[url]https://www.sbs.com.au/news/macedonia-to-hold-name-change-referendum-on-september-30[/url]

[B]Macedonia to hold name-change referendum on September 30[/B]

Macedonian lawmakers have approved plans to hold a referendum on a proposed name change, potentially solving a longstanding dispute with Greece.

Macedonia's parliament has set September 30 as the date for a referendum on changing the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, a high-stakes vote aimed at resolving a long-running row with Greece and clearing the path to join NATO and the EU.

Skopje and Athens signed a landmark agreement in June to rename the former Yugoslav republic in an effort to break a stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and hobbled Macedonia's integration with the West.

Greece has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has a northern province of the same name, accusing Skopje of territorial ambitions and appropriating its cultural heritage.

While more than 120 countries, including the US and Russia, have recognised the name the "Republic of Macedonia," Athens has voiced its protest by blocking the country from joining NATO or starting EU accession talks.

The referendum question approved by 68 out of Macedonia's 120 lawmakers on Monday does not spell out the new name clearly.

But it closely links the vote to the government's ambitions of stronger ties with the West.

On September 30 the public will be asked: [B][U][SIZE="5"]"Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?"[/SIZE][/U][/B]

The nationalist opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, which opposes the referendum, boycotted the parliamentary vote by leaving the room, signalling a rocky road ahead.

"The question is ambiguous and multifaceted, and above all manipulative," said Igor Janusev, a leading member of VMRO-DPMNE.

[U]Vote will be 'consultative'[/U]

After the deal was struck between Greek and Macedonian leaders in June, NATO said Macedonia would be eligible to join the alliance if its new name is finalised.

The European Union, for its part, said that accession negotiations would not begin before June 2019.

But progress in resolving the dispute has been challenged by hardliners and large protests in both countries.

Athens has also accused Russia -- who opposes Macedonia's efforts to join NATO -- of trying to sabotage the accord by encouraging demonstrations.

Opponents in Greece are upset that the deal recognises a Macedonian language and nationality.

In Macedonia, nationalists have branded the name-change as an assault on the country's identity.

[B][U][SIZE="5"]Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has said the referendum will only be "consultative" - meaning that parliament could still vote to change the country's name even if it does not get a majority approval by the public. [/SIZE][/U][/B]

If Macedonia does go ahead with the name change and revises its constitution, Greece's parliament will then be called to ratify the accord.

After declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia was admitted to the United Nations in 1993 under the provisional name of the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".

MOTHER FUCKERS!

Why even mention the EU in the referendum. EU membership is not guaranteed by the agreement, only that Greece won't veto. Who says Bulgaria won't veto, or that he EU will even extend an invitation. The referendum is about changing the name thus the question should as that question only.

Then their is the fact that the referendum is non binding, so what the fuck is the point.

[QUOTE=Tomche Makedonche;175566][url]https://www.sbs.com.au/news/macedonia-to-hold-name-change-referendum-on-september-30[/url]

[B]Macedonia to hold name-change referendum on September 30[/B]

Macedonian lawmakers have approved plans to hold a referendum on a proposed name change, potentially solving a longstanding dispute with Greece.

Macedonia's parliament has set September 30 as the date for a referendum on changing the country's name to the Republic of North Macedonia, a high-stakes vote aimed at resolving a long-running row with Greece and clearing the path to join NATO and the EU.

Skopje and Athens signed a landmark agreement in June to rename the former Yugoslav republic in an effort to break a stalemate that has poisoned their relations since 1991 and hobbled Macedonia's integration with the West.

Greece has objected to its neighbour being called Macedonia because it has a northern province of the same name, accusing Skopje of territorial ambitions and appropriating its cultural heritage.

While more than 120 countries, including the US and Russia, have recognised the name the "Republic of Macedonia," Athens has voiced its protest by blocking the country from joining NATO or starting EU accession talks.

The referendum question approved by 68 out of Macedonia's 120 lawmakers on Monday does not spell out the new name clearly.

But it closely links the vote to the government's ambitions of stronger ties with the West.

On September 30 the public will be asked: [B][U][SIZE="5"]"Are you for EU and NATO membership by accepting the agreement between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece?"[/SIZE][/U][/B]

The nationalist opposition party, VMRO-DPMNE, which opposes the referendum, boycotted the parliamentary vote by leaving the room, signalling a rocky road ahead.

"The question is ambiguous and multifaceted, and above all manipulative," said Igor Janusev, a leading member of VMRO-DPMNE.
Vote will be 'consultative'

After the deal was struck between Greek and Macedonian leaders in June, NATO said Macedonia would be eligible to join the alliance if its new name is finalised.

The European Union, for its part, said that accession negotiations would not begin before June 2019.

But progress in resolving the dispute has been challenged by hardliners and large protests in both countries.

Athens has also accused Russia -- who opposes Macedonia's efforts to join NATO -- of trying to sabotage the accord by encouraging demonstrations.

Opponents in Greece are upset that the deal recognises a Macedonian language and nationality.

In Macedonia, nationalists have branded the name-change as an assault on the country's identity.

[B][U][SIZE="5"]Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has said the referendum will only be "consultative" - meaning that parliament could still vote to change the country's name even if it does not get a majority approval by the public. [/SIZE][/U][/B]

If Macedonia does go ahead with the name change and revises its constitution, Greece's parliament will then be called to ratify the accord.

After declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia was admitted to the United Nations in 1993 under the provisional name of the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".[/QUOTE]

The Macedonian government will be clever again. They will underhandedly suggest they will be able to unwind from all of this if they don't get in the EU.

Typical Macedonian "cleverness" that made the nation a joke in the world.

[QUOTE=Gocka;175569]MOTHER FUCKERS!

Why even mention the EU in the referendum. EU membership is not guaranteed by the agreement, only that Greece won't veto. Who says Bulgaria won't veto, or that he EU will even extend an invitation. The referendum is about changing the name thus the question should as that question only.

Then their is the fact that the referendum is non binding, so what the fuck is the point.[/QUOTE]

There's absolutely no point to any of this...it is the most pointless of all pointless exercises...

You can't trust greece, bulgaria, the EU or NATO to uphold any part of their end of the deal.

This cunt Zaev is hell bent on doing whatever it takes to initiate the name change and make it final.

My question is, why so desperate for NATO membership, Macedonia is surrounded by NATO members, do they believe that NATO membership is protection from NATO itself, perhaps so, we've seen how NATO operates from past experiences in the region.

What can the EU guarantee for Macedonia that Macedonia can't do for itself. Our corrupt politicians and judiciary need to be removed and reformed by willing Macedonians rather than self-serving thieves, that alone would improve the economic and social prosperity of the nation overnight.

After making such a disastrous compromise with the greeks where the greek side hasn't lost anything, why wouldn't Zaev demand that the greeks ratify the agreement before the Macedonian side does...instead they've opened themselves to be stripped of a few more pieces of clothing...and still standing outside in the cold.

[QUOTE=Gocka;175569]MOTHER FUCKERS!

Why even mention the EU in the referendum. EU membership is not guaranteed by the agreement, only that Greece won't veto. Who says Bulgaria won't veto, or that he EU will even extend an invitation. The referendum is about changing the name thus the question should as that question only.

Then their is the fact that the referendum is non binding, so what the fuck is the point.[/QUOTE]

Interesting how the reffrendum reffers to FYROM as simply republic of macedonia, yet its asking its citezens to change its name (so that it can enter the EU and NATO). Truely idiotic and bizare, like everything in that pathetic country.

Yeah i can see that the government is trying to 'trick' the people into voting for the name change by dangling the EU and NATO carrot - but on the flip side the average macedonian must have an incredibly short attention span if simple empty promises of EU and NATO, and short term quick gains can make them throw away their identity and comit natinal suicide. In many ways macedonian are very similar to mainland chinese when you think about - they only think short term and not long term.

[url]http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/rightists-call-for-boycott-of-macedonia-s-name-referendum-08-06-2018[/url]

[B]Right-Wingers Call for Macedonia 'Name' Referendum Boycott[/B]

Right-wing groups led by the small pro-Russian United Macedonia party are launching a joint campaign for a boycott of the September 30 ‘name’ referendum on changing the country’s name to heal relations with Greece.

A coalition of 28 small right-wing political parties, political factions, civic associations and NGOs are backing a campaign dubbed ‘Macedonia Boycotts’, whose aim is to foil September’s referendum on the historic ‘name’ agreement with Greece, which is key for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic path.

Janko Bacev, the president of the small United Macedonia party and head of the so-called crisis headquarters, which the right-wing groups formed on Sunday called the Social Democrats-led government illegal and described those who support the referendum as traitors.

“A new and legal government which will come, will deal with all the national traitors,” Bacev warned on Sunday.

“Let’s boycott the September 30 referendum and save Macedonia’s centuries-old name,” he urged.

The referendum on September 30 will ask voters if they back Macedonia's accession to NATO and the EU by accepting the name agreement with Greece that was signed in June.

Under the deal, Macedonia agreed to change its name to Republic of North Macedonia, while Greece agreed to lift its veto on Macedonia's NATO and EU integration.

For the deal to be fully implemented, Macedonians must show they support it in a referendum.

The small United Macedonia, which Becev leads, is the only openly pro-Russian party in the country, and has no MPs in parliament.

Those involved in the ‘Macedonia Boycotts’ campaign also include Filip Petrovski, a former prominent member of the main right-wing opposition VMRO DPMNE party who is now leading party’s so called ‘Democratic faction’.

Petrovski on Sunday accused the government of Zoran Zaev of trying to persuade the VMRO DPMNE to participate in the referendum in order to its boost chances of reaching the required threshold of more than 50 per cent of voters.

“We here say no! We won’t accept that game; we will boycott; the referendum must fail and on September 30, Zaev’s government will crumble as well,” Petrovski said.

Officially, VMRO DPMNE remains undecided about whether to take part in the referendum. The party strongly opposes the ‘name’ agreement with Greece.

The newly-formed campaign against the referendum also includes so-called ‘patriotic associations’ like the Christian Brotherhood, Amanet 1903 [Legacy 1903], Tvrdokorni [Hardcore], Makedonium and The Third Party of Macedonians, as well as some other less prominent or completely obscure associations.

[url]http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/macedonia-needs-inclusive-debate-if-referendum-is-to-succeed-08-05-2018[/url]
[B]
Macedonia Needs Inclusive Debate if Referendum is to Succeed[/B]

If the government wants to avoid a destructive boycott, it should borrow from the Irish example and foster a truly inclusive debate on the terms of the agreement.

With a date set for the referendum on the agreement between Greece and Macedonia aimed at resolving the long standing name dispute between both countries, the Macedonian government led by Zoran Zaev will need to embark on a major information campaign in the weeks that remain before the vote.

An inclusive public debate at both national and local level will be essential to ensure that citizens are given all the information needed to determine whether or not to accept the terms of the agreement. Time is short.

If the government is to address accusations about its lack of transparency in the conduct of the negotiations leading up to the agreement, it will have to put the remaining time to good use by deploying all available resources at its disposal in launching this nationwide debate.

It will need to involve civil society organisations, academia, the media and all actors in society in this effort. This would also be the best way to offset the possible threat of a boycott by the opposition, which would jeopardise the chances of reaching the 50-per-cent threshold of voters needed for the referendum result to be valid.

Political life in the Balkans is replete with examples of parties boycotting parliaments or even elections or referenda. Political dialogue and consensus building remain elusive goals in the entire region. Whether it is Albania, Kosovo, or Macedonia, a parliamentary session rarely goes by without one party or another boycotting proceedings.

Such boycotts rarely succeed unless international mediators become involved and try to find compromise solutions. Of course, this practice is not exclusive to the Balkans. The word “boycott” entered the English vocabulary in 1880, named after Captain Charles Boycott – an unscrupulous representative of the absentee landlords in Ireland during the times of British rule who was collectively shunned by the local community.

Ireland has long moved on from those brutal colonial days. Over 100 years, later it offered a shining example of achieving peace through dialogue and compromise with the historic Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which brought peace to Northern Ireland after decades of bitter conflict. The Agreement included Ireland giving up its claim to Northern Ireland, requiring a change in the Irish Constitution.

Citizens of the whole of Ireland were given an opportunity to vote in a referendum held concurrently in both Northern Ireland and in Ireland in May 1998 on the outcome of the negotiations and on the Agreement. A copy of the Agreement was circulated to all households with a plea to all voters to exercise their democratic right to vote. This was accompanied by a major information campaign throughout Ireland.

Of the 56 per cent who voted in Ireland, 94 per cent voted in favour of the Agreement, while in Northern Ireland, of the 81 per cent who voted, 71 per cent voted in favour. It was a victory for peace and a more prosperous future.

Macedonia and the rest of the Balkan region have a long way to go before they reach the same levels of political dialogue and compromise.

Despite the many imperfections contained in the “name” agreement reached between Macedonia and Greece, it does, nevertheless, offer a ray of hope that the many bilateral disputes that continue to plague the entire region can be solved through dialogue and political will.

As with the Northern Ireland Agreement, signing is the easy part. The biggest challenge for Macedonia will be to show that the agreement opens the door for reconciliation with Greece on the basis of equality while enabling it to start accession negotiations with the EU and NATO. The government has yet to convince the public that this will be the case.

The government’s task is hampered by the lack of a tradition of public debate; the previous government led by Nikola Gruevski refused to engage in any public debates with the then opposition.

Although the now opposition VMRO DPMNE party has replaced Gruevski – who is facing multiple criminal charges – with a new leader, it has yet to show that it is a reformed party that is willing to engage, as a constructive opposition party should.

Meanwhile, the current government, in power since May last year, has made huge efforts to promote an inclusive governance model. However, it will need to do much more to engage in a more transparent manner with all sectors of society. Using social media will not be enough.

The challenge will be to break the tradition of people voting purely along party or ethnic lines – and encourage them to vote on the merits of the agreement and what it means for the future of Macedonia.

All of those pseudo-journalists writing articles about "right-wingers" and the "opposition" as the ones calling for a boycott, just don't have any real insight on the ground.

It is the people calling for a boycott and behind the #Бојкотирам movement.

It is a non-political national movement, unlike any other in the last 27 years.
In fact, a great many of those most active were those who had the loudest anti-Gruevski voices.

Some smaller groups and parties may back the movement, as is their prerogative.

Friends on the ground in Macedonia keep hearing the common strategy will be to boycott.

If those gypsies running Macedonia can be duped with false Albanian votes in the past, they can also make up votes in this sham of a referendum. Why don't we create a voting mechanism for Macedonians who wish to boycott the referendum. Run a parallel vote for the boycott!

Exactly right, old and wise chichko Risto. :laugh: Seriously though you are absolutely right. LOMA is planning a strategy that involves much more than a simple boycott. All a boycott will do is ensure that the referendum has lower turnout but a heavily skewed result towards Yes. It also leaves the door open to manipulation of the results and turnout. We will call for a boycott, coupled with protests the day of the referendum, and to blockade voting locations. We believe the referendum is illegal and illegitimate, and thus shouldn't even be allowed to go forward. If the political opposition won't stop it, if the courts won't stop it, then it is up to the citizens to stop it. A line has to be drawn in the sand that illegal and unconstitutional acts will physically not be allowed to happen, hopefully that leads to the traitors physically being removed from office.

[QUOTE=Risto the Great;175634]Friends on the ground in Macedonia keep hearing the common strategy will be to boycott.

If those gypsies running Macedonia can be duped with false Albanian votes in the past, they can also make up votes in this sham of a referendum. Why don't we create a voting mechanism for Macedonians who wish to boycott the referendum. Run a parallel vote for the boycott![/QUOTE]