The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement Pimplikime Dhe Rekomandime
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EFFECTIVE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF THE SMALL(ER) ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement PImplikime dhe rekomandime PËRMBAJTJA HYRJA........................................................................................................... 3 I..BAZA.......................................................................................................... 4 II..E.DREJTA.E.PJESËMARRJES.EFEKTIVE.POLITIKE............................4 E.drejta.e.pjesëmarrjes.efektive.politike.të.bashkësive.(më).të.vogla.. në.vetëqeverisjen.lokale.në.Maqedoni.......................................................5 Jodiskriminimi.............................................................................................7 Përfaqësimi.i.drejtë......................................................................................8 Decentralizimi..............................................................................................9 III..REKOMANDIMET................................................................................ 10 BIBLIOGRAFIA............................................................................................11 1 Introduction Centre for Regional Policy Research and Cooperation “Studiorum” Skopje, 2011 EFFECTIVE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF THE SMALL(ER) ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement1 Effective political participation of the small(er) ethnic communities in local self-government in the Republic of Macedonia: The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement Table of Contents ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................ 4 I. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ........................... 6 А. Introduction ........................................................................................... 7 B. Context ................................................................................................... 9 II. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................12 А. System of Minority Protection ............................................................13 B. Managing Ethnic Diversity ................................................................. 14 1. Consociational Democracy ..............................................................................................14 2. Basic Principles .......................................................................................................................15 C. The Right to Effective Political Participation in International Law ................................................................................ 19 1. The Right to Effective Political Participation in the Instruments of the United Nations .......................................................................................................... 20 2. The Right to Effective Political Participation in the Instruments of the Council of Europe ....................................................................................................24 3. The Right to Effective Political Participation in the Instruments of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ....................27 4. The Right to Effective Political Participation in the Instruments of the European Union ........................................................................................................29 III. RESEARCH DESIGN: METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS AND SAMPLE ....................................................................................... 32 А. Document Analysis ............................................................................. 33 B. Field Research ...................................................................................... 33 1. Sampling ......................................................................................................................................34 2. Sampling Criteria ...................................................................................................................35 3. The Sample .................................................................................................................................37 2 Introduction 4. Interviewing and Data Analysis ....................................................................................38 C. Definitions and Delimitations ............................................................ 38 IV. THE RIGHT TO EFFECTIVE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION OF THE SMALL(ER) ETHNIC COMMUNITIES IN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN MACEDONIA ............................................40 А. The Right to Effective Political Participation in the Light of Participation in Local Self-Government ....................................... 41 B. The Right to Effective Political Participation in Macedonia ........... 43 1. Preconditions ........................................................................................................................... 46 a. Non-Discrimination ..............................................................................................................46 b. Proportional Representation ........................................................................................... 49 c. Access to Information: Use of Minority Languages ...........................................54 2. The Electoral System ...........................................................................................................57 3. Decentralization and Territorial Organization ....................................................58 4. Special Procedures: The Right to Veto .....................................................................63 5. Special Bodies ..........................................................................................................................63 6. Direct Democracy ..................................................................................................................72 V. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................76 VI. ANNEXES ............................................................................................. 79 Annex I: List of respondents ..................................................................................................81 Annex II: Equitable representation of the ethnic communities in the municipal administration in the municipalities where the field research had been implemented ..................................................................84 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................ 87 3 Effective political participation of the small(er) ethnic communities in local self-government in the Republic of Macedonia: The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement Abbreviations Constitutional Constitutional amendments of the Constitution of the amendments Republic of Macedonia since 1991 ARRC Agency for Realization of the Rights of the Communities UN Declaration on Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National, Minorities Ethnic, Religious or Linguistic Minorities Durban Declaration of the World Conference against Racism, Durban declaration Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance EC European Commission ECRI European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and ECHR Fundamental Freedoms ULSG Units of Local Self-Government ECHR European Court of Human Rights EU European Union ZELS Association of the Units of Local Self-Government LLSG Law on Local Self-Government CSCE Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe CRC Inter-Community Relations Committee CIER Commissions for Inter-Ethnic Relations HRC United Nations Human Rights Committee LoN League of Nations 4 Introduction MOI Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights International Covenant on Economic, Social and ECOSOC Cultural Rights Lund Lund Recommendations on the Effective Participation of recommendations National Minorities in Public Life Ombudsperson Ombudsperson of the Republic of Macedonia OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe UN United Nations OFA Ohrid Framework Agreement UN Charter Charter of the United Nations Framework Convention for the Protection of FCNM National Minorities Macedonia or RM Republic of Macedonia CoE Council of Europe Secretariat for the Implementation of the SIOFA Ohrid Framework Agreement UNHRC United Nations Human Rights Council UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia, 1991 Constitution (including amendments) 5 Effective political participation of the small(er) ethnic communities in local self-government in the Republic of Macedonia: The Impact of the Ohrid Framework Agreement IntroductionIntroduction and andContext ofContext the Study of the Study 6 Introduction А. Introduction in Macedonia before and after the sign- Theing oflegal the andOhrid political Framework context Agreement (OFA), the nature of the agree- ment itself, and its influence on the ethnic relations in Macedonia have been the focus of many academic and expert studies. Following the eth- nic conflict in 2001, OFA was signed by representatives of the four big- gest political parties and the president of the state, and it reflected the aspirations of ethnic Albanians for greater inclusion in decision-making and public life. In turn, its