Monday, 2 August 2010
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA, MR. TRAJKO VELJANOSKI ON THE OCCASION OF WREATHS LAYING CEREMONY ON THE MONUMENT OF METODIJA ANDONOV CHENTO, FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE PRESIDIUM OF ASNOM
Distinguished members of the family of Chento
Ladies and gentlemen
Distinguished Representatives of the National Liberation Struggle
Dear friends
Today, when on Mechkin Kamen in Pelince and around the country both Ilindens are marked and celebrated, we have gathered here to pay tribute to Metodija Andonov Chento- the first President of the Presidium of ASNOM. The man who dedicated his life on the fight to accomplish the ideals of the two Ilindens- free and independent Republic of Macedonia as a country of the Macedonian nation and of all its citizens regardless of their national or religious belonging.
Born in Prilep, on 18 August Metodija Andonov Chento, as a young man, accepts and fights for the Macedonian National Cause.
Today, standing before his monument, I believe that we all admire his moral strength and persistence he fought with. Beside the fact that on the first Session of ASNOM he was elected as a President of the Presidium of ASNOM, Chento is swiftly colliding with the highest officials of his party for the issues connected with the statehood of Macedonia within the Yugoslavian Federation.
In the preparations for the new Constitution of Yugoslavia, Chento clearly presents his opinion before the Yugoslavia State Officials, that the Constitution should include the right of self-determination, as well as the right of independence and bigger economic independence of the federal units. These were the reasons why the party officials from Macedonia literally hunted Chento. Following his principles, as he always did before, Chento did not give up on his opinion and on 16 February 1946 resigns from his positions and returns to Prilep.
Aware and in the same time frightened by the grand moral and political reputation of Chento and his persistence in the achievement of the centuries old ideals of the Macedonian Nation for its own democratic state, Chento is arrested by the new single party governance in May 1946.
In November 1946, after the framed judicial case, Metodija Andonov Chento is sentenced to 11 years in cruel prison. During the court procedure, and later, during his imprisonment the governance is proposing Chento to give up on his ideals and to request forgiveness. Metodija Andonov Chento refuses to do that, without thinking of himself, of his family and of his four children, which clearly demonstrates his personality. Even after ten years in prison, in September 1955, with seriously damaged health condition, upon approbation, he is released from the prison. His suffering and molestation were not finished. He was not allowed to receive medical treatment abroad, and died in horrible pain on 24 July 1957.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear friends
I have mentioned these parts of Chento’s biography so that every one of us could wonder, on this Ilinden, when we live in the independent, free and democratic Macedonia, are we missing the awareness of the statehood that was manifested by Chento? This is even more important in times when we want to accomplish our Euro-Atlantic determinations. These determinations are a logic upgrade of the dreams and aspirations of Goce Delchev, Dame Gruev, Brashnarski, Shatev, and Chento. Unfortunately even though we have accomplished the conditions for NATO membership and received a recommendation for opening accession negotiations with the EU, we are facing blockades.
The reason for this is the Macedonian national, cultural and linguistic identity. In the history this is not the first negation of our national and cultural identity, but the Macedonian nation has always managed to preserve its national identity, its language and distinctiveness.
This historic experience and memory, I believe, provides optimism and security that this battle in the negotiation will result in a solution which will not jeopardize our national identity and will provide our full integration in the European family, which the Republic of Macedonia culturally and historically belongs to.
Distinguished,
Chento was a democrat, dignified and nationally determined Macedonian. These values will always remain in the history of the Macedonian nation and state, but in the same time they are an obligation for us and for the future generations to defend the Macedonian statehood and national identity. This is why we always have to remember him and learn from him.
Thank you.