Macedonia: Albanians rally for independent Kosovo

Two Albanian parties in Macedonia will stage a rally of support for Kosovo's independence Friday, reports say. Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) and the Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) will gather in Tetovo's central square to pledge support to "Kosovo independence and Macedonia's admission to NATO and EU," according to Makfax news agency. Macedonia: Albanians rally for independent Kosovo DPA called on supporters and the members of another Albanian party, Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), to join the rally. But Ali Ahmeti's DUI qualified the rally as an attempt to undermine the authority of the DUI leader. The students of the Tetovo University and the SEE University are expected to show up at the event. DPA leader Menduh Tachi said on Thursday that he had met with Kosovo President and Prime Minister Fatmir Sejdiu and Agim Ceku in Pristina "to discuss Macedonia’s support for the Kosovo plan created by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari for international-supervised independence." The head of the Islamic Community in Macedonia also encouraged participation in the rally, the agency said. Meanwhile, a Skopje-based Albanian language daily Lajme writes that the police in that country have recently found weapons "in a home belonging to a member of the Czar Lazar Guard." Quoting unnamed sources in the police, the daily said that the arms were found in the home of 32-year-old Predrag D. from Kumanovo, who is allegedly a member of the obscure organization of Serb nationalists. The daily added that the Guard recently stated it had sympathizers and supports in Macedonia as well. However, a police spokesman in Skopje said there were no indications that the weapons recently seized in Kumanovo belonged to the Guard, or that this organization had any activity in Macedonia. Simultaneously, Macedonian language daily Vecer printed an article under the headline, “Residents of Tanusevac are moving to Kosovo,” in which a former commander of the Albanian National Liberation Army in Macedonia, Dzezair Shakiri, said that "all of the residents of the bordering village will hold a referendum for joining Kosovo on November 28." “Villagers are still moving to Kosovo. A portion of the resident have left the village when it was clear that there were armed groups in Tanusevac under my control,” Shakiri said, adding that he scheduled a referendum on the issue because of “the intolerable behavior of the Macedonian government towards the local residents.” According to sources, Shakiri tried to instigate conflicts with police on several occasions in September by simulating alleged police attacks on the village and residents. The Macedonian police have yet to take any action, and residents have not confirmed the claims made by Shakiri.

Macedonia: Albanians rally for independent Kosovo

DPA called on supporters and the members of another Albanian party, Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), to join the rally.

But Ali Ahmeti's DUI qualified the rally as an attempt to undermine the authority of the DUI leader.

The students of the Tetovo University and the SEE University are expected to show up at the event.

DPA leader Menduh Tachi said on Thursday that he had met with Kosovo President and Prime Minister Fatmir Sejdiu and Agim Ceku in Priština "to discuss Macedonia’s support for the Kosovo plan created by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari for international-supervised independence."

The head of the Islamic Community in Macedonia also encouraged participation in the rally, the agency said.

Meanwhile, a Skopje-based Albanian language daily Lajme writes that the police in that country have recently found weapons "in a home belonging to a member of the Czar Lazar Guard."

Quoting unnamed sources in the police, the daily said that the arms were found in the home of 32-year-old Predrag D. from Kumanovo, who is allegedly a member of the obscure organization of Serb nationalists.

The daily added that the Guard recently stated it had sympathizers and supports in Macedonia as well.

However, a police spokesman in Skopje said there were no indications that the weapons recently seized in Kumanovo belonged to the Guard, or that this organization had any activity in Macedonia.

Simultaneously, Macedonian language daily Večer printed an article under the headline, “Residents of Tanuševac are moving to Kosovo,” in which a former commander of the Albanian National Liberation Army in Macedonia, Dzezair Shakiri, said that "all of the residents of the bordering village will hold a referendum for joining Kosovo on November 28."

“Villagers are still moving to Kosovo. A portion of the resident have left the village when it was clear that there were armed groups in Tanuševac under my control,” Shakiri said, adding that he scheduled a referendum on the issue because of “the intolerable behavior of the Macedonian government towards the local residents.”

According to sources, Shakiri tried to instigate conflicts with police on several occasions in September by simulating alleged police attacks on the village and residents.

The Macedonian police have yet to take any action, and residents have not confirmed the claims made by Shakiri.