SKOPJE, Sept 18 (Hina) - Macedonia's parliament on Monday adopted a resolution condemning terrorist attacks in the United States. The Sobranje passed the declaration and expressed full support to U.S. President George Bush in his bids
to create an international coalition in the struggle against terrorism. Ethnic Albanian MPs, however, did not vote for the document as the text read that Macedonia was also faced with terrorism. Sobranje Speaker Stojan Andov called on MPs to consider on Tuesday a motion on holding a referendum on constitutional changes. The motion, proposed by a minor party 'New Democracy', should have been discussed on Monday, but the debate was postponed for Tuesday. This party, which holds five seats in the parliament, maintains that the Constitution's amendments, envisaged by the Ohrid peace agreement reached by four major political parties on 13 August, should receive the
SKOPJE, Sept 18 (Hina) - Macedonia's parliament on Monday adopted a
resolution condemning terrorist attacks in the United States.
The Sobranje passed the declaration and expressed full support to
U.S. President George Bush in his bids to create an international
coalition in the struggle against terrorism.
Ethnic Albanian MPs, however, did not vote for the document as the
text read that Macedonia was also faced with terrorism.
Sobranje Speaker Stojan Andov called on MPs to consider on Tuesday a
motion on holding a referendum on constitutional changes. The
motion, proposed by a minor party 'New Democracy', should have been
discussed on Monday, but the debate was postponed for Tuesday.
This party, which holds five seats in the parliament, maintains
that the Constitution's amendments, envisaged by the Ohrid peace
agreement reached by four major political parties on 13 August,
should receive the approval also from the people and not only from
'the political elite', as the New Democracy said.
Macedonia's national security council, that was convened on
Monday, decided to advise to President Boris Trajkovski to give the
green light for a new mission of NATO after the completion of the
current 'Harvest Essential Operation'. The mandate of the new
mission with between 200 and 350 soldiers should be the protection
of observers of the organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU). The number of monitors
should range between 150 and 200, Macedonian President's office
stated.
Under Trajkovski's decree, General Metodi Stamboliski, who has so
far been the deputy chief-of-staff of the Macedonian army's
headquarters, will take the office of the chief-of-staff, the
Defence Ministry stated but gave no explanation of these changes.
(hina) ms