|
U.S.
Ambassador
to
Macedonia:
Referendum
deminishes
chances
for
joining
NATO
and
EU
Reality
Macedonia
(Sep
28,
2004) (RM)
- U.S.
Ambassador
to
Macedonia
Lawrence
Butler
told
the
Albanian-language
weekly
"Lobi"
of
24
September
that
if
a
planned
referendum
against
the
government's
redistricting
plans
succeeds,
the
country
would
face
"uncertainty
and
delay"
in
meeting
its
overall
policy
goals,
according
to
the
weekly's
English-language
website
(http://www.pressonline.com.mk/default-en.asp).
Butler
said
that
for
Macedonian
citizens
"the
choice
is
between
not
complying
and
not
fulfilling
the
Framework
Agreement
[also
known
as
the
2001
Ohrid
peace
agreement]
because,
for
the
foreseeable
future,
if
the
referendum
would
succeed
there
would
be
no
decentralization
as
envisioned
in
the
Framework
Agreement."
He
added
that
not
fulfilling
the
peace
agreement
[sic]
would
diminish
Skopje's
chances
for
joining
NATO
and
the
EU.
Butler
said
that
if
Macedonians
support
the
referendum,
political
turmoil
and
new
elections
could
result.
He
added
that
the
government
must
"communicate
that
the
new
[redistricting]
plan
is
as
good
as
any
plan
we
know
about
and
is
the
only
plan
we
are
dealing
with."
He
said
he
has
not
seen
a
better
alternative.
Source:
Radio
Free
Europe/Radio
Liberty,
September
27,
2004
©
2000
RM
-
Reality
Macedonia.
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not
be
published,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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