'Former Terrorists Come to Power' in This Balkan Country

© AP Photo / Boris GrdanoskiMacedonian flag in front of the government building in Skopje, Macedonia (File)
Macedonian flag in front of the government building in Skopje, Macedonia (File) - Sputnik International
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The newly-formed government in Macedonia includes members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the People's Liberation Army of Macedonia, "who committed grave offenses" in the past, Macedonian journalist Milenko Nedelovski told Sputnik Serbia.

"We have found ourselves in a situation when one of commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army has been put in charge of environment. This is a kind of parody," he said, referring to Sadulah Duraku, who has been named the Minister of Environment and Physical Planning. "There are other commanders of the war period who have come from Kosovo [and are currently in power in Macedonia]. They head more than eight ministries, which means that they are key figures in the new government."

Nedelovski added that those in the government who had committed crimes in the past "have been granted amnesty due to the political consensus."

In an interview with Sputnik, Serbian journalist and politician Milovan Drecun suggested that the situation in the Balkans would destabilize.

Protesters entered Macedonia's parliament after the governing Social Democrats and ethnic Albanian parties voted to elect an Albanian as parliament speaker in Skopje. Macedonia April 27, 2017 - Sputnik International
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"Clearly, Alban nationalism, if not Great Alban nationalism has become more pronounced. It has become increasingly visible through political parties led by former members of the terrorist organizations, which have sparked the war in Kosovo, in the south of central Serbia and Macedonia. They also lead organized crime groups. As a result, we witness the bond between organized crime and terrorism on the one hand and political structures on the other," he said.

Drecun maintains that this has become possible due to the fact that Western countries have been tolerant toward the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which he described as a terrorist organization, and its former members.

"The fact that KLA leaders were not forced to stand trial at the International Criminal Court has given them free rein, including the freedom to run for elected office, make a fortune on illicit activities, threaten others, control territories populated by Albans. In any case they are clearly present in political life," he said.

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