Liberal Party of Canada Fails to Reprimand Racist MP September 27, 2007 Since Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis vented his personal racist feelings by referring to Macedonians as "Skopjans", the Macedonian community has demanded that he be reprimanded and that the Liberal Party issue an apology. Instead, the Liberals chose to completely ignore the issue and send a form letter to every person who complained. (see below) "The Conservative government stood up for what is right and did something that the Liberals refused to do during their 12 years in office, recognize the Republic of Macedonia under its constitutional name and prove once again, Canada's leadership in the field of human rights" said MHRMI president Bill Nicholov. For background information on this issue please see: http://www.mhrmi.org/news/2007/constitutional_name.asp --- Response from the Liberal Party of Canada "Dear Nicholov: On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, we would like to thank you for taking the time to write to us. Your comments regarding the recent remarks made by the Honourable Jim Karygiannis, Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Agincourt, have been reviewed. Mr. Dion has been in communication with Mr. Karygiannis concerning his remarks. We have also forwarded a copy of your email to Mr. Karygiannis' office. We want to convey to you the position of the Liberal Party in this entire matter. The previous Liberal Government respected the international compromise that lead to the use of the name "Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia". While the issue of this name continues to be the subject of on-going negotiations between the two relevant nations, as Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Mr. Dion will respect the decision reached and endorsed by the United Nations. Thank you for taking the time to write to the Liberal Party of Canada." ### Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. Its main objective is to pursue and attain all fundamental human and national rights including the right of freedom of expression and association and to support all democratic principles for all ethnic Macedonians, and other oppressed peoples. For more information please contact MHRMI at 416-850-7125, or info@mhrmi.org