Union of Fighters criticizes 145-name street proposal in Tetovo
Union of Fighters of Tetovo says the list includes fascist collaborators, Albanian nationalists and people unrelated to the city.
A municipal working group in the Municipality of Tetovo has put forward a fresh list proposing names for 145 additional streets in the city, provoking strong public reaction similar to an earlier proposal of 78 names.
The Union of Fighters of Tetovo issued two statements sharply criticizing the new list. The union says the proposals include individuals who collaborated with the fascist occupier, people who openly fought against the constitutional order of the former Yugoslavia — and therefore against Macedonia — as well as Albanian nationalists, several religious officials (odzhis), and other persons of Albanian origin who, the union asserts, have no connection to Tetovo's history or record of contribution to the city's development.
Among the contested entries, the union singled out the name of Fadil Sulejmani. The statements note that Sulejmani is the founder of the illegal Tetovo University and that, in an interview given in Sofia, he "openly denied the existence of the Macedonian nation, saying that all Macedonians are Bulgarians, and that Macedonia is an artificial state."
Controversy expected to shape local debate
The publication of the 145-name proposal follows a wave of criticism after the municipal group circulated an earlier list of 78 proposed street names. The union's statements make clear that the inclusion of certain historical figures will be a focal point in the coming public discussion over the municipality's naming choices.
The working group’s proposal will be considered further within the municipality's procedures; meanwhile the Union of Fighters of Tetovo has framed the list as unacceptable and warned that these choices raise difficult questions about memory, local identity and historical responsibility.
Photo: SDK.MK
