Interesting comment re ethnic Albanians on name issue

[Risto the Great]

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/17497/2/

More than Half of Macedonians Oppose Any Name Change

Over half of Macedonian citizens reject the idea of changing country's name, a quarter endorse a double formula, while a quarter support one out of three other solutions, show results from a survey of the Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) conducted by the Institute for Sociological, Judicial and Political Research in December 2010 on a representative sample of 1.050 respondents.

60,2% of respondents oppose any kind of name change, while the double formula is supported by 28,3% of ethnic Macedonians. The double name formula is Macedonia for the world, and an agreed name with Greece. The most acceptable solution for ethnic Albanians is a new name, which is endorsed by 31,3% of their ethnikum, whereas an agreed name in international organisations is supported by 28,6% of the respondents. The least acceptable solution for ethnic Albanians is the name not to be changed at all.

Majority of citizens - 62,6% - do not accept any of the offered geographical determinants to be included in the name, such as Northern, Vardar and Upper.

A bulk of the citizens - 59,2% - deem that the Government should reach a decision, with Parliament's approval, unless an agreement is made, whereas 54,4% believe that an advisory referendum should be held before a decision is reached in the Parliament.

And the comment from Petre:

Say Again
If there is another survey in the future, it would be interesting to see a question asking our ethnic Albanian citizens if they would be prepared to change their Albanian identity for the sake of resolving the name dispute which Greece fabricated upon false pretenses

It is an excellent reminder that the ethnic Albanians have nothing to lose in this process whatsoever. I believe their opinions in relation to this matter should have no bearing on Macedonia's future. It is a shame they feel no affiliation with Macedonia and suggests the ethnic Albanian newcomers are dominating the ethnic Albanian sentiments.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Albanians are irrelevant in the dispute between Macedonia and Greece, and they should stay that way if they wish for others not to interfere in their own business.

[Vangelovski]

This actually raises the question of the proverbial elephant in our room - the Albanians and the fact that they have on the one hand attained autonomy within the Macedonian state (local municipalities) and the other hand have attained joint control of the state itself (proportional employment within state bodies and the Badinter Veto). Where to for Macedonia?

[Brygian Seed]

I'm a little surprised by these reported numbers! Surely the survey did not put forward the actual points for discussion. The name of the country is just one, the other points for 'change' are the nationality, language and religion. Are the Macedonian's in the Republic aware that this is what is being discussed and not just the name of the country?

[Pelister]

I think that the 'numbers' are a bit of a smoke screen. It is clear that he intends to change our name. What is also apparent is that he refuses to follow the proper process of having our name admitted at the U.N. It seems inconceivable to most Macedonians that we could be formally admitted to the United Nations under our chosen name within a matter of months, legally and without exchanging another word with Greece. What I find deeply troubling is that Gruevski continues to carry the myth that we are negotiating because we have been 'blocked' form this instituiton. That is a lie. We have not been blocked from the U.N, but it is a lie which Gruevski has been carrying all this time.

[julie]

Pelister, one wonders what outcome his delaying tactics and strategy in playing with our name and identity will come to

[Pelister]

Pelister, one wonders what outcome his delaying tactics and strategy in playing with our name and identity will come to

Its a farce and a sham.

The whole business of exposing our identity, of 'negotiating' of pursuing the terms of the Interim Accord, is to divert attention from the simple fact that we have not been legally blocked at the United Nations. Our path to having FYROM scratched from the record at the UN and having our chosen name admitted (probably within a matter of months) has been hijacked by Gruevski, who had been leading the Macedonian people with lies.

The business of producing 'statistics' about a 'name change' again diverts attention away from the fact that the negotiations are simply not necessary.