DUI: Albanians are being systematically excluded from senior positions and decision-making in defense

DUI has reacted to the Ministry of Defense’s greeting on the anniversary of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia. According to the party, in the constitutional order, the term “Macedonian” defines only the ethnic identity of the Macedonian people, while the institution officially bears the name Army of the Republic of North Macedonia. DUI stresses that the Army belongs to all citizens and communities that make up the state.

The reaction states that the ministry, perhaps unintentionally, has reflected the situation being created by the government itself. DUI claims that Albanians have been continuously sidelined from senior positions and decision-making centers in the defense sector. Of the 10 directors at the Ministry of Defense, none is Albanian, while at decision-making levels, Albanian representation, according to the party, has been reduced to the point of total exclusion.

DUI underlines that the Army is also financed through the taxes paid by Albanians, who have served and continue to serve in its uniform. Albanian families have also entrusted the institution with their sons and daughters; therefore, according to the reaction, no one can turn it into the symbolic and institutional property of a single community.

The party accuses s’vlen-in of remaining silent while his ministers and deputy ministers hold on to their seats, whereas Albanians are losing positions in the police, the army and the entire security system. According to DUI, their role has been limited to justifying VMRO’s decisions and drafting statements against DUI. For this reason, it demands that the name be corrected immediately, that the ethnic composition of leadership positions at the Ministry of Defense be made public, and that fair representation of Albanians be restored at every level of decision-making.

In conclusion, DUI stresses that the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia is a shared institution. According to the party, any attempt to present or organize it as a mono-ethnic institution directly affects the country’s multi-ethnic character and the spirit of the Ohrid Agreement.