Foundation and ideology The World Macedonian Congress was the second of the two international lobby organizations or
World Macedonian Congresses established in the Republic of Macedonia (now
North Macedonia) with the disintegration of
former Yugoslavia. It was created as a rival to the first
World Macedonian Congress (created by
John Bitove, Sr., a Canadian-Macedonian businessman with the encouragement of the first president of the Republic of Macedonia,
Kiro Gligorov) by the independent politician
Todor Petrov and president of the Congress. The organization claims ideological descent from one offshoot of the
Macedonian Secret Revolutionary Committee, founded by Georgi Kapchev in Geneva, which sent a call to convene an International Congress, to solve the Macedonian Question in January 1899. This idea is disputed by Bulgarian historians on the grounds that Kapchev was a Bulgarian journalist and lawyer. International researchers and Macedonian researchers have generally seen the organization as a
nationalist or
ultranationalist organization. In 2001, the organization called
NATO the "New Albanian Terrorist Organization" and blocked a highway to prevent NATO from supplying
KFOR. According to Macedonian researcher Cvete Koneska, the organization has generally taken hard nationalist stands on political issues, usually regarding Macedonian foreign policy and the country's issues with Greece and Bulgaria. During the
Macedonia naming dispute, the organization stood for ending talks with Greece and continuation of Macedonia's membership in the United Nations under its then constitutional name. Political scientist Ognen Vangelov referred to the organization as
right-wing.
2004 referendum In 2004, Todor Petrov and the World Macedonian Congress initiated
2004 referendum against changes of administrative divisions. According to the government proposal of municipal border, which would decrease the percentage of
Macedonians, and transform
Struga and
Kičevo into
Albanians dominated cities, as well as make Albanian an official language in the capital
Skopje. Prior to the referendum, the U.S. recognized the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name. The referendum was held on 7 November. Although 95% voted in favor of the change, the voter turnout of 26% was well below the 50% threshold, and the referendum was unsuccessful. ==See also==