Maybe it's still too early, but if this early stages are an indication of what is to come, our "post framework agreement" peace brings freshly burnt Macedonian houses in Opae, Neprosteno, Tearce, and "concerts for machine gun and orchestra" in Block 82, Drenovec 1 and 2, and other parts of Tetovo. The dawn of this peace is not promising at all. In Tetovo shootouts and violence continue. Returning refugees are freezing regardless of whether they are in Skopje or in their, still roofless, homes in Lesok, Glogi, Neprosteno, Vratnica, Jedoarce... If they dared go home, they do not dare leave their houses. Their free zone encompasses only a few streets in their villages or the center of Tetovo, if they can get there in some convoy. The return of "pilot-toy" police is a charade. The police cannot defend itself, let alone the citizens. Whole parts of Tetovo and villages are controlled by terrorists, terrorists who were so nicely disarmed and disbanded by the NATO.
That is why their "mode" of work is now different. Instead of frontal attacks of the UCK, UKSh now practices systematic ethnic cleansing of ethnic Macedonians with different means. They are maltreating villagers and city dwellers, looting Macedonian houses, shooting at their windows, raping Macedonian women. In one word, they are making their life miserable. One resident of Tetovo relates how he watched from his balcony while new "terrorists", actually his neighbors, were shooting at his house. The very next day, the same neighbors said "hallo" and, laughing at him, told him that they were supposedly doing all that because they had orders "from above". Please, they are simply trying to bring down prices of real estate in their part of the town and, as far as they and Allah are concerned, their conscience is clear. They are sort of "real estate dealers" in the UKSh enterprise.
Is that the peace because of which Macedonia changed its constitution? Is this why we gave up criminal prosecution of murderers, obliged ourselves to enact a bunch of laws that would strengthen the position of "a part of the Albanian nation" in the Macedonian society? Is this how "the part", promoted into a constituent nation, is keeping its part of the Ohrid agreement? Where are Solana, Robertson, and Patten now, to grab by the throat political representatives of that "part" - Xhaferi, Imeri (and Ahmeti), until they deliver what they signed in the framework agreement? Why is the agreement for one side a must, while for the other only an option?
Many questions, but no answers. Our peacemaking "mentors" are indifferent regarding the most recent developments. They are explaining them away by the failure to enact the local administration law?! How long will they continue with that shameless cynicism? One day we'll die because tax on Turkish tea is too high!
Some outlaws are not happy with the agreement. Of course some "Lions" are also not happy with the agreement. Perhaps, they should rename themselves something like "Arslani" and shoot at ethnic Albanians in Skopje? Reciprocally?
No, the international community must once and for all come to its senses. It must realize that the Albanian extremism and terrorism are the chief problems in the region. It is simply a shame that after what happened in the US, after what is happening in the Middle East, we still cannot explain to anyone the nature of the beast we are facing. Do these famous Euro-Atlantic strategists see outbursts of Greater Albanian fascism and chauvinism, openly proclaimed these days in Tetovo, at the congress of the National-Democratic Party, led by certain Katriot Haxhirexha? Aren't his proclaimed views contrary to the constitution we've just adopted, with the blessing of the EU? Aren't political parties that oppose the constitution supposed to be prosecuted and banned? Wouldn't any normal state prosecute for undermining the constitutional order? He said that their goal is to expel ethnic Macedonians from Western Macedonia. Is that based on EU and NATO standards and values? What else need they say [before someone reacts]? That they will exterminate us all and send us to gas-chambers?
Hallo, "international factors", where are you now? Where are OSCE chiefs, NATO representatives, ambassadors of the US, Great Britain, and France? All missing. And I know when they will immediately show up. If, by some miracle, the Macedonian Army and Police abandon their policy of (politically directed) inaction, and finally take things into their hands; if they conclude that political means have been exhausted and that military means are needed for the solution of the crisis. Then, I am convinced, all international "pressure" will materialize immediately. Solana, Robertson, and all the others will immediately show up to tell us what they would do unless we immediately proclaim "ceasefire" and start negotiating with the UKSh. What about? Who cares! Federalization, bi-national state, division of Macedonia... Something will certainly be found. In the end, we can discuss the local administration law. Repeatedly, a "compromise" is demanded from us, because we are guilty, because we did not allow politicians to do their work. We did not wait.
Fine. We'll wait. We'll die some more. Let them rape us some more, let them kill bakers, postmen. Let them expel residents of Tetovo to Bitola and Strumica, and residents of Skopje should move to the east of Katlanovo. Let the insatiable followers of Mussolini sate their appetites. And then, when we ask whether Europe, for who knows which time in history, is a sponsor of yet another tragedy of the Macedonian nation, our European judges will tell us: it's your fault, why did you let them do this? As now they tell us - it's your fault, why didn't you finish the problem in Tanusevci? Really, who else is to blame?
by Tanja MANGALAKOVA
The basic problem was not so much the small Party of Democratic Alliance (Arben Imami, a former artist, is its leader), but the fact that he is a minister in Ilir Meta's coalition government. The elite in Tirana is convinced that Kosovo will be an independent state. But, for the first time a political party publicly advocated unification of Kosovo and Albania.
I talked with Eduard Prodani in the Tirana office of the Party of Democratic Alliance. "Demands for unification and merger with Kosovo are something that happened recently. Just as in the case of two Germanies or two Koreas. One of troublesome aspects of the signed agreement between Macedonia and Yugoslavia is that it fixes the border, which in practice separates Kosovo and Macedonia."
Eduard Prodani admits that that border is not looked upon favorably by Albania. "Of course, we don't like that, because we want to separate Kosovo from Serbia." When Eduard Prodani comments on the idea of a new international conference, a new Berlin congress, about the Balkans, mentioning Lord Robert Owen, he switches to a second topic important for Tirana - the war in Macedonia. "Albanians live in 3-4 states in the Balkans. We've always been asking Macedonians to sit down and resolve political problems. That will bring about stability in Macedonia and in the rest of the region. We have warned for a while that, if pressures and intimidation continue, precisely what we are now witnessing would happen".
The official political line in Tirana is that Albanians in Macedonia are not equal and that they are "second-class" citizens.
As far as Musa Ulcini, the chief of the Socialist Party in Tirana, is concerned, the Macedonian state is responsible for the conflict in Macedonia.
In Elbasan, I talked with Agron Tato, Socialist Party representative in the last parliament. He gave me two answers to the question regarding the future of Kosovo. "I find it difficult to choose how to answer, as an Albanian, a nationalist, or as a representative in the parliament. If we are talking off the record, then it would be good if Albania merged with Kosovo. But not now, in some 10 years. Why? First, because financing of American and European soldiers is very expensive. No one expects that they will stay forever in Kosovo. Secondly, Serbia and Montenegro have about 10 million inhabitants. Albania has about 3.5 million, Kosovo 2 million, there are 8 million Bulgarians. That is unbalanced. If there were 7 million Albanians in one state, then we would have a more balanced situation. That is my nationalist answer."
The author is a journalist of Sofia "Standard"