Opposition and ruling parties come together
in Macedonia in the hope of averting another Balkan bloodbath.
By Gordana Stojanovska Iceska in
Skopje (BCR No. 245, 10-May-01)
A multi-ethnic coalition government has taken over Macedonia in a desperate effort to avert all-out war. But the rumble of distant artillery as Macedonian troops battle with Albanian guerrillas in the north threatens to fracture the coalition before it even starts work.
The new government was put together painfully after strenuous prodding from George Robertson, the NATO secretary-general, and Javier Solana, the European Union's high representative. It was Robertson who warned that "Macedonia is on the edge of an abyss".
One coalition element, the Party for Democratic Prosperity, PDP, signed up on Tuesday but less than a day later threatened to walk out unless the army called a cease-fire within three days. The PDP is an opposition group representing the country's Albanian minority.
The birth of the new government was difficult. Negotiations lasted several weeks and came to a crisis when Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski announced he was seriously thinking of introducing a state of war to deal with the Albanian guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army, NLA, which has been attacking Macedonian forces along the northern border.
Last Saturday, May 5, Georgievski said he would ask parliament to consider introducing an official state of war. The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, which took part in government before the new coalition, then warned it would walk out if he did so.
Such a declaration would have caused even greater polarisation of Macedonia's two major communities and probably an extension of military conflict.
The threat brought Robertson and Solana rushing in to patch up the damage and persuade Georgievski to abandon his "state of war" proposal. "There must be support for a grand coalition that would include all the political elements from this state," Robertson said in Skopje.
His admonition was heeded and a coalition agreed. Sharing out of ministerial posts is hoped to be announced next week. Heavy competition for posts took up much of the negotiations.
The new national unity government includes the VMRO-DPMNE party of Prime Minister Georgievski along with the DPA and LP (Liberal Party) which were all in the former government. They are joined by the two main opposition groups, the Macedonian SDSM (Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia) and the PDP. The SDSM will probably share its functions with two smaller opposition groups, the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) and VMRO-VMRO.
According to the agreement, opposition groups will get the ministries of defence, foreign affairs, health-care and ecology as well as a deputy prime minister post.
VMRO-DPMNE will head the ministries of interior, finance, culture, education and agriculture. It is possible that VMRO-DPMNE will give the education ministry to the newly formed New Democracy Party. DPA has been promised the ministries of labour and social policy, economy and local self-government as well as one deputy prime minister position.
The PDP will have the ministry of justice and one minister without portfolio post. Georgievski remains government head.
The parties also agreed to have early parliamentary elections not later than 27 January 2001, 18 months before they would normally be due. Early elections were a key demand of SDSM.
The new government is not expected to solve the major problem besetting Macedonia, reconciliation between the Albanian minority and the Macedonian majority.
Such a temporary and artificial structure, constructed under great pressure from the international community, will probably content itself with maintaining peace. But it might even create a starting point for negotiations to settle ethnic rivalries.
The threat from a broader military conflict is far from over. Fighting between Macedonian troops and the NLA continues around Kumanovo. Georgievski said he expects new NLA attacks which still controls about ten villages in the north. More and more refugees are streaming away either to Kosovo across the northern border or to friendly communities in the south.
On the civil front, the biggest issue is the demand by ethnic Albanians for improved status in Macedonia. The Albanians want the country to have two official languages, one of which will be their own. They want the constitution changed to accord them greater privileges and education in the Albanian language.
All these present a daunting task for any government. Whether the new government will succeed is anybody's guess. But the establishment of a coalition has at least achieved the first step towards peace.
As Robertson put it, "Now is the moment for a consensus of the political parties in order to avoid another Balkan bloodbath."
Gordana Stojanovska Iceska is the deputy editor in chief of Kapital