed to our goals to join NATO and the European Union... But the necessary reforms are halted with a blockade of parliamentary procedures," he said.
Despite disappointment for not being invited to join NATO, Macedonia's officials have pledged to continue talks with Greece over the disputed name issue.
Greece refuses to recognise the former Yugoslav republic's name because it is the same as that of the northern Greek province of Macedonia and Athens worries that this could imply a claim on its territory.
Macedonia's constitutional name is the Republic of Macedonia, and Skopje wants this used in international relations, except with Athens, where a name acceptable to both parties would be found.
Gruevski's government had already been in crisis after another ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Party for Albanians (DPA), left the coalition for 10 days in mid-March before deciding to return.
The DPA's decision to withdraw from the government had been made in protest at Skopje's failure to recognise Kosovo, a disputed ethnic Albanian-majority province of neighbouring Serbia that declared independence in February.
Macedonia, a former republic of the communist Yugoslavia, has an ethnic Albanian minority that makes up around 25 percent of its population of two million.
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