Albanians Insist to End “Ethnic Taboo” by Getting Their First President in North Macedonia

North Macedonia is unlikely to get its first ethnic Albanian prime minister after the elections – but floating the idea looks a smart move on the part of the country’s main Albanian party, said a report carried by BIRN on Monday.
In contrast to the relatively dull political offerings of the two main contenders in North Macedonia’s July 15 early general elections, arguably the biggest disruption in the campaign has come from the country’s main ethnic Albanian party, the Democratic Union for Integration, DUI.
While the ruling Social Democrats and their right-wing VMRO DPMNE rivals mainly regurgitate old promises about economic upturns, social measures and Euro-Atlantic progress, the DUI entered the ring with a surprise demand for the first-ever ethnic Albanian prime minister, under the catchy slogan: “Why not?”
Insisting it was time to end the last “remaining ethnic taboo” in a country where Albanians make up about a quarter of the population – the second largest ethnic community after Macedonians – the DUI has politically resurrected a long retired politician as its pick for the post.
It also insists that unless the two main political blocs accept Naser Ziberi as the new prime minister, the party won’t even bother talking to them after the elections on forming a new government./argumentum.al