Eurasia Press & News
Macedonia’s Democratic Party of Albanians, whose activists were blamed for violence and fraud at last June’s general election, has accused the government of targetting its members for selective punishment, while ignoring the actions of their rival, the Democratic Union for Integration.
TheWest wants Macedonia to punish the perpetrators of the violence and ballot-stuffing that marred the election in ethnic Albanian areas and damaged the country’s democratic credentials.
“The government has a political influence over the punishment of the DPA activists”, DPA leader Menduh Thaci said expressing discontent that “none of the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI [the main Albanian ruling party] activists got the punishment that they deserve”.
Thaci made the statement after a meeting between the four main political parties aimed at ensuring peaceful and regular presidential and local elections on March 22 that will be closely monitored by both EU and NATO officials.
After the June disturbances, police questioned international monitors who blamed the DPA, and arrested several hundred people. Several of the accused have been given prison sentences with many still awaiting trial.
“DPA is trying to present itself as a victim”, said DUI head Ali Ahmeti in response to Thaci’s comments. The DUI replaced the DPA in the conservative VMRO DPMNE-led government after winning the poll among Albanian voters.
The meeting between the party leaders was otherwise noted as constructive by all sides, resulting in an agreement on the way the police would secure the ballot stations and on several other practical issues.
If the ballot goes well the country could then hope for a start date for its EU accession talks this fall. Holding a free and fair election was also unofficially mentioned as a precondition for scrapping EU entry visas for Macedonians.
