[ALBSA-Info] Albanian demands cloud new Macedonia peace talks

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Albanian demands cloud new Macedonia peace talks

By Kole Casule

  
SKOPJE, July 9 (Reuters) - Haggling over political reforms to end an ethnic 
Albanian guerrilla rebellion in Macedonia is likely to be intense when talks 
resume on Monday. 

Leaders of Macedonia's Albanian minority have attacked a Western-backed peace 
proposal, despite U.S. and European Union envoys' optimism that the document 
they presented on Saturday would be the basis of a political effort to avert 
civil war. 

"I didn't start the war, I want to stop the war," Macedonia's foremost 
Albanian politician, Arben Xhaferi, told Reuters in an interview. "This 
offering cannot stop the war." 

Xhaferi, leader of the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), said he wanted 
the West to send in NATO troops to keep the peace and back radical demands 
for constitutional change that the Macedonian majority blame for crippling 
the talks. 

Diplomats, who brokered a truce last week to ease pressure on the talks, had 
hoped for quick progress when they start at 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) in hopes of 
securing a deal under which NATO would send in troops to collect guns from 
rebels who agree to disarm. 

Albanian politicians said a swift solution was unlikely. 

"I'm not very confident that a serious agreement can be reached this week," 
Imer Imeri, the leader of the Party for Democratic Prosperity, told Reuters 
in a separate interview. 

"For the most part we will disagree with this when we start talking 
tomorrow," Imeri said of the U.S.-EU plan. "There is no substantial 
difference from what was on the table before." 

SERIOUSLY MISTAKEN 

Diplomats said the Albanians were seriously mistaken if they believed NATO 
would send another peacekeeping mission to former Yugoslavia in addition to 
those in Bosnia and Kosovo. 

"We don't need a third protectorate in the Balkans. The people here need to 
resolve their own differences and not have a military occupation force," one 
said. 

To politicians on both sides, the diplomat said the message was simple. 

"Talk here, talk now, this is the best option you have." 

Albanian leaders want a peace summit outside the country but the idea is 
rejected by Macedonians, who fear such a conference could serve a separatist 
Albanian agenda. Albanians account for about one-third of Macedonia's two 
million people. 

Although the ceasefire has broadly held, fire was exchanged above the mainly 
Albanian town of Tetovo -- the scene of fierce battles last week -- on Sunday 
night, Yugoslavia's Beta news agency reported, quoting police sources. 

The joint U.S.-EU proposals, obtained by Reuters, would decentralise power in 
Macedonia, make Albanian an official language and create mechanisms to ensure 
laws on ethnic issues can only be passed by parliament with minority backing. 

"The only problematic point at this minute for us is the free use of the 
Albanian language in parliament," Social Democratic party vice president 
Radmila Shekerinska said. 

But Xhaferi he would not drop demands for an effective veto on any law deemed 
not to be in the interests of Albanians. 

GUERRILLAS SET AGENDA 

Both leaders acknowledged that the National Liberation Army guerrillas, whose 
rebellion in the name of minority rights has brought Macedonia to the brink 
of civil war, had been more successful than they in getting Albanian 
grievances addressed. 

"If there was no NLA no one would seriously get involved in dialogue with 
Albanians," Imeri said. "The bottom line is that every Albanian in his soul 
is with the NLA." 

But both denied they were fighting for their political lives by pushing a 
hardline agenda. Rivals such as NLA political representative Ali Ahmeti could 
give up their guns and later stand for office on the basis of gains they 
helped win. 

"It is not really relevant whether Ali Ahmeti, Imer Imeri or Arben Xhaferi is 
the most successful politician," Imeri said. 

Western diplomats said the hardline stance appeared to be self-defeating 
unless it was just a negotiating tactic. 

"They're going to have to ask themselves do they really want to return to a 
state of war with more refugees, more tragedy and they still don't have their 
issues resolved, so it would be tragic if they don't seize this opportunity," 
one diplomat said.