The Bulgarian cultural clubs "Ivan Mihailov" in Bitola and "Tsar Boris" in Ohrid have three months to change their scandalous and unacceptable names, or after four months they will be liquidated by the decision of the Minister of Justice. Yesterday, with 67 votes, the Parliament passed the amendments and additions to the Law on Associations and Foundations following a shortened procedure, the purpose of which, as the deputies said, is to prevent the repetition of previous examples of registration of associations and clubs that cause disagreements and to ensure legal protection of the constitutional order of the state.

The amendments were proposed last month by the parliamentary group of VMRO-DPMNE, and the deputies of SDSM gave their support, which is one of the rare examples in recent years when both the government and the opposition are unanimous in the Parliament. During the public discussion, the DUI did not comment on the legal changes, and last night the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, said in a TV appearance that this law should not apply retroactively and should only cover new associations, and existing ones should not be banned. . But it is unacceptable for the Macedonian parties to have clubs in the country with the names of the fascist collaborators from the Second World War, so yesterday without discussion, only with explanations from MPs Rashela Mizrahi from VMRO-DPMNE and Sonja Mirakovska from SDSM, the proposal was voted.

They will be gone already in March

It is henceforth forbidden to establish an organization if the program and objectives are aimed, among other things, at supporting, encouraging and approving fascism, Nazism, National Socialism and the Third Reich. Names, surnames, nicknames, pseudonyms, abbreviations and initials of persons who on any basis with racial, religious, national, ethnic and other intolerance, intolerance, hatred, genocide, extermination, such as and by spreading or supporting fascism, Nazism, National Socialism and the Third Reich.

Consent for the use of the names of historical figures will be given by the Minister of Justice, after a previously received positive opinion of the Commission for the use of the names of historical figures which he will form. The Commission will have five members, one each from the ministries of justice and culture, one from the Institute of National History and two from MANU.

The transitional provisions state that all associations have a period of three months to harmonize their name with the new provisions, and those that do not do so will be deleted from the Central Register by decision of the Minister of Justice, who is obliged to make a decision on termination within four months after the entry into force of the Law.

Maznev: "Nikola Vaptsarov" will exist

In Bulgaria, on the other hand, the liquidation of the association that opened the Macedonian cultural club "Nikola Vaptsarov" in Blagoevgrad is underway, but according to the president of the club Atanas Maznev, the termination of the association does not mean that the club will be closed. Maznev explained that the process was started by the Bulgarian prosecutor's office shortly after the foundation of the association in 2019, and the first-instance verdict for closure was passed in 2020. But, he adds, the "Nikola Vaptsarov" club will continue to function because it has nothing to do with the organization.

- The club was founded by Macedonians from Pirin Macedonia, and the association belongs to our group, here, from Blagoevgrad, and has nothing to do with the functioning of the club - says Maznev.

Earlier, the mayor of Blagoevgrad Ilko Stojanov said that the Macedonian club is illegitimate, because it does not comply with the spatial laws and that it is just an office where people gather on a private basis. Maznev says that, in essence, the mayor's statement is correct.

- They wanted him to do their dirty work and ban the club, to hinder our work. But the man stood on the right side of the law - said Maznev.

He announced that the Macedonians in Blagoevgrad have already started the procedure for establishing a new association.

OMO "Ilinden Pirin" harsh towards Ottomans

In the meantime, the banned OMO party "Ilinden Pirin" sharply responded to Minister Osmani, who said that the opening of the Macedonian club in Blagoevgrad is an activity financed by dubious sources, after which problems will be created for the people who are part of those clubs, and it caused a chain reaction both there and here. Osmani also said that the politicians who went to Blagoevgrad "to hunt for certain political points should ask themselves how they will justify themselves now and how they will explain to the Macedonians there why their association was terminated".

- It is very sad to see that Macedonia is led by such an ill-informed minister. Mr. Osmani, next time at least call us to have accurate information so that you don't end up in situations like the current one. The Society for the Protection of Basic Human Rights was not banned after the opening of the club, nor as a consequence of your political opponents coming to its opening. The society was deregistered three weeks earlier, only the supreme court did not inform its members, and the process of deregistration began in 2019. We don't remember you reacting to that. Banning the company has nothing to do with what you are saying and with people who, unlike you, came to show support. Not only do they have no fault, on the contrary, their coming here was a strong moral support for the Macedonians, more than the Republic of Macedonia has done in the last 30 years, but of course we do not include what was done by your government here, because it cannot be compared to zero. Those who came do not need to justify themselves in front of us, you should explain to the Macedonian people why you did not come - it is written, among other things, in the address of OMO "Ilinden Pirin" to Osmani.

They call on Osmani to prove that he is really concerned about the Macedonians in Bulgaria and as a real minister of foreign affairs to respond to Bulgaria for the violation of their rights!

The opening of the club, on Sunday in Blagoevgrad, was attended by the leaders of VMRO-DPMNE and Left, Hristijan Mickoski and Dimitar Apasiev, who were warmly welcomed by the Macedonians, and provoked by party activists of Krasimir Karakachanov's VMRO-BND.