The Macedonian Council of Victoria

No. A0027595V
PO BOX 36 Thomastown
Victoria, 3074
Australia
contact@mccvic.org
http://www.mccvic.org.

To:
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski
The President of the Republic of Macedonia Gjorgje Ivanov
The Government of the Republic of Macedonia
The Parliament of the Republic of Macedonia
The Political Parties of the Republic of Macedonia
The United Nations
The European Parliament, and
The Macedonian Media

Melbourne, June 16th, 2009

A special meeting was held this evening at the “Golden Receptions Hall”, which was filled to capacity, to discuss issues of concern specifically to do with the Macedonian government’s recent announcement calling for a change to our country’s name through a “reasonable compromise” and by holding a “referendum”.

The meeting was organized and called by the Organizations “Macedonian Advisory Council” and the “Association of Refugee Children (Detsa Begaltsi) from Aegean Macedonia” and by all those present the following resolution was reached:

Resolution

We the Macedonians from Melbourne, Australia have gathered here this evening to express our displeasure with the announcement made by the Macedonian government and by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Gjorgje Ivanov, and his advisors who have decided to negotiate with Greece to change our country’s historic and biblical name through a “reasonable compromise”. We collectively, adamantly and definitely reject any and all proposed changes to our constitutional name “Macedonia” which we inherited from our forefathers. We reject the proposed names “Northern Republic of Macedonia”, “Republic of Macedonia – Vardar”, “Upper Macedonia”, “Lower Macedonia” and all other names other than the “Republic of Macedonia”. Similarly we are not only displeased but we entirely reject Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski’s plan to call a referendum in deciding changes derived from the so-called “reasonable compromise”.

To free themselves from their obligation and to escape responsibility before the Macedonian people, the government, Prime Minister Gruevski and President Ivanov are placing responsibility, past, present and future, entirely on the people who are expected to exercise their “democratic right” through a referendum. Who gave you the right Mr. Prime Minister and Mr. President to “charge” this generation of Macedonians with the responsibility of changing the name of their country which existed for many millenniums?

Was it not only a few weeks ago that we witnessed a public ceremony where the new president of the Republic of Macedonia publicly swore that, with his own life, he would protect Macedonia? Mr. President if you allow a “name change” you will not only destroy the Constitution, in which expressed clearly are the longings and struggles of all Macedonian generations which strove to build a foundation for our people, but you will also destroy the future for all Macedonians. No one has that right; to erase our history and to endanger our future and the future of our descendants. The people put you in power and in a leadership role and entrusted you to protect them and their country and you swore publicly that you would do that!

We strongly believe, and we are all in agreement on this, that the conditions resulting from a “reasonable compromise” and from a “referendum” will be catastrophic for the future of the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian people. Do not dare to “charge” this generation of politicians and the Macedonian people with this responsibility. There is no “mandated need” to make a decision, to change or compromise the name of our country Macedonia. Even if a referendum is considered, which is regarded as the highest step in exercising democracy, in our case it will be the beginning of the end of the existence of Macedonia. Also you cannot expect a handful of Macedonians mainly those from the Republic of Macedonia, in the absence of the Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia, Pirin Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Australia, USA, Canada and Europe, to come out to vote on a historic referendum. The number of voters you expect to participate in this referendum and uphold your decision on such an important issue is realistically very small in comparison to the number of people who identify as Macedonians worldwide and would have no right to exercise their democratic right in such a referendum.

Dear politicians; our national identity and name, that is, the name of the Macedonian people, is directly linked to the name of our country, the Republic of Macedonia. A “reasonable compromise” and a “referendum” will bring a “permanent change” not only to the “name of the country” but also to the “name of the people”. By international law the name of the “nation” defines its “nationality” and vise versa. For example, Germany carries its name because of the German people, France is named after the French people and so on.

Dear politicians, with your wide coalitions, why must you work against the interests of the Macedonian people!?

Why in the past did you agree to register Macedonia in the United Nations with “a temporary label”? Why have you agreed to change our national flag? Why did you agree to make changes to our constitution and abandon the struggle for the rights of the Macedonians who live in the neighbouring countries? Why did former Prime Minister Tsrvenkovski, in 2001, allow the constitution to be changed again, this time through a referendum, allow Macedonia to become bi-lingual, decentralized and practically federalized? And now with a “reasonable compromise” through a “referendum” you want to again disfigure Macedonia and the Macedonian people. Why?

Let us remind you that 40,000 Macedonians during the protest on May 24, 2008 called on the Macedonian government to immediately break talks with Greece regarding the name. All Macedonians around the world are united and in agreement on this and are utterly resolved to defend their dear country that carries the biblical name “Macedonia” and will never accept any changes.

Prime Minister Gruevski, President Ivanov, and Macedonian experts, you must take the “name” issue directly to the United Nations because it belongs there. The Republic of Macedonia was granted membership entry into the UN under the descriptor “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”. By doing so the United Nations broke its own laws which stipulate that every country has the right to become a member with the name with which it applied. The Republic of Macedonia’s request for entry was placed under its constitutional name, “Republic of Macedonia”. Given that the UN “intentionally changed” Macedonia’s request, Macedonia must seek a resolution in the UN and not by a “reasonable compromise” with Greece and by a “referendum”. The fact that 125 countries, and members of the UN, have recognized Macedonia by its “constitutional name” must not only be respected but needs to be the “overriding factor” that must prompt Macedonia to stop its “name negotiations” with Greece and go back to the United Nations to seek a proper resolution. The United Nations must recognize its mistake that it broke its own laws which stipulate equality of all people in the world, when it granted Macedonia entry.

Changing our country’s name is equivalent to capitulating and shamefully surrendering our country and people to our enemies. God and the Macedonian people cannot and must not surrender ownership of our heritage to the “indecisive” because if we do there will be harm done with long term and incomprehensible consequences. That is why we repeat: Do not sign anything and do not surrender our common Macedonian fatherland and our Macedonian people! Do not destroy the future of our children and grandchildren! “If to our past we cannot provide a future, then we are not Macedonians.”

For the Council

Zlate Nicheski, President
Itso Najdovski, Secretary