TIRANA, March 2 – Albania’s political leadership has reacted with concern about a decision by Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov to not mandate the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Zoran Zaev, to form a new government, based on Zaev’s acceptance of a platform presented by Albanian parties in Macedonia.
Ivanov said it is “a platform of neighboring countries that undermine the sovereignty of the state,” a clear reference to Albania, where last December, Prime Minister Edi Rama brought together in Tirana party leaders from Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian community.
A united platform from these parties aimed at protecting the rights of Albanians as an equal ethnic group in Macedonia and having Albanian be recognized as an official and equal language throughout the country.
Albanian Prime Minister Rama issued a statement addressed to President Ivanov in which he stressed that “the Albanian language does not belong to an enemy but to a constituent people in Macedonia. There can be no Macedonia without the Albanians, dear President,” Rama’s statement read.
Albania’s bitterly divided government and opposition joined ranks to seek rights for ethnic Albanian community in Macedonia
Albania’s opposition leader Lulzim Basha said the decision of President Ivanov is “an act of ethnic discrimination that does not contribute to ethnic harmony in Macedonia.”
He added that a Macedonia that is stable, democratic and integrated into NATO and the EU is in the best interest of the Albanians in Macedonia, and the will of all Albanians in this regard is unwavering.
“But stability and Macedonia’s integration road is heavily affected by such discriminatory acts. Acceptance of bilingualism moves Macedonia forward, lowers prejudices and broadens the scope of freedom, thus strengthening its very foundations,” Basha noted, adding that the Albanian platform represents the legitimate rights of the Albanians living in Macedonia.
Ethnic Albanians make up more than a quarter of Macedonia’s population and complain they are discriminated by the country’s Macedonian Slavic community.
