At the Faculty of Law, University of Tetovo, today the three-volume book “The People’s Democratic Party 1990-1997” by author Iljaz Halimi was promoted. A large number of activists from the People’s Democratic Party, university professors, distinguished public figures, political analysts, family members, friends of the author, and students attended the book promotion.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Dr. Safet Emruli, emphasized that the promotion of the three-volume books The People’s Democratic Party 1990-1997 by Professor Iljaz Halimi, held at the University of Tetova, is an honor and privilege for him as dean. According to him, the author of the monograph has rightly assessed the need to bring to light the documents, acts, statements, meetings, and all activities of the PDP, creating opportunities for all those studying the political and social developments in North Macedonia, as well as for young researchers to learn directly from the original documents about the Albanian political movements and developments at the beginning of political pluralism and democracy. The People’s Democratic Party, known among us as a party that offered a vision and platform for all intellectuals and people imprisoned or condemned by the Slavo-communist offices, made a significant contribution to documenting the beginnings of the pluralistic era and the developments of Albanian society in particular. Through a well-structured narrative based on accurate sources, the author highlights the challenges, efforts, and achievements of a political entity that represented the national interests of the Albanians. These works will serve historiography in understanding the major changes during the transition from one political system to another pluralistic political system. In these three volumes, we address all the challenges faced by Albanians during the period from 1990 to 1997. The three volumes serve as a valuable source of literature for all researchers, analysts, and politicians who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the processes that shaped the political reality of Albanians in North Macedonia. I commend the author for his effort and contribution, and we look forward to more works of this kind in the near future, which will be of interest to the public and, particularly, to historiography, stated the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Dr. Safet Emruli.
The reviewer of the work, Prof. Dr. Xhemaludin Idrizi, stated that this book represents a historical document encompassing the entire seven-year period of significant political activity in the former political scene of Macedonia, which emerged from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. A popular proverb says that even gold fragments, if scattered, have no value; thus, the collection and systematic organization of all materials of this party by Chairman Iljaz Halimi give unique historical value and significance to this political entity of the Albanians in Macedonia. The author of the monograph, Iljaz Halimi, has rightly assessed the need to bring to light the history of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), especially so that all those studying political, social, and other developments in Macedonia and beyond, as well as future generations, can learn about the movements and development of Albanian political entities in what we might call a democratic atmosphere of the 1990s. With this monograph, the national political activity of the People’s Democratic Party is undoubtedly refreshed and illuminated, even though, unfortunately, due to unfavorable circumstances of the time, it lasted only seven years,” said the reviewer of the work, Prof. Dr. Xhemaludin Idrizi, among other remarks.
Regarding the party’s activities, the circumstances, the meetings held, the challenges they faced, the decisions made, and much more, other panelists, Bedredin Ibrahimi and Zeqir Kadriu, also spoke.
The author of the book, Iljaz Halimi, emphasized that in these volumes, readers have the opportunity to become acquainted with the monograph or, more accurately, the documentation of the activities of the People’s Democratic Party during its seven years of operation. “I have been privileged to have access to the party’s archives, which, after the merger of the PDP with the PPDSH and the formation of the PDSH in 1997, were transferred by a decision of the party leadership to a corner of the library in my house, which is very close to the PDP headquarters. Over the years, the People’s Democratic Party seemed to be forgotten, almost never mentioned as if it had never existed, even though it is a party that, during its functioning, left indelible marks in the modern history of political pluralism in North Macedonia,” Halimi stated. This is the reason that motivated me to publish the activities of the PDP, which we had archived over time, into a monographic or documentary book, in three parts, to offer it to readers so they can better understand how the PDP functioned and what its positions or viewpoints were on advancing the status of Albanians and resolving any national or social issues in the Republic of North Macedonia and beyond. What is worth highlighting in these books, and for which I am proud, is that the People’s Democratic Party, during its political activity, although it had the opportunity to be part of the central government, as it had an offer, this did not happen because the goal and vision of this party was not the fulfillment of individual or group appetites and privileges, but the realization of its program,” said the author of the book, Iljaz Halimi, among other things.
This publication includes, in its original form, without interference or corrections, and in chronological order, all the PDP’s Assemblies, Congresses, Presidency meetings, the establishment and activities of the Albanian Democratic Youth of the PDP, the establishment and meetings of the Elders’ Council, cooperation with political parties, contacts with various delegations, political documents, statements, reports, positions, numerous press releases, as well as other activities that were in the service of building democracy, organizing political pluralism in the Republic of Macedonia during that period, and our engagement in offering solutions for issues of national and social interest for the Albanian community.
