Polyparty-ism - Search for Common Ground

46
ilar to those promoted and defended
by some members of the
Macedonian Academy of Sciences
and Arts. We are talking about
MASA's idea for solving the conflict
between the Macedonians and the
Albanians, (which according to
MASA's president is "unsolvable"),
through the exchange of territories
and population between Macedonia
and Albania.
GOVERNMENT'S
CLOSENESS WITH
ACADEMICS
Because of the Government's
closeness with these academics who
offer a "peaceful, cultural, and civilized
solution," for the problems in
Macedonia, it would be best if they
would reveal some more details
about the latest idea from these top
learned minds.
For instance, does this plan allow
the Albanians to come to this hypothetical
future Macedonia for, let's
say, shopping in Skopje or holidays
in Ohrid or Prespa? Does it allow the
Macedonians to go to that future
hypothetical Albania for spa treatments
in Debar or for skiing at
Popova Shapka? Furthermore, are
those persons in Albanian-
Macedonian mixed marriages
obliged to divorce? And what would
happen with their children? If bufferzones
are introduced maybe the children
would be settled in there? Or is
there another solution?
It would be good if we knew in
advance how those who refused to
change their country would be treated.
What would happen to Albanians
who were caught as illegal residents
of Macedonia? And I suppose the
same would be true for
Macedonians, who would be illegal
residents of Albania?
In other words, I think that the
people in this Macedonia should be
given information about the future
that is being prepared for them. I will
use this opportunity to ask the speaker
of the Macedonian Parliament, Mr.
Stojan Andov, to give such information.
Obviously, he is familiar with
the birth, development and the details
of the Macedonian academics' peace
project.
If the members of government
declare that they are all for non-violability
of the borders and the territorial
integrity of the Republic of
Macedonia, the responsible institutions
ought to take appropriate measures.
Such measures should be the
same with those that were already
taken against other Macedonian citizens
who were accused of threatening
the territorial integrity and sovereignty
of the Republic of Macedonia.
If the responsible institutions do
not remember what those measures
were, we could easily remind them.
The policemen should (re)read the
Constitution. The latest happenings
in the Tetovo and Lipkovo-
Kumanovo regions have shown that
members of the Macedonian police
need some constitutional education,
or at least some reminding of that
which they probably knew and have
obviously forgotten. Therefore I suggest
that the Government order the
police chiefs to ensure their subordinates
at least read Article 11 of the
Macedonian Constitution. (I am sure
that, in this instance, the Constitution
will not be changed in some parts,
and that this and other articles will
not be changed, so that their reading
will not be in vain).
In case they use the excuse that
they did not have time to find it, I cite
it here:
"The physical and the moral
integrity of the person are non-violable.
Any kind of torture, inhumane
and despicable behaviour and punishment
are forbidden."
JOURNALIST SNIPERS
There are many things that have
to be done, especially considering the
'"freshness" of the situation. First of
all, instead of arguing with the BBC
and CNN about whether they misinform
the world public, the government
should proceed with legal sanctions.
In other words, they should
punish the journalists who report
from the "front," spending the night
in military tents, taping themselves
firing cannon grenades at villages
where the civil Albanian population
is living. The journalist should prove
that she saw "terrorists" in the houses
of civilians, with satellite images,
through sniper sights, or some other
method. But she should also prove
that whoever allowed her to shoot,
put her on satellite, and gave her a
sniper sight. She should also have to
prove that she as a journalist had the
right (moral, material, penal, Roman,
Greek, Greek-Roman, Radovan
Karagjich's... any) to destroy and kill.
Because the weapon she used (if I am
not wrong), as shown in part of her
report, doesn't serve modern journalism
in any way.
Apart from punishing the journalist
properly (and not arresting and
beating the people who give statements
to the Albanian-language
newspaper Fakti, regardless of how
much the policemen, journalists,
waiters and brickbuilders like the
statements), it should take measures
against media that broadcast such a
journalist's final achievement. And, I
would ask the president of the Forum
of Young Journalists, which publicly
defended the aforementioned journalist,
"What is your profession or
vocation?"
Let me conclude: The question I
have tried to answer was what the
Macedonian Government could and
should do to take the country out of
this crisis. I suppose it should do
what it can, and that it can do what it
should. I think that the things I have
mentioned, in my humble contribution,
are not very difficult to realize.
How right I am, I hope we will see in
future.
(The author is a journalist
and a writer)
What now, June 2001