http://www.regnum.ru/english/970351.html
Regnum (Russia)
March 14, 2008
The Balkans: Independent Kosovo
The [ethnic] Albanian party in the Macedonian
government has issued an ultimatum.
After Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski
refused to give in to its demands, the leader of the
Democratic Party of Albanians, Menduh Thachi, declared
his resignation from the government.
The situation will lead to new elections in Macedonia,
a REGNUM correspondent in the Balkans region has
reported.
The Albanians have demanded from the Macedonian
government the adopting a law on languages (to
ultimately establish equal rights of the Albanian and
Macedonian languages), a law on compensation for the
'freedom fighters' [NLA] of the Albanian people, the
right to display the Albanian flag in ceremonies,
early recognition of Kosovo's independence, dropping
all criminal cases against Albanian terrorists, and
the right to quotas for employment of Albanians in
state organizations.
To make a long story short, if the government of
Macedonia honored the ultimatum, the country would
actually become a equal-rights federation of two
peoples: Albanians and Macedonians.
Given the Kosovo precedent, the option cannot but
frighten Macedonian politicians, despite all the
promises of NATO and EU.
Although the resigned Albanian politician stated that
he was not going to leave for “radical and extremist
waters,” it is hard not to notice in his conduct a
correlation with events in neighboring Kosovo.
“Something senseless is happening in the work of state
institutions in this so important and historical time
for Macedonia. I don't want my party to be part of
this senselessness,” Menduh Thachi uttered.
As a way of good-bye advice to the Macedonian
government, he suggested that it should not argue much
with Greece about the state name of Macedonia and
listen to “what the US and EU say.”
Before making the statement, Thachi had met with the
US ambassador to Macedonia Gillian Milovanovic.
Upon speaking to journalists, he visited the EU
ambassador in Skopje Erwan Fouéré.
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
