Macedonia is again on the brink of a political crisis after the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA) threatened on March 10 to exit the ruling coalition in Macedonia if the government failed to heed its demands to give more rights to Albanians, Dnevnik daily reported.

The news came only three weeks before the Nato summit in Bucharest, at which Macedonia hopes to get an invitation to join the organisation.

DPA leader Menduh Thaci gave Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski a deadline until the summit, scheduled for April 2-4. In particular, the party wants the members of the former Army for National Liberation (ANO) rehabilitated, making Albanian the second most important language in Macedonia, raising the Albanian alongside the Macedonian flag on top of buildings of local authorities, as well as the end of key cases against Albanians who participated in the 2001 revolt. Last but not least, DPA wants Macedonia to recognise its fledgling neighbour, Kosovo.

Some of the requests were first put forth seven years ago, during the conflict that ended with the signing of the Ochrid agreement. Since then, the requests were brought to the fore by either by DPA or the Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA). According to international analysts, Kosovo's secession of Serbia might spark separatist sentiments in neighbouring Macedonia, where the ethnic Albanian community comprises 25 per cent of total population, but is also a majority in some areas, such as Tetovo.

Skopje did not make clear whether the government and DUA signed the so-called May agreement on broadening Albanians' scope of rights. While Gruevski denies its existence, Albanian and US diplomats are firm the agreement existed. Last May, DPA threatened again with pull-out from the cabinet because the agreements concerning the Albanian population were struck without its knowledge.

Observers commented that if Skopje lost its prospect for membership in Nato, the country might face grave consequences such as full destabilisation of the country and a repeat of 2001 events.