Macedonian Albanian Party Presses Zaev on Language Law

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  • Tomche Makedonche
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2011
    • 1123

    Macedonian Albanian Party Presses Zaev on Language Law

    A small ethnic Albanian party has threatened to withdraw its vital support for Macedonia's new government if it does not speedily adopt a law expanding the official use of Albanian.


    Macedonian Albanian Party Presses Zaev on Language Law

    A small ethnic Albanian party has threatened to withdraw its vital support for Macedonia's new government if it does not speedily adopt a law expanding the official use of Albanian

    Macedonia's new reformist government faces it first big test after a small coalition partner, the DPA - Movement for Reforms, said it would quit the Social Democrat-led government if it fails to adopt a law extending the official use of Albanian by early September.

    “This is a demand that is of the utmost priority for Albanians and for our party. If the law is not adopted within a reasonable time, we will reconsider our participation in the government,” the party said on Wednesday, confirming what its leader, Zijadin Sela, announced earlier on Sunday.

    The DPA - Movement for Reforms forms part of a coalition of three ethnic Albanian parties, the Alliance for Albanians, which won three of the 120 seats in parliament at the December 11 general election.

    If only two of these MPs quit the governing coalition, it will no longer have a majority of 62 MPs in parliament.

    Sela’s coalition partner, Vesel Memedi, leader of National Democratic Rebirth, NDP, said he did not share Sela’s opinion on leaving the government. But the third MP in the coalition, Surija Rаshidi, is seen as very close to Sela.

    Macedonia’s Vice Prime Minister on European Affairs, Bujar Osmani, said all the government partner parties were now working hard on the new language law, which has already been placed on the government’s priority list for adoption in the next three months.

    But the main ruling party, the Social Democrats, and the biggest ethnic Albanian party in Macedonia, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, insist that the draft law must first be checked by the European Commission for Democracy through Law, better known as the Venice Commission.

    Osmani insisted that sending the draft to the Venice Commission would not delay adoption of the law, which he said could be sent to parliament very soon.

    “While the parliamentary discussion is still ongoing, we will get the opinion from the Venice Commission,” Osmani told Makfax news portal.

    Meanwhile, some media have suggested that a small opposition party, the Democratic Union for Albanians, DPA, which won two seats in the election, could replace Sela’s party if it leaves. However, the DPA was not available for comment on this report on Wednesday.

    Such speculation has been fuelled by the fact that DPA leader Menduh Thaci has met Social Democrat Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and DUI leader Ali Ahmeti over the past two weeks.

    It was officially announced that the party leaders discussed current politics and the challenges facing the forthcoming local elections due this autumn.

    Albanians in Macedonia make up around a quarter of the country’s population of 2.1 million - and have long been aggrieved by what they see as their second-class status.

    Macedonia's current law on languages defines Albanian as an official language - but it only has that status in areas where Albanians make up over 20 per cent of the population.

    In the north and west of the country, where Albanians make up local majorities in many areas, this is not a burning issue. However, in many other parts of the country, the percentage of Albanians is often far lower than 20 per cent.

    On striking a government deal with several Albanian parties earlier this year, Zaev promised a new law that would expand the official use of Albanian throughout the entire country
    “There’s a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part, you can’t even passively take part, and you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus and you’ve got to make it stop, and you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all” - Mario Savio
  • Odi Zvezdo
    Junior Member
    • Apr 2016
    • 63

    #2
    My question to the Albanian "Minority" is why won't you take part in an official census like the rest of the world do? Oh that's right...they live in Macedonia..the country where anything goes!!!

    Comment

    • Phoenix
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2008
      • 4671

      #3
      ...Albanians in Macedonia make up around a quarter of the country’s population of 2.1 million - and have long been aggrieved by what they see as their second-class status...
      It's amazing how this generic statement has become an ubiquitous footnote, or caveat to every single article ever written about any issue relating to shiptar grievances in Macedonia, since at least 2001 but it's veracity is seldom questioned.

      The notion that the shiptari constitute..."around a quarter of the country’s population" and yet the country hasn't conducted an official census since around 2002...or the statement that the shiptari..."have long been aggrieved by what they see as their second-class status"...although shiptar political parties have been in coalition governments for just as long and their minority enjoys privileges seldom seen elsewhere in Europe or the world.

      For the purpose of journalistic integrity alone, I'd love to see the knobs at 'Balkan Insight' conduct some investigative journalism, not only in Macedonia but in the neighbouring countries to determine minority numbers and political engagement of minority groups in those countries, instead of the amateurish habit of relying on running to the 'archive' and peddling the bullshit from almost 20 years ago and repackaging the 'turd' as a relevant news 'gem'.

      Comment

      • Liberator of Makedonija
        Senior Member
        • Apr 2014
        • 1595

        #4
        Originally posted by Phoenix View Post
        It's amazing how this generic statement has become an ubiquitous footnote, or caveat to every single article ever written about any issue relating to shiptar grievances in Macedonia, since at least 2001 but it's veracity is seldom questioned.

        The notion that the shiptari constitute..."around a quarter of the country’s population" and yet the country hasn't conducted an official census since around 2002...or the statement that the shiptari..."have long been aggrieved by what they see as their second-class status"...although shiptar political parties have been in coalition governments for just as long and their minority enjoys privileges seldom seen elsewhere in Europe or the world.

        For the purpose of journalistic integrity alone, I'd love to see the knobs at 'Balkan Insight' conduct some investigative journalism, not only in Macedonia but in the neighbouring countries to determine minority numbers and political engagement of minority groups in those countries, instead of the amateurish habit of relying on running to the 'archive' and peddling the bullshit from almost 20 years ago and repackaging the 'turd' as a relevant news 'gem'.

        Have to say, you're pretty spot-on there Pheonix. Every article on the issue seems to mention "1/4 of the population" and "second-class status".

        Prior to the Ohrid Agreement, I do believe the official census percentage of Albanians in the Republic was around 17% and I don't see that having gone up much (if at all) since. 17% could even be an overestimate as there is no telling how many non-Albanian Muslims may have been counted as Albanians in prior census.


        I also fail to see this "second-class status" when the Republic of Macedonia has some of the best minority rights in Europe and probably THE BEST in the Balkans. Whilst our neighbours barely give any rights to or none at all to their minorities (Greece doesn't even recognise having any), RoM gives fantastic minority rights to all major minorities in the country (Albanians, Vlachs, Turks, Roma). Esma Redžepova (Queen of the Gypsies) once said that RoM was the best country for Roma people as they enjoyed the most rights, compare that to neighbouring Bulgaria where they are treated as sub-human. I can also think of at least two famous Macedonians that were ethnic Vlachs: Pitu Guli and Toše Proeski. With all that said, how can Albanians claim to be "second-class" in RoM when they have their own political parties that are often in government, have their own municipalities where they can fly their flag and speak their language officially, have their own clubs in the top tier of football in the state, do all their education through the Albanian lanugage and generally openly identify as Albanians?
        I know of two tragic histories in the world- that of Ireland, and that of Macedonia. Both of them have been deprived and tormented.

        Comment

        • Phoenix
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2008
          • 4671

          #5
          Originally posted by Liberator of Makedonija View Post
          ...With all that said, how can Albanians claim to be "second-class" in RoM when they have their own political parties that are often in government, have their own municipalities where they can fly their flag and speak their language officially, have their own clubs in the top tier of football in the state, do all their education through the Albanian lanugage and generally openly identify as Albanians?
          Don't forget that the shiptari also DEMAND equal representation as per their minority percentage for employment opportunities.
          When a country is blackmailed by self serving, quantity over quality terrorism, it condemns it's future, firstly to mediocrity and finally to medieval devolution.

          The shiptari have a privileged set of rights that surpasses what any other minority anywhere in the world receives.
          Shiptar rights in Macedonia are at a similar level to that afforded to the indigenous populations in some of the more progressive 'new world' countries such as Australia and Canada.

          Comment

          • Liberator of Makedonija
            Senior Member
            • Apr 2014
            • 1595

            #6
            Originally posted by Phoenix View Post
            Shiptar rights in Macedonia are at a similar level to that afforded to the indigenous populations in some of the more progressive 'new world' countries such as Australia and Canada.
            I'd say they have far more rights than the Indigenous peoples in Australia and Canada
            I know of two tragic histories in the world- that of Ireland, and that of Macedonia. Both of them have been deprived and tormented.

            Comment

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