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Post by radovic on May 29, 2008 10:55:01 GMT -5
Albania indicts Greek mayor for wanting bilingual road signs.
Albania Indicts Ethnic Greek Mayor Email a friend Save article Print article Increase text size Decrease text size Bollano's move caused chaos around Himara, allege officials29 May 2008 Tirana _ An ethnic Greek mayor in Albania has been indicted after he ordered the destruction of road signs because they were not bilingual.
Mayor Vasil Bollano from the town of Himara on Albania’s coast, ordered the removal of the signs in December 2007 arguing that the signs should have also been in Greek, because he considers the area a Greek minority zone.
The removal of the signs caused road chaos because they were along a section of Albania’s coast which is very popular with tourists.
Prosecutors have filed charges against Bollano for abuse of power, arguing that his actions were against the law and cost Albanian taxpayers roughly €170,000.
Bollano’s statements have got him in hot water before. He previously declared large swathes of southern Albania are Greek land and claimed autonomy for the area.
Estimates of the Greek minority in Albania range from three to seven percent of the total population.
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 12:04:38 GMT -5
The heads of Albania could have found a good excuse to take him out of power long ago, now they finally act?
This man shouldnt be indited, he should have been executed long ago...
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rex362
Senior Moderator
Pellazg
PELASGIANILLYROALBANIAN
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Post by rex362 on May 29, 2008 13:43:14 GMT -5
when we see Bilingual in Greece ...then maybe ....and thats a maybe ....
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Post by panagiotopoulos on May 29, 2008 14:14:21 GMT -5
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 14:22:48 GMT -5
When have I ever claimed to be a good person? I know my thinking is flawed...
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Post by Kassandros on May 29, 2008 14:43:38 GMT -5
I'm sure Albanians will show the same support for the human rights of the Greek population in Albania as they were supportive for the human rights/use of language flags etc of Albanian population in Kossovo. After all its all about human rights that Albanians pay a lot of attention as they have prooved in these forums.. right?
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 14:55:49 GMT -5
Of course Albania respect to the gypsies, we have to, EU is our papa now... But demographic shifts are in Albania's favor. But dont make the mistake in thinking that flags will ever fly or that Himara will ever receive any minority status. This place is Albanian today and even more tomorrow. Kosovo Albanians are rising in numbers, hell they are growing so fast that I would say moving some to south Albania would be a very good idea.
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Kanaris
Amicus
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Post by Kanaris on May 29, 2008 15:09:15 GMT -5
We'll throw them a few loafs of bread ... and they'll be on their knees saying 'Yesss Bosss!!! ;D... "What crooked act you want me to perform?" As if that is not already happening>>>
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 15:27:37 GMT -5
It will start to become harder and harder for Greece to bribe Albanian politicians as they will now have to become more and more aware of just how much they are alienating their own people. Flag burnings and demonstrations(plus youths organizing boycotts of Greek businesses and good) show the picture of a new Albania, whose people are less and less likely to put up with the stuff of the past.
The Kosova issue is especially to thank for Albania's new nationalistic regrowth.
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Post by whatever on May 29, 2008 15:43:41 GMT -5
Don't worry. The wheels are in motion. I'm off these boards and actually doing more productive work these days. Once the Mak issue is laid to rest, Greek minority rights will be in even bigger subject. www.panepirotic.org/bilirakisletter.pdf
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 15:50:05 GMT -5
Its going to be funny when it collapses, as it has in the past. I mean, how many times have Greeks lobbied against FYROM? lol So long as it doesnt bother Russia and assert American power in a given area, it wont get lick of attention. Albania is already under America's wing.... Unlike you we have had senators pay attention to our issues. You guys have a lot of Greeks in America, but very few seem to care as much as Albs do about national issues. But I said it before and Ill say it again: We will see.
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Post by bordura on May 29, 2008 16:01:17 GMT -5
People do not play war games so fast. Get the facts right first. What Bollano did is this: on the national road that goes through Himara he took down the read signs. No one is claiming anything for internal Himara roads. Internal roads are under his jurisdiction as a mayor according to Albanian administrative law. The national road it is not under his jurisdiction. His action violated the property of the Ministry of Transportation. This road goes on the edge of the town and the signals in that are as in any national road in Albanian and English. Local roads under the commune and municipality administration have the right to bear signs in Albanian, local spoken Language and English. No one stops him from the last type of roads. The problem is this local roads are inexistent in Himara due to Himar's size and terrain. Please visit it first to understand that all this is just a show. Himara it's a village in itself. It has the Municipality status only lately and only as a move on good will from Albanian government toward locals. Please people visit it first see with your eyes what is this all about. I suggest a week not more for a non Albanian. Great nature, very scenic, almost virgin beaches, terrible customer service as everywhere in Albania, no entertaining infrastructure just deep blue sea, nice weather, nice panoramic vistas and fresh fresh, but not so good food. People are nice (if u don't get bothered from harmless ignorance) i don't for myself.
As far as Albanians picking up the flag of human rights we don't feel guilty of any conflict or maltreatment of Greeks living in Albania for long time. Mutual respect in popular level, intermarried without prejudices. Their hardship during communism wasn't above or below of any ethnic Albanian citizen.
Now how Greeks champion the human rights issue toward us we still remember the Greeks supporting Serbia when the hole world was disgusted with Kosovars being expelled en mass from their homes. I never saw a Greek demonstration to condemn the massive uprooting of Kosovars from their homes. I do on the other hand remember the Greek flag in almost every Serb demonstration during the conflict. Even in Greece they hold demonstrations not in support of 800 000 Kosovars turned refugees, but on support of Serbs!!!
So please i understand geopolitical interest of Greece's official politics and it's find with me. Every one has to do what it has to do for his inters, but we are talking popular reaction and not government one. So in popular level Greek opinion never screamed for almost a million people pushed out of their houses in 2 weeks time. It was happening just 200 km north of Greece's border nor in middle east nor in Iraq.
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 16:09:05 GMT -5
He is doing it because he wants attention. The fatso needs his camera time and now Greco groups will start to portray him as some overweight martyr.
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Post by kasso on May 29, 2008 16:33:20 GMT -5
As it seems, Greece is still stuck in the past and have not given up its territorial claim on the southern Albanian region. I believe they can't do much to incorporate southern Albania with Greece since the Greek minority in Albania is almost non-existent.
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Post by Niklianos on May 29, 2008 17:28:03 GMT -5
If the Greek population in Southern Albania only represents how did a Greek become Mayor? Especially one that is pro-Greece in his political views? Why didn't all the Albanians in the area just not vote for him, that way he would have never become mayor.
But is seems that is not the case and the Greeks are in much larger numbers than claimed.
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Kanaris
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Post by Kanaris on May 29, 2008 17:36:32 GMT -5
Let's liberate southern Albania and jump start it out of third world status. Opa!!
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Post by Toskaliku on May 29, 2008 17:51:34 GMT -5
Himara is a pro-Greek area. But even there, he didnt win by much. Actually, the number of votes for Greek parties is far lower than it should be according to Greek numbers. Only seven small minority zones gave their votes to the Greek parties and they are largely the areas Albanians admit are Greek inhabited. The others, areas Greeks claim are Greek inhabited, voted for the regular Albanian parties. This is also including the fact that Greeks vote in a far higher % than Albs.
And I've said it before and Ill say it again: time is something that is on the Albanians side. All we have to do is wait and wait and we will see the increase in both Albanian numbers and the level of Albanian independence from Greek and, most importantly, a surge in Albanian nationalism. Plus our diaspora is getting more and more wealthy and organized with time. ;D
I say FYROM waits it out as well. Greece cant keep it up forever. Plus it doesnt seem like America is very interested in Greek issues very much.
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Kanaris
Amicus
This just in>>>> Nobody gives a crap!
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Post by Kanaris on May 29, 2008 18:00:39 GMT -5
Toski..why do you even care? I consider this a joke.. and so does Rex.... and we have both been here for over 40 years..... Do you get it.....? Your diaspora as they settle in and lay down roots... won't give a chit either.... You and your family are new refugees to this land... in time you will become like us.
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Post by Arxileas on May 29, 2008 18:48:17 GMT -5
Zito Patras.
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Post by Teuta1975 on May 29, 2008 19:21:28 GMT -5
Well said...
That is what I have always suggested Greeks in this board to do...as to see the difference of human rights between Greece and Albania....
And this is more than true! A point some people should reflect upon, I think.
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