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The city of Gostivar is located in northwestern Macedonia in the upper Polog region. Gostivar is one of the largest Macedonian cities as it has a population of 116,107 and covers 1.341 square kilometers. Gostivar is an important city because it is connected to the cities of Tetovo, Skopje, Kičevo, Ohrid and Dibra. Although Gostivar originally had a well-balanced diversity of Macedonians, Turks, and Albanians, since 1874 the population has steadily increased and in recent years a huge influx of Serbs have become the majority ethnicity. Another significant change in the population balance is that the population is 65 percent albanian and 17 percent Macedonian; there are three Albanians for every Macedonian.
Gostivar is also next to the smaller city of Vrutok. In Vrutok, the biggest Macedonian river, the Vardar, begins at an altitude of 683 meters from the base of the ar Planina mountain. The Vardar River extends through Gostivar, cutting it in half, until it reaches the Aegean Sea.
Economy
The economy of Gostivar underwent a drastic revival in terms of trade and commerce along time ago. Merchants from Veles and Tetovo, craftsmen from Kičevo and Krushevo, saddlers, tinkers, coppersmiths, and goldsmiths, all made notable contributions to the creation of the Gostivar bazaar. Unfortunately this prosperity has severely diminished in recent years, and despite its importance in the culture and history of Macedonia, if changes are not made to improve the quality of life, increase job opportunities, and deal with a growing terrorist presence, Gostivar may cease to exist.
Violence
On July 9 and 10, 1997, overzealous Macedonian police clashed with Albanian demonstrators. The actions of the police disregarded normal protocol and international law, specifically violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the and the European Convention on Human Rights. Most of the protesters were peaceful, but the police attacked demonstrators who had already been arrested or presented no threat. Whether the Albanians were young or old made no difference to the police. Nine policemen and two hundred demonstrators were killed.
Some of those arrested were immediately, publicly tortured, but the violence did not end once all the civilians who had taken part were arrested or had escaped. Police later broke into private residences without a warrant, attacked anyone they saw, and arrested any individuals who they suspected had played a part in the demonstration.
Reaction
- The Macedonian government has acknowledged the use of excessive force
- Furthermore it has suggested legal action against the officers involved - none so far has been taken
- The Albanian community doubts the Macedonian government's seriousness in dealing with the officers * International support on this issue is exclusive to the Macedonian government
- The Macedonian government attributes the violence against the police to Albanian extremists
- The Albanian community attributes the deaths of the demonstrators to excessive force, random arrests, and abuse - both in prison and in public by the Macedonian police
Flag Raising
Five months after the incident, elections in Gostivar brought the Democratic Party of Albanians to power. Newly-elected mayor Rufi Osmani made some immediate and important changes in the government. Osmani made sure the town hall's staff was reduced and more Albanians were hired. Signs were posted written in Albanian alongside the Macedonian and Turkish language versions. When Osmani and the DPA raised the flags of Albania and Turky in the town halls of Gostivar and Tetovo, a controversy was sparked. Macedonians saw the move as a sign of disrespect and a step towards independence. Rufi Osmani justified the move by citing Article 48 of the Macedonian constitution which says that members of nationalities have a right to freely express their identity and national pride.
When the Macedonian Ministry of the Interior ruled that the flag raising was illegal the DPA refused to comply. No one on either side took action until May of that year (1997 when vandals, most likely members of the Macedonian police, removed the flags and destroyed the flag pole. In response, on May 27 Rufi Osmani led an estimated 20,000 ethnic Albanians in a nationalist rally in central Gostivar. Albanian and Turkish flags were raised and Osmani appointed a civil guard to watch over the flags. As to whether the guards were armed, or whether they were just keeping watch is disputed.
When the local governments of Tetovo and Gostivar heard that the Macedonian Constitutional Court had ruled that the flag raising was illegal, they refused to recognize the court's decision because they did not believe that the flags violated the "sovereignty of the state". The situation seemed to cool down when a compromise was reached on July 8, at eleven o'clock by the national parliament's new Law on the Use of Foreign Flags. The Law on the Use of Foreign Flags allows state flags other than that of Macedonia to be raised at any time on private property and in front of town halls on state holidays. Unfortunately, this law was not sincere. Four hours after the law was passed, special forces acted in Tetovo and Gostivar. Covertly, they arrested key members of the DPA in Tetovo and Gostivar, including the Mayor of Gostivar Rufi Osmani, the Mayor of Tetovo Alajdin Demiri, the President of the Tetovo city council Vehbi Bexheti, spokesman for the DPA Ernat Fejzullahu, DPA activist Sevret Ceka, president of the Gostivar city council Refik Dauti, and Afet Thaçi, brother of DPA Vice President Menduh Thaçi. Telephone and electricity lines were cut, the flags were removed, and the town halls were once again vandalized.
In September the Skopje Court of Appeals sentenced Rufi Osmani to 13 years, and 8 months in prison for inciting national, racial and religious hatred, organizing armed resistance, and disobeying an order of the constitutional court. Refik Dauti was sentenced to three years in prison for disobeying an order of the constitutional court. On February 19 the Court of Appeals reduced Osmani's sentence to seven years and Dauti's to two years but considering the poor access to the case files, restricted lawyer consultations, and the court's refusal to accept witnesses on behalf of the defense, both men deserve new trials.
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