Macedonia Press Review – August 31, 2012

DNEVNIK
How else, without using the term “occupation”, to describe the fact that during the World War 2 the military forces of the then fascist Bulgaria occupied Macedonia – asks one historian who is author of several Macedonian history textbooks, the daily says. One cannot say that they came to Macedonia to attend a wedding, the historian maintains. Historians in the country react to the recent initiative aimed at removing offensive or stereotypical profiling of some people or groups in the local textbooks that may cause friction with the neighbors, by saying that it is hard to artificially beautify history.

UTRINSKI VESNIK
Macedonia experiences parallel institutions, the daily says taking the latest example of conflicting stands between the Defense Minister Fatmir Besimi and his deputy Emil Dimitriev. While Besimi, an ethnic Albanian, saw nothing wrong in him leading an official delegation to honor former Albanian guerillas at a 2001 war memorial in the village of Slupcane, his deputy, an ethnic Macedonian, demanded disciplinary measures for the ministry staff that accompanied the Minister. The move of honoring former guerilla fighters that happened earlier this month angered many Macedonians, causing a stir in the ruling coalition.

Balkan Insight has not verified the reports and cannot vouch for their accuracy.