Macedonian cabinet faces collapse

Macedonia's coalition government is heading for collapse Thursday after the main ethnic Albanian party said it was pulling out. Reuters said the decision to withdraw from government came "in a row over minority rights", describing it as a "new threat to Balkan stability". Macedonian cabinet faces collapse The central committee of the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, was due to meet to verify a decision by the leadership to withdraw, ending Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's slim parliamentary majority. Macedonia was rescued from all-out ethnic civil war in 2001 by NATO and European Union mediation, but the West watches warily for any sign of a resurgence of armed Albanian revolt, the agency says. "We have a serious political crisis, and it's happening at the least opportune and hardest moment for our country," President Branko Crvenkovski told reporters in Skopje. The former Yugoslav republic's prospects of joining NATO, a step that would keep it moving towards EU membership, are in doubt with two weeks to go before an alliance summit at which southern neighbor Greece could veto its membership. "This situation is unacceptable, and we should overcome it immediately," Crvenkovski added. "We must focus on the key issue, the NATO summit and how to receive an invitation." Albanian DPA leader Menduh Thaci said his party would quit over the Gruevski government's "failure to back laws allowing greater use of the Albanian language and flag, and to provide benefits for veterans of the 2001 Albanian guerrilla insurgency". Thaci has also cited the fact that Macedonia has yet to recognize Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians last month unilaterally declared independence from Serbia with Western backing. "I'm certain that (the central committee) will accept the decision and that it will be irreversible," Thaci said late on Wednesday. "The DPA's withdrawal from government will be final." The move will force Gruevski to look for other partners or call a snap election, just as the country bids for an invitation to join NATO at a summit in Bucharest on April 2-4. Diplomats and political sources do not rule out a broad coalition of all main parties to see Macedonia through. The country's accession to NATO is in doubt, with Greece threatening to block the move if Macedonia does not accept a different name. Macedonia is also the name of Greece's northern province, birthplace of Alexander the Great. The United States, concerned about stability in the Balkans, said "it was not the time for political infighting". "Macedonia's political leaders need to focus their energies on getting into NATO at this critical time," the U.S. embassy in Skopje said in a statement. "Macedonia has a golden opportunity to receive an invitation to NATO, well-deserved after serious and successful reform efforts. The name dispute with Greece stands as the remaining impediment."

Macedonian cabinet faces collapse

The central committee of the Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, was due to meet to verify a decision by the leadership to withdraw, ending Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski's slim parliamentary majority.

Macedonia was rescued from all-out ethnic civil war in 2001 by NATO and European Union mediation, but the West watches warily for any sign of a resurgence of armed Albanian revolt, the agency says.

"We have a serious political crisis, and it's happening at the least opportune and hardest moment for our country," President Branko Crvenkovski told reporters in Skopje.

The former Yugoslav republic's prospects of joining NATO, a step that would keep it moving towards EU membership, are in doubt with two weeks to go before an alliance summit at which southern neighbor Greece could veto its membership.

"This situation is unacceptable, and we should overcome it immediately," Crvenkovski added. "We must focus on the key issue, the NATO summit and how to receive an invitation."

Albanian DPA leader Menduh Thaci said his party would quit over the Gruevski government's "failure to back laws allowing greater use of the Albanian language and flag, and to provide benefits for veterans of the 2001 Albanian guerrilla insurgency".

Thaci has also cited the fact that Macedonia has yet to recognize Kosovo.

Ethnic Albanians last month unilaterally declared independence from Serbia with Western backing.

"I'm certain that (the central committee) will accept the decision and that it will be irreversible," Thaci said late on Wednesday. "The DPA's withdrawal from government will be final."

The move will force Gruevski to look for other partners or call a snap election, just as the country bids for an invitation to join NATO at a summit in Bucharest on April 2-4.

Diplomats and political sources do not rule out a broad coalition of all main parties to see Macedonia through.

The country's accession to NATO is in doubt, with Greece threatening to block the move if Macedonia does not accept a different name. Macedonia is also the name of Greece's northern province, birthplace of Alexander the Great.

The United States, concerned about stability in the Balkans, said "it was not the time for political infighting".

"Macedonia's political leaders need to focus their energies on getting into NATO at this critical time," the U.S. embassy in Skopje said in a statement.

"Macedonia has a golden opportunity to receive an invitation to NATO, well-deserved after serious and successful reform efforts. The name dispute with Greece stands as the remaining impediment."