INTER-ETHNIC TENSIONS "MADE IN MACEDONIA"

AIM, Skopje, May 17, 1994

SUMMARY: The friendly football match between the state representation teams of Macedonia and Albania which took place in Tetovo showed that inter-ethnic tensions in Macedonia are still a number one threat. Therefore it should perhaps be noted that a number of parliament members from among the ranks of national parties is playing precisely on this card in their pre-election marketing campaigns which have already began in Macedonia. Regardless of whether it is a form or marketing or not, Macedonia is nevertheless in the Balkans and not all her citizens are rid of various phobias and prejudices which could easily assert the truth that the road to disaster is often a very short one.

While diplomats and the international community are trying to resolve the Greek-Macedonian conflict, the blockade Greece introduced against Macedonia is not slackening. The objective of the blockade, according to numerous prestigious America and West European newspapers is to weaken the regime of President Gligorov and provoke ethnic riots, after which Skopje would be forced to give Athens certain concessions. It is likewise claimed that the outbreak of civil war in Macedonia would also serve its purpose.

However, although the Macedonian economy suffers extreme losses, the alternative supply of goods, from oil to all other essentials via Bulgaria and Albania, is almost complete and evolves without interruption. There is no social unrest in the country, at least of the type that could be taken as a consequence of the Greek embargo. The exchange rate of the national currency, the denar, against the German mark has not "budged" for months.

Notwithstanding, inter-ethnic tensions are growing. They have nothing to do with the Greek blockade and politics. Their causes go very far back. At present, when prliamentry elections are expected to take place in the fall, they are instigated by some representatives of the national parties, before all by those from the ranks of the Macedonian and Albanian ones. While until recently, the Macedonian state leadership dovoted all its attention to the situation in Kosovo, due to the well known forecasts that a war in Kosovo would imply a real threat of a possible war in Macedonia, now once again it must concern itself more seriously with what is happening in its own backyard. Inter-ethnic conflicts would definitely annul all the efforts and sweat invested in developing the modalities of co-existence in an multi-ethnic and multi cultural state.

A few days ago a friendly football match between the state representation teams of Macedonia and Albania took place.It turned out to be a high-risk game especially since it was played in a multi-ethnic town in which distrust between Macedonians and Albanians is most evident. To the main part the sheering was not sportslike - part of the rooters - Macedonians sang out and chanted insulting words addressed not to the football players of the representation of Albania but to the domestic Albanian population. A large part of the domestic Albanians, on the other hand cheered for the representation team of the neighbouring state. At the end of the match the tension exploded on the streets of Tetovo, where among other things the crowd demolished the car of the private TV station from Skopje "A1".

This event which fortunately did not escalate, only goes to show that national extremism of the worst kind exists among part of the population. Due to that reason, perhaps it should be mentioned that the number of parliament members from among the national parties is playing on this card in their pre-election campaigns which have already began in Macedonia.

On the one hand are the deputies of VMRO-DPMNE, a party faced with a considerable downward trend in their rating and a deep internal split. In addition, its pre-election position is also weakened by the appearance of the Democratic Party lead by Petar Gosev, the last president the the previous League of Communists of Macedonia, who pulled over quite a large number of VMRO-DPMNE members and sympathizers. On the other hand we have the parliamentary group of the largest party of Albanians in Macedonia, the PDP which is also loosing ground among its electorate after the appearance of the faction lead by Menduh Thafija and Arben Dzaferija.The Macedonian media describes them as being very radical. Both accuse the deputies and ministers from among the PDO members for meak national activity, as a result of, as they say, their struggle for the achievement of personal interests. All that, as well as the decision of the body competent for the registration of parties to the effect that the mentioned faction should be registered as a new party, since it represents a "informal political group" gives rise to the political division of the Albanian population whereby the radicals are joining Dzaferija and Tafija.

However, it seems that the PDP too wishes to accept the "sweet role of the Radicals", so that often its parliament members behave in that manner. Namely, the representatives of this party always accept the challenge of VMRO-DPMNE. They always retort when discussions are held whether they or else the VMRO-DPMNE are neo-facists and facists, on what occasion insults on a national basis just "pour in" from the parliamentry rostrum. All this can been seen by the citizens, both Macedonians and Albanians during the live TV coverage of the sessions of parliament, and none of the deputies asks themselves what would happen if the citizens followed their example and began to insult each other on the street.Even a fight almost broke out in Parliament a few days ago between the deputies of VMRO-DPMNE and PDO, when the coordinator of the PDP parliamentary group, Muhamed Halili covered the microphone while the independent but extremely nationalistic deputy Todor Petrov accused them of "fascism".

As could be expected, the debate on the adoption of the law on the census, which the Government announced for the beginning of July, turned into a "fighting ring" in which "concern" for one's own nations wass manifested and where it was proved who is the greater " protector of the nation". The census, which is to cost 2 million dollars is to be financed by the European Union, which among other things is to stipulate precise rules and use of the language of national minorities. The VMRO-DPMNE are opposed to that, while the PDO submitted a verly large number of amendments to the draft law.

In addition to the amendments of the VMRO-DPMNE, other factors too suggest that neither parties wish the census to be held this year. The census is another topic over which athey are at each other troats again, engaging in senseless debates the topics of which go way back into history and can be in their essence reduced to the question who was the first to inhabit the territory of present day Macedonia! If the fact that the ruling coalition of left parties is not showing much interest in stepping up the debate is added to this,the impression can be gained that no one is actually ready for the big counting. On the other hand all the parties are pointing out that Macedonia finally has to clearly count its population, in particular in order to establish the number of Albanians.

If this does take place, there will be yet another unofficial version of the number of Albanians. To the question regarding the "federalizatiron of Macedonia?",Thafi answered the same newspaper: "The first and foremost goal is a constituent people, after which other possibilities will be considered." Then went on to announce that civil disobedience and the non-payment of taxes are to be applied as a democratic means, and only after that political self-organization which he calls "parallel institutions of the system." His bitter opponent, the parliamentary group coordinator Muhamed Halili, observed that he considers Thafi's concept "of encouraging the autonomy of the Albanians in Macedonia" very dangerous.

Whether it is only a question of marketing or not, Macedonia is nevertheless in the Balkans and not all of her citizens are rid of various phobias. The road from there to disaster is often very short.

PANTA ¦AMBAZOSKI