This is how Macedonians respect religion, an European value:
Posted on 11/08/2004 5:21:15 PM PST by mark502inf
A referendum called by opposition parties in Macedonia to revoke critical, EU-backed decentralisation legislation failed Sunday due to low voter turnout.
Sunday's (7 November) referendum on Macedonia's new decentralisation laws failed due to insufficient turnout. [Tomislav Georgiev]
A referendum seeking to block decentralisation reforms in Macedonia failed Sunday (7 November) due to low turnout. According to provisional results announced by the State Election Commission, only 436,202 (26.24 per cent) out of 1,709,536 eligible voters went to the polls. Around 855,000 voters needed to cast ballots for the referendum to be successful.
The decentralisation legislation is a critical final element of the 2001 Ohrid Peace Accords that ended a six-month conflict in the country between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels pushing for greater rights for their community. Its implementation is one of the political criteria for Macedonia's membership in NATO and the EU.
Adopted by the Macedonian Parliament in August, the reforms provide for a redrawing of municipal boundaries that would reduce the number of districts from 123 to 84. In 16 of those districts, ethnic Albanians -- who make up about 25 per cent of the country's population -- would become the largest political force. Furthermore, in areas where ethnic Albanians constitute at least 20 per cent of the population, their tongue would be recognised as an official language.
"Macedonia has sent today a powerful message to the European Union and NATO that the people of this country know the path for the future of their country," Defence Minister Vlado Buckovski said Sunday. "There were no winners and losers today. Macedonia is more united than ever."
Emira Mehmeti, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), a ruling coalition member, also welcomed the results.
"The people have demonstrated they are willing to live in a multiethnic state which promotes European values and concepts," Mehmeti said.
Stojan Andov, leader of the opposition Liberal Party which was among the backers of the referendum, conceded defeat, but urged the government to listen to all those opposed to the new law.
International officials, including British Minister for Europe Denis MacShane, praised Macedonians for choosing to proceed with reforms.
"The leadership of the government and responsible Macedonian and Albanian leaders sent a clear signal that Macedonia would not turn back the clock to a past of ethnic tension," MacShane said in a statement. "I warmly welcome today's decision."
The Bush Administration has got all except about a hundred troops out of Bosnia now & next will be Kosovo: final status talks this summer & (I predict)agreement by the end of 2005. The USA is not going to keep troops in the Balkans forever.
In my meetings today with the President, the Foreign Minister, Prime Minister and Defense Minister I assured them that the United States supports the reforms they are undertaking and supports their move towards NATO membership. The success of moving closer to NATO membership will, of course, depend in the large part on implementation of the 2001 Ohrid Framework Agreement, including the creation of a stronger and more effective local government. The decentralization legislation passed in August provides the basis for this and will certainly help strengthen democracy here at the grassroot level. Macedonian people face a clear choice between a future with NATO in which stability and economic growth will flourish, or a return to the past.
= )
It remains to be seen how we're going to induce the Greeks to play nice over Cyprus and Macedonia.
I heard the Macedonian Prime Minister has been invited by the State Department to the grand opening of the new "Alexander the Great" movie.
The Prime Minister, who can pronounce his "L"'s just fine was heard to mutter "Affwreck."
This is how Macedonians respect religion, an European value:
It's cheaper to send them a can of Del Monte fruit salad to get a message accros:
1. to remind Kostov, Crvenkovski, Buckovski &Co. they are bunch of expandable fruitcakes.
2. To remind Macedonians they are banana republic and to act accordingly.
I suppose from where the Macedonians sit, they see it exactly the opposite & ergo your pics of Orthodox on Orthodox churchicide.
I don't recall seeing any bananas there, but they had some great tobacco--Macedonian cigars are little known, but have been placing high in some international competitions over the last few years.
In any event, there is no significant U.S. economic interest in Macedonia, but its ethnic composition & location make Mako stability an important part of settling the Kosovo final status & defusing the ethnic Albanian problems in the southern Serbia Presevo valley. That's why the very first deployment of U.S. troops into the Balkans (little remembered now) was into Macedonia in 1994 to deter Slobo from adjusting Serbia's borders southward to reincorporate "South Serbia."
It sounds to me like a Soros-manipulated "election". The "Open Society Institute" practically owns the country!!!! Any evidence of such manipulation?
This whole scheme rewards KLA terrorism and savagery, and gives the Shiptar bandits and their Al Qaeda compatriots an even more entrenched base. And it is but one more step toward a KLA-ruled islamist "Greater Albania", with its capital in Pristina.
The EU is geared toward turning all the Balkan and other Eastern European states into non-viable entities (as FYR Macedonia is already), for absorption into the godless, decadent, international-fascist, and "gay" and feminazi-ridden EU. We Americans just chose to go the opposite route, and should allow the Christian Slavic part of Europe the same choice.
It is only an alliance between America and Christian Slavic and Hellenic Europe (including Russia) that can save Western Europe--politically, culturally, spiritually,and even demographically!!!! That should be high on the list of goals for American foreign policy.
Next we can work on dealing with our "Mexican problem" in California as we begin handing parts of the southwestern US to Mexico.
You can't do that as a non-Serb amongs Serbs, as they've based their national identity upon racial and ethnic lines, leaving non-Serbs forever outside of the exclusionary fold.
How many of those thousands of Chinese immigrants to Serbia during the 1990's do you expect will become Serbs?
Whatever - let's just follow Honorary Serb's advice and suck up to Russia so we can save France.
for who the KLA is - what their goal is - and who receives/give funds to them - (some my be surprised): see these links, for starters:
click on video link right of screen:
onhttp://www.vpro.nl/programma/tegenlicht/afleveringen/18793157/
and who funds the KLA?
http://www.kosovo.com/kla_obl.html
So, which is it: a "KLA-ruled islamist Greater Albania" or a "non-viable entit[y]... for absorption into the godless, decadent, international-fascist, and "gay" and feminazi-ridden EU?"
I don't think those are the same things.
Strawman. Handing over parts of Macedonia to Albania is not part of this plan and was/is not on the table.
Decentralization applies to all of Macedonia. It has the overall benefit of putting power over local decisions into the hands of locally elected officials. The previous system held-over from communist days was centalized decision-making & allocation of resources, whether it be fixing roads, hiring policemen or running schools. The entire country will benefit from this reform.
The added benefit is that this system neutralizes the Albanian complaint that the federal government run by a Slav majority was not responsive to them & neglected the areas with Albanian populations in favor of those with Slavic populations. Albanian majority municipalites will now elect their own (presumably Albanian)officials who will have the resources & authority to run things at the local level and be held accountable for the results or lack thereof.
It is getting funny.
I found more of smoke in your post:
>>>>>In any event, there is no significant U.S. economic interest in Macedonia, <<<<<
Check
Tungsten and other strategic metals. Not ecconomic, but strategic interest. Check what is going on in Zletovo.
>>>That's why the very first deployment of U.S. troops into the Balkans (little remembered now) was into Macedonia in 1994 to deter Slobo from adjusting Serbia's borders southward to reincorporate "South Serbia."<<<<
First of all, U.S. troops were deployed in July 1993, not in 1994 as you falsely claim:
" At my direction, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff through the Commander in Chief, U.S. European Command, ordered the deployment of Company C, 6th Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment of the Berlin Brigade to Macedonia. On July 3, advance parties and support elements began transporting equipment into Macedonia by U.S. C-141 aircraft. The main body of this unit began arriving by U.S. C-5 aircraft on July 7. The unit's equipment, including M-113 Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs), has also been delivered to the operating area. It is expected that the full contingent of U.S. military personnel, numbering approximately 350, will be in place and equipped by July 12."
It was funny, because "The United States found itself, therefore, in the novel position of deploying military forces to protect a country that it did not officially acknowledge--"
As a matter of fact, American forces were deployed because Macedonians were HELPING Slobo break the economic sanctions. Huge smuggling ops were rolling through Macedonia and were helping Slobo bypass U.N. imposed sanctions.
It seems that Macedonian cigar is blurring your memory :-)
If only Martin Luther were alive today. His works regarding the threat of Islam should be required reading.
Ok, grant the new Mexican provinces of the former areas of the United States independence then. So much for that "strawman."
Here's another web-site for you to check out.
As for getting your info about Albanians from kosovo.com; that's like getting your info about George Bush from michaelmoore.com.
The UN force in Macedonia was sent (in 1993—I stand corrected) at the request of the President of Macedonia to the UN based on “his concern about the possible impact on it of fighting elsewhere in Yugoslavia.” As per UN Security Council Resolution 795, the issue was “ possible developments which could undermine confidence and stability in …Macedonia or threaten its territory.”
Your own link above describes the mission as: “This peacekeeping force has been stationed along the northern Macedonian border [with Serbia] with the mandate of monitoring and reporting any developments that could signify a threat to the territory of Macedonia.”
The primary concern was obviously Slobo’s Serbia; especially as Serbia had not at that time recognized the border between the two states.
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