DioGuardi asked to Leave Macedonia

SDSM DEPUTY: PETITION ON INDEPENDENT KOSOVO INTERFERENCE IN MACEDONIAN AFFAIRS

A1 TV – October 8, 2004

(Reporter Goran Momiroski) The campaign for collecting signatures for an independent Kosovo is interference in Macedonia's internal affairs, (Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia - SDSM) Assembly Deputy Jani Makraduli says. In his view, former Senator Joseph DioGuardi, who is organizing the campaign on behalf of the Albanian lobby in the United States, is abusing the country's hospitality and is trying to involve Macedonian citizens in the problems of another country. Makraduli says that the relevant institutions should take appropriate measures against DioGuardi, who has been asked to leave Macedonia on several occasions.

Unlike the SDSM, the DUI (Democratic Union for Integration - BDI in Albanian) believes that this is a civic initiative in which they will not participate directly, but will offer support. The other Albanian political parties share the same view.

The VMRO-DPMNE (Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity) believes that this initiative opposes UN Resolution 1244, and, instead of being organized in Macedonia, it should take place in Kosovo and Serbia.

On the first day of the campaign for an independent Kosovo, hundreds of people in Skopje, Tetovo, Struga, Gostivar and other places mostly populated by Albanians have signed the petition.

Source: A1 TV, Skopje, in Macedonian 1700 gmt 8 Oct 04

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