MACEDONIAN PREMIER: OPPOSITION LEADER'S "ETHNIC CLEANSING" IDEA CALL FOR WAR
MIA - April 21, 2003

Skopje, 21 April: The promotion of a concept for changing the borders and ethnic cleansing and for building concrete walls is a direct call for ethnic war and division of the country, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski said Monday 21 April afternoon in regard with the "publicly promoted terrifying plots by VMRO-DPMNE Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity leader Ljubho Georgievski also supported by DPA Democratic Party of Albanians, (PDSh in Albanian) officials."

Crvenkovski added that "the synchronized proclamation of the Framework Agreement as failed concept by two of its signatories, clearly proves that there is coordination between the two parties i.e. among Ljubcho Georgievski, Arben Xhaferi and Menduh Thaci."

According to him, this is their final joint attempt, as destructive opposition, to realize the things they have started as coalition partners in the government, or more precisely they were prevented to achieve this. "This is a division of the state and annulling its sovereignty," Crvenkovski said, adding that the government firmly and decisively supports Macedonia's territorial integrity and unitary character as well as its promotion into integrated multiethnic society," Crvenkovski said.

He emphasized that peace, stability, security, return of displaced persons, implementation of the Framework Agreement, combat against criminal, corruption and poverty and creating conditions for economic development were still the top priorities of the ruling coalition.

Bearing in mind that these publicly promoted plots, also mean encouragement and stimulation of extremism, radicalism and call for activating the underground criminals, Crvenkovski suggested: "The government will utilize all institutional and constitutionally guaranteed mechanisms and will not allow another destabilization or violation of peace and stability in the country."

"We call on all progressive forces, political parties, associations and NGOs, and most of all Macedonian citizens, regardless of their ethnic and religious belonging, to condemn and reject these apocalyptic plots and their promoters," Crvenkovski said.

He thinks that Macedonia's future lies in peace and not in war, in unity and not in ethnical cleansing and divisions, in accepting the European values and not in resurrecting the "fascistic concepts of the past."

Source: MIA news agency, Skopje, in English 1536 gmt 21 Apr 03

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