People's Democratic Party - NDP
The People's Democratic Party, seated in Tetovo, was registered August
1, 1990, having held its founding assembly a week before that, and
appointing Iljaz Halimi president and Ibrahim Bedredin secretary of
the party. According to its party and political activities, this is a
purely national party, gathering Albanian membership. The party is
almost solely concerned with political issues concerning the
Albanian's national demands and a status of Albanians in Macedonia as
a constitutive people. The Macedonian public almost unanimously
considers this party to be radical in all essential aspects dealing
with the status of the Albanians. The same conclusion could be drawn
when this party is compared to PDP. Although PDP is the largest party
of Albanians in Macedonia, the importance of the People's Democratic
Party (NDP) should by no means be underestimated, as it achieved
significant results at the first free elections. It is presented in
Parliament with one seat of the PDP-NDP coalition, and a considerable
number of committee members in the town hall of Skopje, Kumanovo,
Tetovo, Gostivar, Debar, Kicevo and Struga, all in coalition with
PDP. Indeed, this party activities may have not met with a large
interest among the public; the party was either considered to be just
a prolonged hand of the massive and powerful PDP, or a party with no
essential influence on the political life in Macedonia. But, NDP's
role is not at all neglectable. Analysis show it was always this party
to have been the first to say something about the most crucial issues
or the status of Albanians in Macedonia. As if it "checked the air"
for PDP, and then exposed its points of view through "cleared out"
statements for the public. The memory is still fresh when one thinks
back on the several occasions when NDP bitterly reacted against some
govt decisions and thus influenced the atmosphere among the
Albanians. The 1991 census and the Referendum for Macedonia's future,
as suggested by NDP (and PDP), were boycotted by all Albanian
citizens. It was NDP that first came up with a figure of 40% of the
total population being consisted of Albanians. But, it must be
remarked, this party was much more engaged in reacting against the
Macedonian constitution, than in making any attempts to find a way to
start a dialogue of tolerance and coming to terms on clue
issues. Using unusually sharp terms, on the edge of bad taste
(offensive), NDP describe the Constitutional Committee as a "creator
of a Serbian memorandum in Macedonia," presenting living conditions in
Macedonia (of the Albanians, naturally) as the same as those in
Kosovo, predicting bringing such a constitution would mean writing a
"necrology for the Republic of Macedonia". As for constitutional
issues it regarded as disputable, NDP claimed the situation in Kosovo
and the one in west Macedonia are equal in every way. Ever since its
beginning, NDP had its eyes turned much towards the international
community's judgement (and, hopefully, interfering), supposing it
would treat Macedonia then as it treats Serbia now. Back in 1992, the
Macedonian Constitutional Court had a very interesting, but
complicated task -- to decide on the constitutionality of this party's
program, i.e., of its Political Declaration. There were dilemmas
whether the party at all had a program or was it its declaration,
reminding it could not be recognised as a valid political party
program. The new task of the Constitutional Court was to evaluate
parties' constitutionality, basing its decision on their attitude
towards the system. There were also arguments the party's declaration
could not be evaluated in regard to the constitution, as the latter
had not been adopted when NDP issued its declaration, as well as
arguments stating a party did not have to agree with the system, as
long it attempted to change it through democratic means. What hurt the
eye were terms used in the declarations, like genocide, assimilation,
terror...and the determination to secure a status of a constitutive
people for the Albanians in Macedonia. Otherwise, the declaration
said, all Albanians should join in one single Albanian state in the
Balkans! All this was, in fact, quite opposed to Article 20 of the
Constitution, but, was it because of the longer existence of the
declaration than the constitution or something else, the Court did not
decide to ban NDP, but just ordered it to change its political
program. Now, 2 years afterwards, NDP is fighting for a Macedonia as a
state of equal citizens, with a bicameral parliament and a possibility
of its federalisation. These demands are also submitted to the Geneva
Conference on former Yugoslavia. NDP decided to fight for this state,
as a democratic and sovereign state of all citizens, with 2 equal
peoples -- the Macedonian and Albanian, as well as all other
minorities living in it. Yet, previous to that, this party had a very
negative attitude towards the Macedonian state, fighting against its
international recognition and its admission into CSCE, completely
justifying the blockade of the Republic of Albania of CSCE membership
for Macedonia with the fact "Albanians in Macedonia are deprived of
all rights." Somewhere at that time, NDP sent an open letter to
President Gligorov, informing the "trust of Albanians in all state
institutions, including the President himself, is almost completely
lost," because of, as they claimed, their demands were being entirely
neglected. The note of populism in this party features is easily
noticeable even here, as it speaks on behalf of (all) Albanians. In
regard to the solutions in the constitution,
NDP suggested (and
supported) a project for cantonisation and frequently publicly refuted
claims of the "Albanians not demanding autonomy". NDP clearly
supported the idea of a political and territorial autonomy, which is
yet another proof of dosages of populism in its activities. Why is it
that NDP, instead of speaking in the name of its membership, speaks on
behalf of all Albanians, when there are two other Albanian parties in
the country -- PDP and the
Albanian Democratic Alliance--LP? As for
the paramilitary affair and the imprisonment of several Albanian
suspects, NDP did admit "they had committed a crime", but firmly
claimed the process was rigged, and described the suspects in custody
as "victims of the political manoeuvres of the ruling coalition." Now
that the second elections are approaching, NDP counts on more
favourable results for itself. It again brings up to the surface some
of its past points of view, taking all advantages it can of the schism
in the largest party of the Albanians in Macedonia, PDP. NDP
constantly repeats the participation of PDP in the government
coalition (NDP is not in the coalition, although its only parliament
deputy is a deputy of the NDP--PDP
coalition) is a defeat and a huge
political mistake, as..."the Albanian people can not only expect
discrimination from this govt, but severe oppression, as well." In the
paramilitary affair, "the main role was played by
SDSM, accompanied by
PDP." Obviously, the main trump
card of NDP at the elections will be
exactly the crucial inner problems of PDP.
Or, is perhaps another PDP-NDP coalition inevitable.
Republic of Macedonia