Address by the President of the Republic of Macedonia, Dr. Gjorge Ivanov, on the occasion of the posthumous awarding of the “Order of the Republic of Macedonia'' to Metodija Andonov Cento for his outstanding contribution for the achievement of the centuries-old aspiration of the Macedonian people for freedom and preservation of its identity and establishment of independent, sovereign and democratic state, as Macedonian activist, fighter, statesman and as the first President of the ASNOM Presidium.

Dear family members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

A day before the day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle, we have an opportunity to correct one great historical injustice. Today, the highest state award - the Order of the Republic of Macedonia is awarded posthumously to Metodija Andonov - Cento. The great fighter for Macedonia, who, at the first ASNOM session, was elected as President of the Presidium, the supreme legislative and executive representative body and the highest body of the state authority of the Democratic Macedonia. He was elected to the same function at the second ASNOM session. At the third ASNOM session, he was elected as President of the National Assembly of the Federal Democratic Macedonia, i.e. People's Republic of Macedonia. Notwithstanding, among the people, he is known as the first President of Macedonia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Born on the eve of the glorious Ilinden Uprising in 1902 in Prilep, Metodija Andonov - Cento has grown up with the libertarian spirit of that time, the spirit that illuminated his path in the fight for the national rights of the Macedonian people - the right to identity and self-determination. For his struggle, he was arrested and convicted several times by all authorities on the territory of present-day Republic of Macedonia.
He was politically and economically active in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, defending the Macedonian national cause, advocating for greater freedom of the Macedonians, opening Macedonian language schools.
Cento was one of the organizers of Ilinden demonstrations in Prilep in 1940. For this activity he was imprisoned in Ada Ciganlija and Velika Kikinda prison. After his imprisonment, he committed himself to introducing the Macedonian language as native language in schools and he was arrested again as Macedonian nationalist and separatist, imprisoned and interned in Bajina Basta, where he was sentenced to death. Just before the capital punishment was executed, at the very last moment, due to the new circumstances in former Yugoslavia, on April 15, 1941 he was released.
Since then we recall his words: "Neither you nor anyone else can prevent us nor our children, in our homes and here during the classes, to use our native Macedonian language, because we are Macedonians and our children are Macedonian children. We, the Macedonians, have our own language and our children have the right to speak in their native language everywhere."
In the period 1935-1940 he was appointed representative of Prilep traders in the Industrial-Commercial Chamber in Skopje, where, he openly opposed the government. The authorities in Belgrade were regularly informed on his statements, and considered his views as separatist and autonomist.

In 1941 and 1942, several times he was arrested and held in the prisons in Prilep and Bitola, by the Bulgarian authorities, because he called for fight against fascism. He publicly declared "there is only one possibility to earn freedom – fight - general armed uprising!”. In 1943 he was interned near the Bulgarian-Turkish border, and later in the camp Chuchuligovo, near Petrich.
After his internment, Cento met Kuzman Josifovski - Pitu, who came from the same town, who was the main driving force for the liberation of Macedonia. Pitu was very well familiar with the role and the activities of Cento and reassured him why it was necessary to join the Liberation War. Cento already in October 1943 was on the liberated territories in Debarca. He was appointed as member of the General Staff and later as President of the ASNOM Advisory Board.
 
Driven by the principles which, according to him, "basically are not different than the principles of the Ilinden Uprising and Krushevo Republic" he struggled that the Ilinden ideals should become our reality today. He severely fought for them in the ASNOM preparations. Then, Cento wrote: "The most important act of the first Macedonian National Assembly will be the historic proclamation of the national freedom of Macedonia in entirety. In other words, it will be joyous news of the centuries-old ideal of freedom."
In June 1944, with Mane Chuchkov and Kiril Petrushev, as Macedonian delegation, they visited Vis, and a meeting with Tito and convinced him that the Macedonian people have the right to enjoy all the rights that belong to other nations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Opening the first ASNOM session, Panko Brasnarov, a living witness of the two Ilindens said: "the life-giving well of freedom is not withered. Macedonia was divided, the oppressions have changed, however, the struggle of the Macedonian people has not ceased yet.”
The vision of Cento and Brasnarov was confirmed in ASNOM Manifesto of August 2, 1944, which reads: Macedonians, the first National Assembly today comes out of the relentless struggles and bloodsheds of the best Macedonian sons; it is a symbol of your freedom and demonstrates our sovereignty and proclaims to the entire world the full national freedom of the Macedonian nation in the FIRST FREE MACEDONIAN STATE. The century-long ideal of the Macedonian nation is being achieved…"
Loyal to the democratic republican traditions, as true national tribune, Metodija Andonov - Cento left us his legacy: "the centuries-old desire of the Macedonian people came true. We will do our best to preserve freedom and equality..."

Cento, as an elected Member of the Assembly of PRM and as Member of the Parliament of Yugoslavia, submitted an amendment to the Constitution of FPRY and it was his merit that a provision was introduced on the right of individuals to self-determination, including the right of secession. Using exactly this provision, our Assembly, on January 25, 1991 adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Republic of Macedonia, seceding from the previous federation.
His sincere commitment to independent and democratic state brought him into conflict with those who had other plans for Macedonia. The communist leadership used all possible means against Cento. He was accused that he was against socialist Yugoslavia, that he was Macedonian nationalist and separatist, reactionary, representing the bourgeois democracy.
The aim was clear: his complete elimination prior the upcoming peace conference in Paris. Cento wanted to attend the Peace Conference and raise the issue of the right of the Macedonian people to self-determination.
The fierce pressure of the government of that time was the reason for him to withdraw from all functions. He returned in Prilep and was preparing to immigrate to the United States. Soon he was arrested and accused of acting against Yugoslavia, for the unification of Macedonia under the US protectorate.

Convicted by the Serbs, imprisoned by the Bulgarians, however, he stayed longest and his health became worsened, condemned by his fellow soldiers, in Macedonian prisons. For a certain period, his name and his merits were removed from the textbooks, form the books, from the history. It was also forbidden to mention his name. Therefore, Cento is a symbol of all victims of the communist regime whose only sin was his commitment for an independent, democratic and prosperous Macedonian state.

Therefore, we want to send a clear message with this event today: Macedonia will never allow show trials and totalitarianism. We will never allow the Macedonian sons to be forgotten. We will never allow others to decide of Macedonia’s fate.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

What Cento dreamt of, independent democratic Macedonian state, is finally achieved. Spiritual unification of the Macedonians as part of free Europe and free world is achieved.

However, our task is not finished yet. We must not forget the legacy that Cento left, especially now when Macedonia is faced with historic changes, when we all have to stand under the flag of independent Macedonia. Only united, we can guard the freedom, independence and democratic order. Only united we can protect Macedonia, and there should be no doubt that we will do this. We are obliged to this by Cento, by our glorious predecessors, by the generations to come.

Thank you.