Macedonia Albanians to Mark Kumanovo Carnage

Ethnic Albanian opposition parties in Macedonia are organizing a protest march on May 9 in the northern town of Kumanovo, to mark the first anniversary of the bloody events there that led to the death of 14 citizens and eight policemen.

Under the umbrella of the Opposition Council, the parties are gathering efforts to stage a rally that also mark the beginning of a more coordinated anti-government front among Albanian opposition supporters.

The protest will be held under the slogan "Justice, Dignity, and Democracy" and aims to condemn what opposition call the abuses that the government of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski committed against Albanians.

Bilall Kasami, leader of the Besa movement, a new opposition party, said it was time to end the injustice done to ethnic Albanians.

"Albanians are going to say 'stop' to injustice, discrimination and staged court processes against them," Kasami posted on Facebook.

On Wednesday, another ethnic Albanian party, the Party for Democratic Prosperity, also announced it will join the march on May 9.

"We inform our supporters that we are going to participate in the protest against the abuse of power by VMRO-DPMNE [the party led by Gruevski] and their Albanian subordinates," the party statement said.

In the next few days, other opposition parties are also expected to join in the protest, which is also directed against the ethnic Albanian junior party in government, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, led by Ali Ahmeti.

The Albanian opposition parties accuse the DUI of betraying Albanian interests in Macedonia in order to preserve its coalition with Gruevski.

The planned protests by Albanians conicide with ongoing anti-government protests in Skopje and other towns...