|
Government
adopts
draft
laws
on
territorial
organisation
of
Macedonia
 Macedonian
Information
Agency
(Jul
16,
2004,
12:23:44
PM
(GMT+01:00)) (MIA) -
The
Government
adopted
Thursday
draft
laws
on
new
territorial
organization
of
Macedonia
and
the
city
of
Skopje,
Prime
Minister
Hari
Kostov
said.
According
to
the
new
laws,
the
number
of
municipalities
in
Macedonia
is
reduced
from
123
to
80,
i.e.
76
by
2008.
"The
draft
also
foresees
including
of
Saraj
and
Kondovo
to
Skopje,
which
means
that
the
language
spoken
by
20
percent
of
ethnic
communities
will
become
the
second
official
language,
as
stipulated
by
the
Amendment
no.
5
of
Macedonia's
Constitution,
"
Kostov
said.
The
Government
considered
that
newly
proposed
organization
of
local
units
met
the
main
principles
and
goals
of
power
decentralization:
economic
sustainability,
efficient
services
to
citizens
and
their
participation
in
decision-making,
Kostov
said.
He
pointed
out
the
agreement
on
territorial
organization
reaffirmed
the
commitment
of
the
government
coalition
partners
to
consistent
implementation
of
the
Framework
Agreement
and
respect
of
the
Constitution,
as
well
as
to
the
inviolability
of
Macedonia's
sovereignty,
territorial
integrity
and
unitary
character.
"The
agreement
and
its
possible
adoption
by
the
Parliament
means
that
Macedonia
will
remain
sovereign
and
unitary
country,
without
any
divisions,
drawing
of
internal
borders,
building
of
walls,
exchanging
of
territories
and
people,"
Kostov
said.
©
2000
MIA
-
Macedonian
Information
Agency.
All
Rights
Reserved.
This
material
may
not
be
published,
broadcast,
rewritten
or
redistributed
in
any
form
except
with
the
prior
express
permission
of
Macedonian
Information
Agency.
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