Post by radovic on May 26, 2008 10:58:34 GMT -5
Macedonia: Thaci Criticised for NATO Remarks
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Menduh Thaci26 May 2008 Skopje _ The leader of the Albanian party in Macedonia's coalition government, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, Manduh Thaci, has been criticised for remarks made during the campaign for the June 1 general election.
Last Wednesday at a meeting in the village of Slupcane near the northern town of Kumanovo Thaci said that “Albanians do not see anything else but NATO. We are with NATO and with the United States. We see no other future except in the Alliance. Either Macedonia will enter NATO or it will cease to exist.”
Recent opinion polls show that most ethnic Albanians would gave up the name Macedonia more easily if that means NATO and EU accession. A majority of ethnic Macedonians, however, remain determined to preserve the constitutional name.
In April Macedonia was left out of NATO due to a Greek veto. Athens opposes Skopje’s use of the name “Republic of Macedonia” arguing that it could be taken to imply a territorial claim over its own northern province of the same name.
President of the Macedonian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Iso Rusi criticised Thaci’s statement, arguing that it amounts to a call to tear up the Macedonian constitution.
“This is a matter for the public prosecutor to address,” Rusi told the Utrinski Vesnik daily weekend edition.
Ljuljzim Haziri of the Association for Democratic Initiative, an NGO, said that statements such as the one made by Thaci are not addressed to the country’s institutions but are designed to appeal to ethnic Albanian voters.
“They are intended to show the DPA as a significant factor and thus to attract more votes,” Hazir told Utrinski Vesnik.
Ethnic Albanians account for about one quarter of Macedonia's population.
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Menduh Thaci26 May 2008 Skopje _ The leader of the Albanian party in Macedonia's coalition government, the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, Manduh Thaci, has been criticised for remarks made during the campaign for the June 1 general election.
Last Wednesday at a meeting in the village of Slupcane near the northern town of Kumanovo Thaci said that “Albanians do not see anything else but NATO. We are with NATO and with the United States. We see no other future except in the Alliance. Either Macedonia will enter NATO or it will cease to exist.”
Recent opinion polls show that most ethnic Albanians would gave up the name Macedonia more easily if that means NATO and EU accession. A majority of ethnic Macedonians, however, remain determined to preserve the constitutional name.
In April Macedonia was left out of NATO due to a Greek veto. Athens opposes Skopje’s use of the name “Republic of Macedonia” arguing that it could be taken to imply a territorial claim over its own northern province of the same name.
President of the Macedonian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights Iso Rusi criticised Thaci’s statement, arguing that it amounts to a call to tear up the Macedonian constitution.
“This is a matter for the public prosecutor to address,” Rusi told the Utrinski Vesnik daily weekend edition.
Ljuljzim Haziri of the Association for Democratic Initiative, an NGO, said that statements such as the one made by Thaci are not addressed to the country’s institutions but are designed to appeal to ethnic Albanian voters.
“They are intended to show the DPA as a significant factor and thus to attract more votes,” Hazir told Utrinski Vesnik.
Ethnic Albanians account for about one quarter of Macedonia's population.