Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

according to the number of citizens it
has and according to the future perspective
the capital has? And I say to
myself that for Skopje to look like a
cultural centre according to the number
of citizens, it should have several
high schools, several faculties and
institutes, at least one developed theatre
(for children, puppets theatre) a
publishing house, a gallery
for visual arts, a concert hall,
a sports hall, a cultural centre,
a public library, a developed,
transparent and independent
press, clubs etc.
* * *
However, Albanian
Skopje continues to have one
semi-theatre, which for 50
years has stood as an oasis in
the middle of the Bit Pazar,
and which instead of having
an influence as an institution
that would educate the surroundings,
does the opposite.
We have one pedagogical
faculty, which, according to
public opinion surveys published
in the media, "firmly"
stands in the middle of corrupted
structures. We have
two daily newspapers with
unsustained and confused
orientation and structure,
that stagger constantly from
side to side. We have several
publishing houses (none of
them appropriate and likely
to be closed) that are unable
to open the channels of circulation
for literary values
on a national level, with one
semi-literary magazine without influence
which playing no meaningful
role. And that's it. That's all.
Albanian political parties should
contribute to Albanian Skopje
remaining a cultural, educational,
and media centre on a national level:
besides the lack of projects and a
clear vision for the cultural illumination
of the city, and while insisting
on the realization of those projects,
our parties have even withdrawn
from Skopje physically. So, by isolating
and barricading themselves in
their own villages, where they feel
more important than they are, they
have in fact helped in the process of
making Skopje an ignored periphery.
* * *
In the middle of this bunch of
I have asked myself on several occasions, why
doesn't Skopje, with so many Albanians, succeed
in creating the ambience for cultural,
educational and media life according to the
number of citizens it has and according to the
future perspective the capital has? And I say
to myself that for Skopje to look like a cultural
centre according to the number of citizens, it
should have several high schools, several faculties
and institutes, at least one developed theatre
(for children, a puppets theatre) a publishing
house, a gallery for visual arts, a concert
hall, a sports hall, a cultural centre, a
public library, a developed, transparent and
independent press, clubs etc.
(Albanian) issues in the above-mentioned
fields, which should be the
object of continuous debate, one of
the most disturbing issues seems to
be the Albanian Section of
Macedonian Television (MTV)
because it's the only media that
reaches the greater part of Albanian
areas in Macedonia. Some months
ago I heard that someone from the
governing parties had offered the
position of the editor of this program
to someone nationally eminent in the
area of Albanian literature and publishing
and who rightfully requested
that the section (Channel 3) become
independent, at least on the same
level as Channels 1 and 2. He as the
editor-in-chief (the director) could
then employ and fire journalists,
award and punish, and could independently
provide minimal conditions
regarding the technical
side of the work… Almost one
year has passed since DUI
became part of the
Government, and they haven't
done anything in this irreplaceably
important sector. It seems
that the activists of this party,
dealing with high, global politics
are not satisfied with the
small things mentioned here …
And, we have some kind of
Section, where, for years on
end, the majority of the journalists
are volunteers working
freelance and without salary.
The wealthier ones are obligated
to loyally serve
"the bosses" of the
governing political
parties. Their moral
and professional
degradation, from
mandate to mandate,
has made their words,
the moral and professional
reputation of
this company (especially
one part of it),
lose their depth. The
individuals that don't
agree with this situation
withdraw, fall
silent or get fired…
Since the 1960s until
now, it seems that only the available
editorial space has expanded, moreover-a
space with which they seem to
have trouble-they don't know what to
do with it.
The Albanian turmoils in
Macedonia, their dynamic life in all
areas couldn't be documented even if
we had several TV channels, but we
are witnessing-especially during the
summer season-that the most of the
programs being aired are already
aired programs.
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Two years of the ohrid agreement, August 2003