Macedonia OKs Unity Cabinet

Macedonia’s parliament on Sunday overwhelmingly endorsed a national unity government meant to defuse a conflict with ethnic Albanian insurgents that threatens the country with civil war.

As the session convened, however, rebels attacked government positions in two northern villages, and government troops retaliated with artillery and tanks, suggesting that the new multi-party Cabinet was no guarantee of a permanent cease-fire. The clashes died down after nearly five hours, the army said.

The immediate aim of the coalition is to neutralize guerrilla claims that only armed struggle can win genuine equal rights for the ethnic Albanian minority in this former Yugoslav republic, which became independent 10 years ago.

Members of the Assembly voted 102 to 1 in favor of the new government, which includes the ruling VMRO-DPMNE, two ethnic Albanian parties--the Democratic Party of Albanians and the Party for Democratic Prosperity--the Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia and three other Slav parties. Ljubco Georgievski remains prime minister.

“This government is not a product of love but of need; this government is created for the defeat of terrorism and violence,” said Branko Crvenkovski of the Social Democratic Alliance.

Macedonia has been struggling to contain the ethnic Albanian insurgency, which began in February and raged into late March before subsiding. It flared again two weeks ago after rebels killed eight government soldiers in an ambush.

The ethnic Albanian rebels are demanding equal rights with the majority Slavs and are calling for a new constitution.

Ethnic Albanians make up as much as one-third of the country’s 2 million people.