MACEDONIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY INVESTIGATING
CALLS FOR "GREATER ALBANIA"
Makedonija Denes - August 18, 2004
"The Interior Ministry is reviewing (Assembly deputy of the DUI - Democratic
Union for Integration - BDI in Albanian) Fazli Veliu's speech in Radusa (in
which he reportedly advocated the uniting of Albanians from Albania, Kosovo,
southern Serbia and western Macedonia) and if it establishes the presence of
anti-state elements, it will launch proper proceedings," Interior Ministry
spokesman Goran Pavlovski has said.
"We are talking about a person that has immunity! First of all, the speeches
will have to be translated, as will the media's interpretation of the latter,
and then, provided anti-state elements are found in his statements and in
statements by members of the Association of Albanian Political Prisoners, the
Interior Ministry will take legal measures in accordance with the constitution,"
Pavlovski told Makedonija Denes.
We have learned that the Interior Ministry's activities were sparked by the
intensified campaign seeking the national unification of the Albanians and the
formation of an Albanian confederation which, according to announcements, would
span the territories of Albania, Kosovo, southern Serbia and the western part of
Macedonia.
The Interior Ministry is also "combing" the members of the Tetovo-based
Association of Albanian Historians, which wrote in its press release the day
before yesterday that it supported the initiative of the Association of Albanian
Political Prisoners to revive "Ilirida" - an idea that entails organizing a
referendum on national unification and forming an Albanian confederation.
The announcement from the Tetovo-based historians reads, among other things,
that only the revival of the "Ilirida" idea will lead to the ultimate
unification of the Albanians in Macedonia into a single state that would include
the territories of Albania, Kosovo, southern Serbia (the Presevo, Medvedja and
Bujanovac), and the western part of Macedonia.
Members of the Association of Albanian Political Prisoners, who announced that a
referendum was not even needed, because the 1992 referendum organized by the
Macedonian Albanians in Mala Recica could be activated, have also attracted the
attention of the police.
The revival of the "Ilirida" idea follows announcements that Macedonians will
succeed in contesting the recently passed law on territorial organization by
organizing a referendum, and comes as a counter-reaction to the actions of the
Crisis Headquarters for the Salvation of Struga, which declared this city
independent.
These views of the Association of Albanian Political Prisoners were motivated by
claims that the Macedonian Assembly had become a theatre in which the last act
of the tragic comedy entitled Macedonia was being played.
Shpatim Pollozhani, head of the Association of Albanian Political Prisoners, has
confirmed the activation of this idea and that the initiative had the support of
the National Democratic Party, whose members felt that, quote, "It is high time
to hold a referendum".
These two associations have come out with a proposal to form the Albanian
confederation as the United States of Albania (ShBA), following the example of
the United States of America.
Source: Makedonija Denes, Skopje, in Macedonian
0000 gmt 18 Aug 04
Copyright 2004 Financial Times Information
All rights reserved
Global News Wire - Asia Africa Intelligence Wire
Copyright 2004 BBC Monitoring/BBC
BBC Monitoring International Reports
Posted for Fair Use only.