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EU urges end to Macedonian parliament row

27 Sep 2007 13:46:12 GMT
Source: Reuters

BRUSSELS, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The European Union executive called on Thursday for a resumption of the work of the Macedonian parliament, saying it was vital to the country's hopes of joining the bloc.

On Tuesday, Macedonian police special forces clashed with protesters who tried to block the streets around parliament following a brawl between rival ethnic Albanian deputies.

The incident began during a debate over electoral reform. Ethnic Albanian deputies of the opposition Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) and the Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) of the ruling coalition first argued, then traded punches.

The DUI threatened to boycott parliament until an official commission was formed to investigate the incident. Officials met on Thursday to determine the structure of that group.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said she hoped the opposition would drop its threat.

"We hope that such a decision can be changed rather quickly, because very clearly in a major democracy, parliament is the best platform to defend political views and represent one's political interests," Krisztina Nagy said in Brussels.

"It is crucial for the European future of the country that the reform process continues and for that the legislative work in the parliament is necessary."

Macedonia is already a candidate for EU membership, a long process tied to democratic and economic reforms.

Nagy expressed concern about violence against journalists during the unrest. A cameraman was beaten by police on Wednesday while filming a confrontation between police and an ethnic Albanian politician near the town of Tetovo.

"Attacks against journalists cannot be tolerated in any democratic society," Nagy said.

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Last updated:Thu Sep 27 13:46:29 2007