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Macedonia aid package derailed Saturday, 8 December 2001 12:21 (ET) Macedonia aid package derailed By JEFF BIELEY SKOPJE, Macedonia, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Macedonia risks losing up to $173 million in international aid after parliament failed to pass a key piece of legislation envisioned in a peace accord with ethnic Albanian rebels. Disputes over a bill to grant new powers to local governments split along ethnic lines, leading Albanian parties to walk out of parliament Friday. European and American officials had made clear that passage of the law is a precondition for a major aid package to the country, which is struggling to recover after seven months of ethnic fighting. A conference of Western governments and international lending institutions was set to meet to approve the assistance before Christmas, but that now appears impossible after Friday's parliament session was suspended. "There is a definite link between the donors' conference and the adoption of the law, and since they have so far not adopted it, plans for the conference cannot proceed," said Rudi Lotz, a spokesman for the EU in Macedonia. The two main Macedonian parties voted Thursday to approve an amendment to the legislation aimed at limiting some responsibilities to be assumed by individual municipalities. Albanian leaders objected, saying that any change to the bill at this stage violates the peace agreement and jeopardizes the complex and long-awaited law on local self-goverment. Albanian support for the bill is crucial, following a constitutional amendment passed last month that requires legislation affecting minority communities to receive a majority of their share of the votes in addition to two-thirds support of the parliament overall. That means that at least 13 Albanian and 67 Macedonian deputies must vote for the final version of the bill in the 120-seat legislature. One Macedonian analyst said it appeared that the real purpose behind the Albanian walkout was to highlight this new reality, in effect flaunting the Albanian minority's new influence in decision-making. In the backdrop of the political maneuvering is Macedonia's increasing difficult economic situation, highlighted by the government's agreement Thursday to submit to stringent new monitoring the International Monetary Fund, which had also been a condition of the aid package. New figures from the IMF says Macedonia's economy experienced a sharp recession this year, contracting by 4.5 percent, while the government was forced to make major expenditures to fight ethnic Albanians guerrillas. Even with a rosy forecast of 4 percent growth for 2002, the government budget is still expected to run a deficit of about $100 million. Much of the requested aid money would not flow through government coffers, but would be spent by international organizations on projects like rehabilitating housing and infrastructure damaged during the conflict. Though fighting stopped with the signing of the Aug. 13 peace accord and the guerrillas have nominally disbanded, dozens of villages in the north and west of the country remain outside police control. Teams of international monitors are working together with police in a plan to phase in re-entry of police into former rebel-held areas, backed up by a 1,000-member NATO security force. Alliance Secretary General George Robertson announced in Brussels Friday that the force's mandate will be extended for three months, following a request by Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski. Also on Friday, Trajkovski signed pardons for 22 more Albanians accused of terrorism, part of a general amnesty for the rebels agreed as part of the peace accord. Eleven others of a total 88 being held in Macedonian jails were released Wednesday. -- Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved. -- Message: WWN-UPI-1-20011208-03070700-bc-macedonia-aid-Text Content: SRV_INTNEWS SRV_USNEWS SRV_UPIWASH Content: POL WAR Content: 11006000 11009000 16010000 ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
