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This article was published by F18News on: 8 June 2005 MACEDONIA: Why is state interfering in Orthodox dispute? By Branko Bjelajac, Balkans Correspondent, Forum 18 News Service When the Serbian Orthodox Church granted its embattled branch in Macedonia full autonomy in late May, the Macedonian prime minister rejected the move "with indignation". The government has stepped up its hostility to the Church and reaffirmed its support for the rival Macedonian Orthodox Church, which is not recognised by the rest of the Orthodox world. Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid – who heads the Serbian Church in Macedonia – complained of a new...

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...

It’s not jobs and the economy – it’s the Ohrid Framework Agreement, stupid! And so we see that the Ohrid Framework Agreement is a panacea for all that ails Macedonia. And since it is the Ohrid Framework Agreement that will cover a multitude of sins here, I have a proposal for the countries of the region that face their own problems – an Ohrid Framework Agreement for all. Think about it – since we have been told by the Great Powers that the Ohrid Framework Agreement is the single most important piece of paper ever written and since the Great...

The August 11 will be the moment when the renewed Temple of Saint Kliment in Plaoshnik in Ohrid will be sanctified and open for believers, thus becoming real sanctuary to whole Macedonian nation. It is not only the radiance of new temple but also the place itself which Saint Kliment chose in 11 century and built his church dedicated to the protector of health, Saint Panteleimon, which hides in itself invaluable treasure related to the marvelous history of this area. The team that has been working on archeological excavation in the huge space of Saint Kliment sanctuary practically went crazy...