Artur Nura comments from Tirana

Macedonia is finding it hard to get rid of previous ethnic hatred mentality of the revolutionary principle that "rightfulness is on the our part" and that was easily noticed recently with the continuing distrust between Macedonia's majority Slavs and the ethnic Albanians, which has forced the country to fighting.

First at appearance Macedonia was considered an example of a multi-ethnic state. Then Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, (Macedonian Slav VMRO-DPME) who came to power allied with Arben Xhaferi's Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), declared it a peaceful multi-ethnic co-existence and historic victory.

Not long ago Boris Trajkovski there was elected as Macedonian President also with the support of Albanian parties declared votes as he himself has promised more rights to Albanians of Macedonia.

But Ljubco Georgievski, Skopje's young Premier and member of the Macedonian ruling coalition that govern the country allied with Xhaferi's Party in relation with last country crisis say for CER that, "none of Albanian fighter demands in the last decade were presented either to the Macedonian Parliament or to the government."

Any one who has followed with attention the last Macedonia crisis has surely not lost the Xhaferi's meaningful statements and approaching, but seemingly these have been missed to his governing ally Georgievski!

"I'm not a militarist and as such I never accept fighting as an instrument to achieve political goals, but there is very important to point out that demands of the fighters are the same as ours" has said Xhaferi for IWPR.

Seemingly the two main political parties, which govern the Macedonia's political life, do seem too far apart from each other, even when considering their inner governance life in front of the last crisis.

Helping toward a solution or

"Macedonian Authorities have hesitated during these last years to give the due space to the realization of the right changes, even constitutional ones, which could make possible the natural implementation of the right Albanian demands into the country" - has said to reporters Tritan Shehu Albania's Former Foreign Minister.

Meanwhile, it should be said that such Macedonian ruling approach, headed by Boris Trajkovski and Ljubco Georgievski, has marginalized more and more, from day to day, the Macedonia's Albanian political parties, which with western vision had started with great patience a difficult moderated approach.

The Macedonia hard-line political Albanians harshly have opposed Xhaferi's approaching on the last crisis and immediately they have launched a negative campaign against the still in force coalition of his party.

The Arben Xhaferi former ally and present political rival Rufi Osmani a controversial leader and former Gostivar Mayor, is declared publicly in favour of Albanian fighters.

"The political representation without Albanian Liberation Army (NLA) representative already is to an end. So, the DPA representatives must conclude the page of political hypocrisy and, as a condition for a successful dialogue, make possible the unification of Macedonia's Albanian actors" has said Osmani for Albania's newspaper Korrieri.

Osmani always has followed a policy based in populist trends that still run high in most of Balkan countries, but the matter is, in favour which part will go the majority of Macedonia's Albanians?

According to different analysts, but even to Xhaferi's view, if the Macedonian authorities continue to be cruel and rigid during their offensives, it might well cause other Albanians to join the NLA.

Military encircle and democratic one

"As Macedonian one-national military forces encircle the Albanian guerrillas into northern Macedonia a democratic international pressure fortunately encircles the Macedonian state"- writes Mustafa Nano an independent analyst for Albania's newspaper Shekulli.

On May 8 the Macedonian parliament were to vote a state of war on the proposal of Government headed by Georgievski, which could give the government and security forces more freedom to deal with the rebels who are still fighting in areas of northern Macedonia.

As if it happened that could bring the very serious prospect of an ethnic split between the majority Slavs and all Macedonia's Albanians one step closer. Such thing sure could also set into a unified front all the Macedonia's Albanians.

But unlike the Macedonian conservative leaders, international diplomats, who surely have blamed the guerrillas, were keen to avoid the official declaration of a state of war for fear of alienating more the ethnic Albanians.

The Albanian political party of Xhaferi warned immediately that it would leave the governing coalition if plans to declare a state of war on rebel ethnic Albanians go ahead.

"We are against the tendency to militarise the state. If they proclaim a state of war, we do not want to stay in the coalition," has said Arben Xhaferi, who has been always able to recognize justice from justifiable action.

"Rather than talk about a state of war, we should discuss a state of peace," has said the European Union's security senior, Javier Solana, before flying to Macedonia for talks with President Boris Trajkovski and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski.

True, "We're not going to see a state of war" has announced Solana after meeting the Macedonian president and the prime minister.

As such there is no doubt, while the means to obtain the Macedonia's guerrillas aims are condemned, these last themselves (aims) are never blamed. Macedonia's Albanians need to be equal with Macedonians citizens.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressing the importance of continuing the dialogue among the country's political leaders has reiterated his call for a "complete cessation of violence" in Macedonia.

"Strengthening multi-ethnic relations and democratic norms for restoring stability." - there is the key issue according Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Lastly with international pressure, the leaders of the main political parties in Macedonia, leaving apart their ethnical typical self-proud and hatred, have agreed to form a government of national unity in a bid to stem the threat of civil war.

The initiative includes all the main Albanian and Slav parties. Let's hope it is a coherent and sincere step towards permanent peace in Macedonia. That, if will be rationale, can very probably eclipse the fighters and force them to leave arms and turn home.