[url]http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2012/08/30/feature-01[/url]

[B]Renaming streets an issue in Macedonia, region[/B]

30/08/2012

Some municipalities are renaming of streets, squares, schools and bridges to recognise national or ethnic heroes, but the proposals sometimes spark debate.

By Misko Taleski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 30/08/12

[B]Many streets in Gostivar may be renamed[/B]. [Miki Trajkovski/SETimes]


Macedonia's inspectorate for local government has rejected an effort by Gostivar's mayor to rename public spaces after controversial figures, including Nazi collaborator Dzemail Hasani (Dzemo Hasa) who conducted massacres against the local population in WWII.

The controversy is part of a larger effort throughout Macedonia, where the two largest Albanian parties are proposing to rename hundreds of streets after ethnic Albanian heroes.

Vanco Sehtanski, director of the inspectorate, told SETimes that the effort by Mayor Rufi Osmani and the city's Albanian population is contrary to the constitution and legal norms.

The Macedonian parliament is expected to review the proposal. Gostivar streets could be renamed only through implementation of the Badenter rule, which demands a majority of votes from an ethnic minority for a proposal to be adopted.

"Everywhere the Badenter majority rule is not respected, we nullify the decision and make it legally inapplicable," Sehtanski said.

"There is disharmony between the existing street names with the real situation on the ground which comes from the [town's] ethnic composition. Postponing [the renaming] cannot be tolerated anymore," Fadilj Zendeli, president of the Gostivar municipal council, said.

The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) and the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) are leading efforts to rename streets and landmarks. As many as 50 streets would be renamed in Skopje, with writer Ismail Kadare and former Albania Prime Minister Hasan Prishtina among those who could be honoured.

Struga officials plan to rename streets for Albanian heroes as well. "If we do not reach a joint agreement, the streets, squares and bridges will first be numbered and then we will rename them upon agreement," Mayor Ramiz Merko said.

Some oppose the idea, however, saying that the renaming can only inflame ethnic tensions.

"It is absurd to change a name of a street named after an anti-fascist fighter [to the name of] a fascist who caused rivers of blood among all ethnicities here," Velko Stefanovski, 67, retiree and a resident of Gostivar, told SETimes.

The issue has been part of a wider debate in the region. An ongoing debate in Serbia concerns the request for equal treatment of Chetniks, who also collaborated with the Nazis, and the rights of their descendants with those of anti-fascist partisans.

The postal service in Stara Pazova, Serbia, delivers letters to a street renamed for Ratko Mladic, though the change is not officially approved.

"The fact that the municipality says such a street does not exist is a lie and is foolish," Slavko Rudakijevic, a 53-year old resident of Stara Pazova who renamed the street, said.

In south Serbia, ethnic tensions flared last January after the local government renamed 17 streets with names of UCK fighters and Albanian historical figures.

"Such decisions will change nothing. The co-ordinating council will not let the citizens be hostages of the 1990s. Local politicians should solve existential problems rather than provoke," Milan Markovic, former minister for human and minority rights, told SETimes.

more examples of errosion of sovereignity.Who is the majority its macedonian so if we don't allow it they shouldn't be rennaming places.

In the past week, the following events took place in Macedonia:

- 4 elementary schools in Skopje were officially renamed after past Albanian Prime Ministers and UCK terrorists

- The main boulevard in Gostivar was renamed after a WWII Albanian nationalist and Nazi collaborator

- The new school year was marked on Monday with the Albanian national anthem in schools in Tetovo region.

That is all!

[QUOTE=Niko777;133383]That is all![/QUOTE]
If that happened over a 10 year period it would be enough for anarchy. But over 7 days ... well, it would mean the sheep might bleat a little louder than normal for a moment.

Good point RTG ,i'm beginning to see it like an omen of bad things to come to macedonia.They hardly are doing anthing to prevent or stop it.They are ignoring it hoping it would go away.The dfence minister says it's a way to reconciliation.When i heard that i nearly fell of my chair.How far does one have to go to take any notice.I think it's all part of
the capitulation process & loss of soveregnity in other words the govt is just giving in.

[IMG]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184998_267823360003469_392924430_n.jpg[/IMG]

A fifth elementary school was renamed in Skopje today, this time after this individual:

[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4187466349_2dac879d47.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Niko777;133434]A fifth elementary school was renamed in Skopje today, this time after this individual:

[IMG]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4187466349_2dac879d47.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Niko77
What?..... they ran out of human beings so they chose him?
Has any Macedonian in ROM objected to this?

[QUOTE]Has any Macedonian in ROM objected to this?
[/QUOTE]

Not really no. The Albanians are currently testing both the Macedonian public and the government. Neither one is doing anything.

[QUOTE=Niko777;133383]
- The main boulevard in Gostivar was renamed after a WWII Albanian nationalist and Nazi collaborator

[/QUOTE]

Niko, I've repeatedly said on several occasions my opinion on the alleged 'albanization of Macedonia'. I firmly maintain that your perception does not coincide with the reality in Macedonia. However, I find the place to reply at your assertion about the above Albanian "Nazi collaborator". I don't deny that he might have sided with the Nazis during WWII, but you have to take into account the whole situation at that time. Some Albanians sided with the Germans, not because they were persuaded by their ideology but because there was no other choice. I am sure most of them had not any clue what was Nazi ideology. On the contrary, Serbia and Greece (whose nationalist histories portray as strongholds against Nazism) were the first countries in Balkans who clearly cherished Nazi's ideology through their political organizations. Against their will, Albanians & Macedonians were forced to ally with Germans because this was the only way to throw off the Serbian & Greek yoke respectively. Put yourself into Aegean Macedonian's shoes at that time!

[QUOTE][B]The Macedonian people were now faced with a dilemma: [/B]remain at home and accept fate in the hands of the blood thirsty Nazi collaborators or forever leave their homes and ancestral lands and cross over the border? [B]Out of the two evils, the Macedonians chose to remain at home[/B] and together with the democratic people of Greece, resumed their struggle for their freedom, equality and human rights for all.
[url]http://www.maknews.com/html/articles/stefov/stefov147.html[/url][/QUOTE]

But both Albanians and Macedonians fought valiantly against Nazi's, which is why the Partizan movements were so active in Albania and Macedonia.

P.S: Personally I would not suggest the naming of streets with the names of people who had been involved in Nazi's organizations. But the same criticism goes also for your side. I've read somewhere that some Macedonians (who had participated on Ohrana) got pensions from your government.