SKOPJE -- Macedonia’s Constitutional Court President Mahmut Jusufi and another judge Bajram Polozhani have both resigned.
Source: Beta
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They have resigned after a Constitutional Court decision last week to remove an article permitting such actions from the Law on Use of Flags of Ethnic Groups.
“As president of the Macedonian Constitutional Court, I cannot sign this ruling (on removal of the article), and that’s why I am resigning,“ said Jusufi in a statement.
Polozhani felt the Court had descended into the realms of “political blackmail“, which was not his problem, but that of the Macedonian parliament.
President of the Democratic Union for Integration (DPA) Menduh Thaci has asked the Constitutional Court to make future rulings on the basis of the Badenter Rules, whereby a majority of votes from within the various ethnic minorities is required for rulings to be adopted.
“This ruling is extremely provocative, themes are being opened that we have already been through,“ said Teuta Arifi of the opposition Democratic Union for Integration (DUI).
The opposition Social Democratic Party has called on the government and other parties to discuss the matter and to not allow a “Pandora’s Box“ to be opened in inter-ethnic relations, as party leader Radmila Šekerinska put it.
In the meantime, the Court has asked for its ruling to be implemented immediately, and to be published in the Official Gazette.
Judges in the Macedonian Constitutional Court are chosen with a two-thirds parliamentary majority, according to the Badenter Principle.
In 1997, clashes broke out between the local Albanian population and police in the town of Gostivar, after a decision was taken to remove the Albanian flag from the local town hall.
After further ethnic clashes in 2001, the Macedonian parliament took the decision in 2005 to allow ethnic minorities to fly their flags from public buildings. The law applied to regions where minorities constituted the majority population.
However, in many such regions, only Albanian flags were raised.
"one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM"
No actually .....approx 5% of the populations was ethnic Albanian. Masses of Albanians moved in the early 90's after Albania's pyramid scheme property meltdown which caused civil unrest. The second lot of large immigrants moved in late 1990's due to the Serbian oppression in Kosovo and finally approx 350K seeked refugee status when the Serbs forces moved in (many of which did not return). Macedonia is not the only country to have large influx of minorities settling in. Greece has approx 500,000 (so the Albanians claim). But obviously representing less than 5% of the population, no political issues have arisen.
In reality the Albanians minorities represent only 15% of the population. The most recent census conducted was largely corrupt and undemocratic. The rebellious Albanian policitians of DUI and supporters insisted that all islam religious communities state Albanian is their mother tongue. So the 25% also represents approx 5% Turks (who happen to live peacefully with Macedonians and distance themselves from Albanians) and at least 5% (100,000) "torbeshi" Macedonians who have converted to Islam during Ottomen times (whom also have been neglected and misrepresented by policians for decades-but again distance themselves from Albanians).
You see nothing is as it seems.
Besides the rule passed doesn't even mention Albanian flag's, only the words "ethnic flag's". And secondly, Ethnic populated communities are not permitted to hoist ethnic flags on government buildings, exluding national public holidays dedicated to the minorities ie. (Roma, Albanians). Flag's can be raised on any private residence without any ramifacations.
(tom, 1 November 2007 05:12)
Albanians were given the right to fly their flag ALONGSIDE THE MACEDONIAN STATE FLAG, in those areas where they are a majority. They raise flags alongside their own of EU, US etc but never is Macedonian flag seen next to Albanian one anywhere, ever!
@Post 2, "Greece" illegally annexed over half of Macedonian territory,1912/3 so no Greek discovered the Sun of Kutlesh. Always has and always will be Macedonian symbol. Greeks, unlike Macedonians, have no idea who they are.
(Dimitar, 1 November 2007 04:53)
You don't see a Chinese flag in fron of the Post Office in NY because the Chinese are immigrants and not an ethnic minority in NYC! But you knew it, didn't you. The Albanians in FYROM are one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM, and dare I say, before that blessed Greek professor even discovered the symbol of "Macedonia", not in FYROM, incidentally!!
(padyshim, 31 October 2007 21:17)
Am I missing something here? Why is such a ruling controversial, and why were Albanians ever allowed to fly their national flag on public buildings in Macedonia in the first place? It seems only appropriate that if any public service facilility would fly a flag at all, it should be the one of the country on whose soil it rests. When I walk through Chinatown in New York, I don't see the Chinese flag flying in front of the post office. I can understand that a lot of Albanians probably would rather not see the Macedonian flag on display in Albanian-majority communities, but at the same time, they don't reside in Albania. So, don't raise a flag at all...especially when to do so in such a country and in these tense times is bound to be seen as provocative. You can always hang a flag up somewhere at home. Let there be peace, healing and reconciliation for all in the Balkans.
(Nenad, 31 October 2007 19:59)
Am I missing something here? Why is such a ruling controversial, and why were Albanians ever allowed to fly their national flag on public buildings in Macedonia in the first place? It seems only appropriate that if any public service facilility would fly a flag at all, it should be the one of the country on whose soil it rests. When I walk through Chinatown in New York, I don't see the Chinese flag flying in front of the post office. I can understand that a lot of Albanians probably would rather not see the Macedonian flag on display in Albanian-majority communities, but at the same time, they don't reside in Albania. So, don't raise a flag at all...especially when to do so in such a country and in these tense times is bound to be seen as provocative. You can always hang a flag up somewhere at home. Let there be peace, healing and reconciliation for all in the Balkans.
(Nenad, 31 October 2007 19:59)
You don't see a Chinese flag in fron of the Post Office in NY because the Chinese are immigrants and not an ethnic minority in NYC! But you knew it, didn't you. The Albanians in FYROM are one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM, and dare I say, before that blessed Greek professor even discovered the symbol of "Macedonia", not in FYROM, incidentally!!
(padyshim, 31 October 2007 21:17)
Albanians were given the right to fly their flag ALONGSIDE THE MACEDONIAN STATE FLAG, in those areas where they are a majority. They raise flags alongside their own of EU, US etc but never is Macedonian flag seen next to Albanian one anywhere, ever!
@Post 2, "Greece" illegally annexed over half of Macedonian territory,1912/3 so no Greek discovered the Sun of Kutlesh. Always has and always will be Macedonian symbol. Greeks, unlike Macedonians, have no idea who they are.
(Dimitar, 1 November 2007 04:53)
"one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM"
No actually .....approx 5% of the populations was ethnic Albanian. Masses of Albanians moved in the early 90's after Albania's pyramid scheme property meltdown which caused civil unrest. The second lot of large immigrants moved in late 1990's due to the Serbian oppression in Kosovo and finally approx 350K seeked refugee status when the Serbs forces moved in (many of which did not return). Macedonia is not the only country to have large influx of minorities settling in. Greece has approx 500,000 (so the Albanians claim). But obviously representing less than 5% of the population, no political issues have arisen.
In reality the Albanians minorities represent only 15% of the population. The most recent census conducted was largely corrupt and undemocratic. The rebellious Albanian policitians of DUI and supporters insisted that all islam religious communities state Albanian is their mother tongue. So the 25% also represents approx 5% Turks (who happen to live peacefully with Macedonians and distance themselves from Albanians) and at least 5% (100,000) "torbeshi" Macedonians who have converted to Islam during Ottomen times (whom also have been neglected and misrepresented by policians for decades-but again distance themselves from Albanians).
You see nothing is as it seems.
Besides the rule passed doesn't even mention Albanian flag's, only the words "ethnic flag's". And secondly, Ethnic populated communities are not permitted to hoist ethnic flags on government buildings, exluding national public holidays dedicated to the minorities ie. (Roma, Albanians). Flag's can be raised on any private residence without any ramifacations.
(tom, 1 November 2007 05:12)
"one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM"
No actually .....approx 5% of the populations was ethnic Albanian. Masses of Albanians moved in the early 90's after Albania's pyramid scheme property meltdown which caused civil unrest. The second lot of large immigrants moved in late 1990's due to the Serbian oppression in Kosovo and finally approx 350K seeked refugee status when the Serbs forces moved in (many of which did not return). Macedonia is not the only country to have large influx of minorities settling in. Greece has approx 500,000 (so the Albanians claim). But obviously representing less than 5% of the population, no political issues have arisen.
In reality the Albanians minorities represent only 15% of the population. The most recent census conducted was largely corrupt and undemocratic. The rebellious Albanian policitians of DUI and supporters insisted that all islam religious communities state Albanian is their mother tongue. So the 25% also represents approx 5% Turks (who happen to live peacefully with Macedonians and distance themselves from Albanians) and at least 5% (100,000) "torbeshi" Macedonians who have converted to Islam during Ottomen times (whom also have been neglected and misrepresented by policians for decades-but again distance themselves from Albanians).
You see nothing is as it seems.
Besides the rule passed doesn't even mention Albanian flag's, only the words "ethnic flag's". And secondly, Ethnic populated communities are not permitted to hoist ethnic flags on government buildings, exluding national public holidays dedicated to the minorities ie. (Roma, Albanians). Flag's can be raised on any private residence without any ramifacations.
(tom, 1 November 2007 05:12)
Albanians were given the right to fly their flag ALONGSIDE THE MACEDONIAN STATE FLAG, in those areas where they are a majority. They raise flags alongside their own of EU, US etc but never is Macedonian flag seen next to Albanian one anywhere, ever!
@Post 2, "Greece" illegally annexed over half of Macedonian territory,1912/3 so no Greek discovered the Sun of Kutlesh. Always has and always will be Macedonian symbol. Greeks, unlike Macedonians, have no idea who they are.
(Dimitar, 1 November 2007 04:53)
You don't see a Chinese flag in fron of the Post Office in NY because the Chinese are immigrants and not an ethnic minority in NYC! But you knew it, didn't you. The Albanians in FYROM are one quarter of the population and have lived there before there even was a ROM, and dare I say, before that blessed Greek professor even discovered the symbol of "Macedonia", not in FYROM, incidentally!!
(padyshim, 31 October 2007 21:17)
Am I missing something here? Why is such a ruling controversial, and why were Albanians ever allowed to fly their national flag on public buildings in Macedonia in the first place? It seems only appropriate that if any public service facilility would fly a flag at all, it should be the one of the country on whose soil it rests. When I walk through Chinatown in New York, I don't see the Chinese flag flying in front of the post office. I can understand that a lot of Albanians probably would rather not see the Macedonian flag on display in Albanian-majority communities, but at the same time, they don't reside in Albania. So, don't raise a flag at all...especially when to do so in such a country and in these tense times is bound to be seen as provocative. You can always hang a flag up somewhere at home. Let there be peace, healing and reconciliation for all in the Balkans.
(Nenad, 31 October 2007 19:59)