Montenegro: Mixed Emotions on Kosovo
17 February 2008 Podgorica _ While Montenegro’s Albanians were celebrating Kosovo’s independence, parties representing the country’s Serbs were calling for protests against the establishment of the newly-independent state.During the Kosovo Parliament’s sitting, convened to proclaim independence, residents of Tuzi and Ulcinj, areas with sizable Albanian populations, gathered in cafés and at the offices of ethnic Albanian parties, to start the celebrations.
Two Albanian parties in Montenegro, the Democratic Alliance, DS, and the Albanian Alternative, AA, opened their offices for all who wanted to celebrate, after advising their community not to hold festivities in the streets.
Mehmet Bardhi, the President of the DS, told Balkan Insight “this is a big day for the whole of the Balkans and Europe”.
“We want to celebrate, but not to provoke anyone. That is why we opened our offices for the festivities”, Bardhi said.
Nik Djeljosaj of the AA, said the people in Tuzi started the celebrations spontaneously.
“We want to celebrate in the spirit of tolerance. We do not want to organize the celebration as emotions are running high,” Djeljosay said.
By contrast, Montenegro’s pro-Serbia opposition condemned Kosovo’s independence declaration.
Representatives of the Serb List, SL, the Socialist People’s Party, SNP, the Democratic Serbian Party, DSS, and the People’s Party, NS, went to Mitrovica in Kosovo, the main centre of the new state’s Serb minority, to “act together to support Serbia in its bid to ‘preserve’ Kosovo”.
“Each breach of international law could create a precedent, and Kosovo could produce a ‘domino effect’ that would spread through the whole region”, Srdjan Milic, the president of the SNP, told Balkan Insight on Sunday.
The president of the DSS, Ranko Kadic, said “Montenegro should never recognize Kosovo independence”.
“If our government confirms [Kosovo’s] independence, the DSS is ready to call citizens to take part in democratic protests. Kosovo is the heart of Serbia, but also of Montenegro”, Kadic said.
The Montenegrin opposition coalition, SL, is planning a protest in the capital, Podgorica, because of the declaration of Kosovo’s independence, Andrija Mandic, its leader announced.
“Our protest will be a part of a regional action in which all Serbs and other orthodox people who consider Serbia as a friendly state, will send a message to the world that supporting the establishment of a second Albanian state on Serbian territory is considered as backing the break-up of Serbia”, Mandic stated.
The Association of Serbs Displaced from Kosovo also called on all refugees from the newly independent state to protest in Podgorica against independence.
Albanians in Montenegro, Macedonia, prepare to celebrate
February 16, 2008 by Ulqini
Filed under Shtypi / Mediji
PODGORICA, SKOPJE — Montenegro’s ethnic Albanians should “celebrate Kosovo’s independence at home”.
The comment came form the president of the Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA)in that country, Ferhat Dinoša.
Dinoša told Beta news agency that the announced unilateral decision by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanians to secede from Serbia without Belgrade’s consent will cause “joy and celebration among all Albanians, wherever they live”.
Asked what sort of celebration can be expected in Montenegro, where both ethnic Albanians and Serbs form large minorities, the DUA leader said this would be “best done at home, with friends and family.”
Dinoša added this was “in effect” a call to his fellow Albanians to behave in this way.
“Albanians in Montenegro should behave with dignity as they celebrate and not cause others to feel uncomfortable,” he concluded.
As for Macedonia’s large ethnic Albanian minority, their parties have different views in how to celebrate Kosovo’s declaration of secession.While the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), which is a part of Macedonia’s ruling coalition, sent a message similar to that of Dinoša, and urged home festivities, the opposition Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) will organize celebrations in town squares in the capital of Skopje, Tetovo and Gostivar.
“Because violence does not work in favor of Kosovo’s independence,” a DPA statement said, ” citizens are asked to refrain from incidents and shooting as they celebrate.”
Macedonia’s Ministry of the Interior said that all citizens who wish to cross the border to Kosovo tomorrow will be able to do so, and added there will be “quality control of the border on both sides”.
Macedonian police have in the last year been involved in numerous serious incidents on the border with Kosovo.
