Video Debate About Macedonian Lustration (7 October 2010)
You can watch a two hours long video debate: here.
The cycle of public conversations “Meeting venue” organized by the “Citizens for European Macedonia” initiative continued with the second debate, held on October 7, titled "Sanitary enigma” (or Our lustration No. 2) . This time, the focus of the conversations was the lustration in Macedonia, but from a different, intimate angle.
According to Nikola Gelevski, the moderator of the debate, the guest at the debate – Ms. Jasna Koteska sees and experiences the lustration not only from a theoretical, but from a private point of view as well. According to Gelevski, Koteska is one of the rare Macedonian theoreticians with impact outside the country. Jasna Koteska, writer and professor, succeeded in causing a true political storm in the public, by talking openly about the case of her father, writer Jovan Koteski, about the reprisals he experienced in the period of the communist regime, and about the difficulties her family was experiencing during the long systematic persecution. According to Koteska, the adopted concept of lustration in Macedonia, where the public has no direct contact with the files, but instead the process is conducted by a committee, indicates that we are unable to face the past.
”I believe it is too late for the lustration" said Koteska, pointing out that the successful lustrations in the Eastern European bloc have already been done in the early nineties of the last century.
According to Koteska, in order to be able to face the past, and hold someone accountable, Macedonia needs to preserve the records. “Let’s freeze the files as they are, form some kind of a unit that would be processing the files and lets open the files for the public. Everyone should have access to such a historical fund, and not just an 11-member committee” said Koteska. According to her, the process must not have a political, but a historical background.
Koteska also stressed that the lustration should be limited to the period from 1945 to November, 1991, and not beyond. The process should be dealing only with the previous regime, because now in a multi-party system we can use other available means and resources to fight the abuses of secret services.
During the debate attended by 30 participants, it was emphasized that the Law on lustration will not work due to several reasons, it has been adopted too late, and there is a possibility that persons who have not been subject to lustration could still be active and distort the facts.
The debates “Meeting venue” covering society-related topics will take place every Thursday in the CEM club, and there will be a screening of films every Tuesday, also treating societal and provocative topics.
Provided by the FOSIM web site.
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