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19:52 20/02/2021
The draft law on the establishment of ethnicity in identity cards has provoked much controversy in the public whether such a solution is seen as an advancement of the status of Albanians in northern Macedonia or as a cause for new tensions, including the possibility of discrimination.
The Besa Movement bill, backed by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s Social Democratic League and other Albanian parties, is opposed by VMRO-DPMNE, which demands the inclusion of both the Macedonian ethnicity and the other opposition party, the Left. which assesses this law as inciting inter-ethnic tensions, while for its prevention has submitted over 1,200 amendments.
Kastriot Rexhepi, MP of the Besa Movement, says for Radio Free Europe that the proposal is not inciting, but on the contrary, aims at further relaxation of interethnic relations.
“During the constitutional changes that have been made as a result of the Prespa Agreement, one of our demands was that ethnicity be placed on ID cards, that the people living in northern Macedonia also express ethnicity on ID cards. “There is no other goal, but we see it as a plus opportunity that can contribute to the improvement of interethnic relations”, says Rexhepi.
Rexhepi also denies the allegations that the proposal may incite discrimination in the employment or realization of other rights of citizens, since according to him even with the legal provisions in force, citizens during the application declare ethnicity, to preserve the right to equitable representation. and adequate.
But Pavle Trajanov, a former interior minister and member of the Democratic League who is in a coalition with the parliamentary majority, told Radio Free Europe that a proposal to put ethnicity on ID cards does not mean advancing the position of Albanians, as The rights of citizens, according to him, are defined in the Constitution.
“I am simply a supporter of strengthening the civic concept of the state, of strengthening the individual rights of citizens. Collective rights are very clearly defined in the Constitution and other laws and it does not prevent anyone from declaring how it feels, but what is the reason for defining ethnicity in personal documents? We do not need polarization, as there are risks to this, as there may be people who do not want their ethnicity to be marked on their ID cards. It is an unnecessary action, but I believe that there is nothing wrong with having a wide debate on this topic “, says Pavle Trajanov.
Xhelal Neziri, an expert on political issues and head of the Center for Investigative Journalism, agrees. He tells Radio Free Europe that putting ethnicity on ID cards can serve as a source of discrimination for citizens when receiving services in various institutions.
“The goal of every modern state is to create a political nation, part of which will be every citizen regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender and so on. In a multiethnic country, such as northern Macedonia, highlighting differences can also be a source of discrimination in the state-citizen relationship. So, with the fact that everyone who will be marked by ethnicity, in fact will create situations or incite discrimination while receiving services from the state administration “, says Neziri.
He estimates that the placement of ethnicity in ID cards does not solve the problem with employment, where when applying for jobs, mainly in administration, it happens that Macedonians declare themselves as Albanians to compete for jobs, after which they occupy the guaranteed places for non-Macedonian ethnic communities. .
Neziri considers that this phenomenon can be solved in different ways, through other evidence to prove the ethnicity of a citizen of Northern Macedonia.REL
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