DUI: RMV government discontinued procedure for use of Albanian language on road signs, clear discrimination against Albanians

The Democratic Union of Integration, the largest Albanian party in northern Macedonia, has been alarmed that a public company that cares for the ways of the state has interrupted the procedures for changing communications signs to resepect the law to use Albanian language.

DUI, through a communique, considers this “candal” and “akt clear discrimination against Albanians”.

“The Albanian-language scandal has no stopping. The public company for state roads has halted procedures for the previous leadership project, aimed at changing all communication signs on highways, in line with the law on use of Albanian language. This is an unprecedented and harmful step for law enforcement that guarantees linguistic equality. Despite the fact that the company's selection process for implementation of the project had been completed, the current leadership has decided to discontinue the” procedure, the party's communique said.

DUI, now in opposition, says that “this disruption could easily be verified in the electronic system of public procurement” and that it raises serious “questions about this government's stance on law enforcement”.

“The Democratic Union for Integration warns that these failures result from the lack of electoral legitimacy of this government, its clear inability to manage key processes and its dependence on the political influences of VMRO”, DUI says, referring to the coalition of Albanian parties, V LEN, which is part of the ruling coalition in northern Macedonia.

“These actions are unacceptable and seriously damage the country's institutional equality process. Instead of facing their responsibilities, election losers are trying to cover up these massive failures with groundless political attacks and unnecessary persecution”, the communique says.

Recently it was reported that Northern Macedonia has removed Albanian on road signalboards. The photograph of a table near the Kosovo border crossing in Blace was published, where only three inscriptions are seen -- in Macedonian, English and French -- but not in Albanian.

“The violent and non-institute division of signs on the border with Kosovo and the return of old signs is another indicator of this government's inability to implement institutional and legal standards”, the DUI response said.

After more than 100 days of governance, according to DUI, this monoethnic leader still tries to blame others for its continuing failures”.

These actions not only undermine state institutions but also constitute a clear act of discrimination against Albanians”, the communique says.