Macedonian Albanian MP calls for pan-Albanian
unification at rally - daily
BBC Monitoring - August 15, 2004
Text of report by B.G.: "The DUI called for pan-Albanian unification",
published by Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik on 13 August
"The Radusa Radusha in Albanian rally next year should celebrate another victory
of pan-national and pan-Albanian unification." That was the message of DUI
Democratic Union for Integration - BDI in Albanian Assembly deputy Fazli Veliu
last night, at the celebration in the Skopje village of Radusa.
"Our glorious history is not over. It is still pursuing a national goal and
strategy: Albania, Kosovo, Eastern Kosovo southern Serbia and Arberia," Veliu
said.
A few thousand residents of that village attended the rally at which the members
of the former ONA National Liberation Army - UCK in Albanian celebrated the
third anniversary of the end of the fighting.
There were only Albanian flags at the celebration. The UCK flag was flying over
the central stage, and the banners read: "Welcome to the impregnable fortress of
Radusha," "This is the stronghold of Albanian national power" and "Freedom and
peace".
The audience was addressed also by Rafiz Aliti, vice-chairman of the DUI.
"We were forced to choose a road to freedom in the language of weapons as all
other methods had been exhausted. The Albanian people had been discriminated
against and underprivileged. The war in Radusha was provoked by military and
police mercenaries commanded by anti-Albanian and anti-civilian officers. Our
fierce defence of Albanian existence and our readiness for sacrifice forced the
international and domestic forces to change their position and arrive at the
right conclusion," Aliti pointed out. He said that during the fighting in this
region "young people from Kosovo came to help as a compensation for what the
young people of this region gave in the Kosovo war against the Serbian forces".
The DUI had the largest representation at the rally. No prominent leaders of
other Albanian political parties could be seen. The rally was not attended by a
single representative of the parties in the Macedonian political bloc. Answering
reporters' questions, Rafiz Aliti said that he expected that the Ohrid Accord
would be implemented "to the smallest detail". "We are not happy with the speed
of the implementation of the Ohrid Accord but I do not think that anybody should
have doubts that the accord will be implemented. It is Macedonia's future. Every
war ends in an agreement and we stand firmly behind this agreement," he said.
Aliti does not think that there are destabilization tendencies in this country.
"I think that the devolution process will come off regardless of the protests.
There have always been protests and they will never disappear. It is just
impossible to make all citizens happy. I think that 70 per cent of the citizens
will be happy. We are building Macedonia's future with this law," he said.
SOURCE: Dnevnik, Skopje, in Macedonian 13 Aug 04 pp 1, 3
Copyright 2004 British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC Monitoring Europe - Political
Supplied by BBC Worldwide Monitoring
Posted for Fair Use only.