Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground
Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground
Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground
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Plural<strong>ism</strong> and Albanians<br />
From enthusiasm<br />
to disappointment<br />
Ismet Ramadani<br />
The trend towards multiparty<br />
systems in the 1990s<br />
that appeared in eastern<br />
Europe, which at the same<br />
time announced the fall of<br />
totalitarian communist<br />
mon<strong>ism</strong> and the beginning of<br />
democracy, was accepted by<br />
Albanians from Macedonia<br />
with special enthusiasm. This<br />
enthusiasm certainly came<br />
out of a bitter past in which<br />
the Albanians continually<br />
underwent politically persecution<br />
in the <strong>for</strong>mer political<br />
system. Despite their initial<br />
fear, particularly due to that<br />
bitter experience, Albanians<br />
very quickly organized themselves<br />
politically into a strong<br />
party, called the Party <strong>for</strong><br />
Democratic Prosperity (PDP).<br />
Certainly at that time the PDP<br />
was just one political entity in<br />
the mosaic of parties, like<br />
VMRO-DPMNE, SDSM,<br />
Liberal Party, MAAK and<br />
others. It must be said that<br />
another political party besides<br />
PDP appeared a bit later that<br />
same year, as an Albanian<br />
political entity: the National<br />
Democratic Party (NDP).<br />
This marked the beginning of<br />
Albanian political plural<strong>ism</strong><br />
in Macedonia.<br />
As <strong>for</strong> democratic development<br />
and Euro-Atlantic<br />
orientation, he program goals<br />
of the PDP were not in contrast<br />
with the goals of other<br />
Macedonian political parties<br />
from the left or the right.<br />
However, concerning the status<br />
of Albanians (issues related<br />
to language, education and<br />
culture), or more precisely to<br />
equity in these areas, PDP's<br />
program goals were not<br />
accepted by the Macedonian<br />
political parties. They even<br />
created an anti-Albanian public<br />
following through their<br />
political stance.<br />
PDP, along with NDP, participated<br />
alongside the parties<br />
of ethnic Macedonians in the<br />
first parliamentary elections.<br />
The party then presented in a<br />
transparent manner its election<br />
plat<strong>for</strong>m as the main<br />
Albanians in Macedonia<br />
accepted the plural<strong>ism</strong><br />
trend towards plural<strong>ism</strong>,<br />
common in the <strong>for</strong>mer<br />
communist states, with<br />
particular optim<strong>ism</strong>, but<br />
when many of their<br />
expectations were not<br />
realized, disappointment<br />
prevailed among them.<br />
Albanians' activities<br />
reflected this.<br />
17<br />
Ten years of plural<strong>ism</strong>, December 2000
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