opinions by 3 bulgarian members of the transnational radical party
(from "POINTS OF VIEW", monthly digest on the bulgarian problems).
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Manush Romanov (leader of the "Roma" Democratic Union):
WHY SHOULD WE MAKE A UNIFYING CONFERENCE BEFORE THE PRINCIPLES BY WHICH IT MUST BE HELD ARE NOT CLARIFIED
I left the round table. The reason was the Gypsy arrogance of the self-invited guests, who had come. A committee was held and aims to prepare a round table, where everybody to express his vision for the unity. Under an unspoken Gypsy law the round table in Varna attracted the people felling themselves as a Gypsy or those who had any claims. 35 were invited, but the uninvited were two times more. I insisted on the issue of a schedule for the day and then to define the status of the round table. We had organized lots of conferences on which we were even closed to commit a hand to hand fighting. Therefore I was sure about that if anybody had decided to ignite the next neighborhood quarrel I would not attend. This was almost accepted as a signal for starting an offensive from those, who didn't have the right to take part in this round table. Earlier we have specified that all identified organizations, and even those which weren't identified must send their representatives and some popular political figures. We c
hose 35 people. And these 35 should consider the problems of the unity. Lots of questions should appear, because the unity became an incorporation of several formations from different colors, which didn't share the same views, so in according to this came the intricacy. We had to express the motivation for our position and everybody in the name of unity into one organization should neglect a part of his claims. Is it easy to achieve the unity? But when this arrogance had rushed I realized that this people didn't come here for taking goodwill steps closing the gab between them and to unite. No, they had come ti face each other therefore I left. In my absence they decided to organize a conference on the 17th of October, on which I don't have the intention to attend, because they have "broken the rules" of the game. Why should we make a unifying conference before the principles by which it must be held are not clarified. How is that, to organize a unifying conference between blue and red colors. Firstly we must
the unifying principle for creating a new formation. The "big" and the "small" must have the same rights and equal representation. I had a suggestion for the statute of this new organization. It must be an union, which de facto will pull down all organizations and will create an incorporated union. Thi is the first formulae - the other one is a political party, an idea maturing in our development. I had attempted twice to identify the ROMA DEMOCRATIC UNION as a party, but the court rejected my requests. That's why there is a problem concerning the approval of a political party due to article 11, paragraph 4 of the Constitution forbidding the existence of parties based on ethnic, race or religious fundamentals. I suggested another third opportunity - confederation. That's how everybody will have equal rights keeping his political color and the closing points upon the ethnic problem will unify us. Thus we will keep the formations, working together at the same time. I won't attend the conference on the 17th of
October, but I will express my visions in advance. We must find the unify beginning in spite of the differences between us. Otherwise we'll fight against each other, we'll split out, everybody will joint with his political color and again we'll be voters voting for the others.
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Halis Okan (publisher, leader of the movement "Okan Unity"):
WE WANT TO HELP THE GYPSIES
Through education and culture. Let everybody follow their religion. We contacted the Ministry of Education. They understood the problem and showed they cared about the level of Gypsy culture. our idea to build Gypsy colleges in the bigger cities was well accepted. This is going to be a serious training, from early childhood, by isolation from their natural environment. Children will be allowed to see their parents only during the weekends. We want they to have a solid education. We want to affiliate the Gypsies.
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Ilcho Dimitrov (academic, former minister, Bulg.Socialist Party):
NATIONAL POLICY IS NOT A WHIM
We have been living together with the gypsies and we are going to continue living together with them. Bulgaria is not the only native land for them. This country doesn't define only requirements connected with them; Bulgaria is responsible for this people as well. Many of them are uneducated and without profession and are among the most painfully affected by unemployment; from early age they fall an easy pray to organized criminality. Bulgarian Sicily will find its base among the Gypsy population - this prognosis is not groundless. Instead of immediate and effective precautions against political and mafia aspirations and resolving the problems it was announced that... a primer in Gypsy language was being prepared. Most important at the moment is to habituate this people to work. Profession as a guarantie for engagement must be committed to the education. The state must uphold the constitutional requirement for compulsory primary education. Integration of Gypsies and all the bulgarian nation on the base of ed
ucation and profession wouldn't touch their ethnical self-consciousness and peculiarities of their life.
