Editorial

MEET THE “FIFTH COLUMN”

In the last couple of months we are witnessing the disrupted relations between the government and the non-governmental organizations (or some of them). The relations between the non-governmental organizations (NGO) and this government and the close media have not been great, especially during and after the military and the political crises in 2001. However, nobody could guess that they will come down to such a low level. The fast, negative development has probably started with the accusations against the government for corruption, opened by the International Crisis Group and supported by several NGOs in the coalition “Macedonia without corruption”, especially the Open Society Institute Macedonia Foundation (OSIMF) and Transparency Macedonia. Instead of having constructive discussions, there were many counter steps starting from fine ironies to replacement of theses (it is not the Government that is corrupted, but the international community and the NGOs).
Even angrier and less controlled reaction came with the latest NGO activities concerning the elections, such as “The Power is in the People” or “Macedonia must not lose these elections”. Now, certain NGOs are accused of being the “fifth column” and they are accused of preparing a silent putsch on the account of “imperialistic forces”.

This can certainly be regarded as part of the pluralism of thoughts and freedom of speech. However, I would engage myself to being an NGO advocate and emphasize a few moments. Thus, I do not enter the contents of the discussion (everyone has a right of his own personal opinion), but the way the analysis is done. Those are several topics: generalization on the basis of theses; discrediting justified goals through discrediting people.

The conspiracy thesis is based upon several half-truths and lies and then, the whole NGO sector, which consists of five thousand organizations in Macedonia, is generalized. Hundreds of sports and professional associations, as well as the “Blagovestie” and “Millennium Cross” Foundation are included in this number. On the basis of these last two, others can generalize with precisely opposite theses.

When people tell lies, there are inevitably some contradictions. Many NGOs from the “fifth column” are financially supported by the Macedonian Government (Decision for governmental participation in the process of financing civic associations and foundations in 2002, since 23 July 2002). Or, the “fifth column” wants to make a silent putsch on the account of “imperialistic forces”, including the World Bank, and the Government, that should be overthrown through a whole page of paid advertisements, shows off that it implements the World Bank’s program better than the previous government.

And finally, here comes the discrediting of justified goals through discrediting people. Can you be against “fair and democratic elections”? No. Do “The power is in the People” and “Macedonia must not lose these elections” or other activities have any influence on the citizens’ choice or suggest this or that political party? No. There is no comment on the contents. Then, the justified goals for fair and free elections and the correct contents are being discredited mainly through discrediting personalities, such as the personality of Vladimir Milcin from OSIMF. Milcin was labeled as a bad person and therefore the efforts for fair and free elections could not be regarded as good.

The efforts for fair and free elections have to be a mutual agenda for all of us in order to provide new and clearly expressed government legitimacy (legislative and executive), whatever the government is, that should lead Macedonia to a very important moment for implementation of the reforms and the Euro-Atlantic integration. If that is the “fifth column” than I am a part of it, too.

Saso Klekovski