2006 Elections and LGBT Community in Macedonia

13 June 2006

The Macedonian Association for Free Sexual Orientation � MASSO presented the results of the questionnaire on the preparedness of political parties to include the LGBT related issues in their Election Platforms.

At the press-conference held yesterday, MASSO emphasized the support they received from EU Ambassador Erwan Fouere, Council of Europe Representative for Macedonia Michel Rivolieux and the European Agency for Reconstruction. MASSO also praised the support the LGBT population received from the representatives of the European Parliament, with whom MASSO held a meeting at the end of April of this year.

The LGBT community in Macedonia received official response to its questionnaire and support from SDSM; LDP; NSDP; DOM; DA and LP. SDSM, LDP, NDSP and DOM include LGBT population in their respective election platforms and will initiate amendments to Article 9 of the Constitution (anti-discrimination provision) to include the prohibition of discrimination on bases of sexual orientation.

The registered same-sex partnership are included in the programme of SDSM and is supported by LDP, DA and DOM, while NSDP still has no official position on which type of same-sex union it would support. The Liberal Party, in spite of their declarative support, didn�t include LGBT issues in its platform and doesn�t support any form of same-sex union.

MASSO announced that the report with the responses from the political parties will be sent to the European Liberals and will demand explanation of different positions held by their Macedonian colleagues.

The remaining questions, regarding sexual education in the schools and support for candidates that have publicly announced their LGBT identity, were answered positively by all political parties.

VMRO-NP and VMRO-DPMNE, the parties of the right, don�t support the demands of the LGBT community in Macedonia. Although VMRO-DPMNE has declared its efforts to make Macedonia full EU member, including the obligation of full observation of human rights � the freedom of sexual orientation is one of them (Article 13 of the Amsterdam Agreement), their lack of support for LGBT community speaks to the contrary. These two parties, together with the Socialist Party from the left, didn�t answer MASSO�s questionnaire.

The political parties of Albanian continue to ignore the LGBT community. MASSO called the Albanian bloc of political parties for cooperation. The organization expects to launch the Albanian language version of its web-site.

MASSO also presented the statement by Raul Romeva, Member of the European Parliament from the Green Party and vice-chairperson of the inter-group for LGBT rights in the European Parliament. According to Romeva, the solution of the legal status of the LGBT population and the acceptance of this minority should be part of the agenda of the political parties in the 2006 Elections, in accordance with European standards and legislation.