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Albanian Times, 96-05-28
Albanian Times
May 28, 1996
CONTENTS
[01] Opposition Calls for Mass Rally
[02] Observers Mixed About Poll
[03] Berisha Promises Respect for Opposition
[04] Italy Concerned Over Albanian Elections
[05] Albania:Post-Election Worries
[06] Quake Shakes Albanian South
[01] Opposition Calls for Mass Rally
TIRANA, May 28 - Albania's opposition called for a mass
demonstration in Tirana on Tuesday, setting a collision course with
a
government that says it will use force if necessary to break up the
protest.
The opposition has urged the mass action in the centre of the capital
to
protest against elections it says were a sham. The ex-communist country edged
towards political chaos after nine opposition groups withdrew half way through
the Balkan state's third multi-party polls on Sunday, alleging that the ruling
Democrats had manipulated the ballot. ``We decided that tomorrow at 12 noon
in Skanderbeg Square, all the parties call on their disillusioned
electors...to come together and demonstrate for...clean and fair elections,''
said Neritan Ceka, speaking on behalf of six opposition parties, including the
key Socialists.'' The Interior Ministry announced on Monday that the planned
protest was illegal because it had not been approved three days in advance as
required by law. The ministry said it would use force if necessary to ensure
the law was upheld. If opposition deputies stick to their threats and refuse
to take up their parliamentary seats, analysts said the legitimacy of
parliament could be called into question, and with it the country's fledgling
democracy. ``We do not reco
gnise the outcome of the election. We will not take up our seats in
parliament... because we cannot sit beside those who stole the vote,'' said
Ceka, who is leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance. At 1930 GMT on
Monday, the Central Electoral Commission, set up to organise the vote, said it
had received less than half of the ballot papers from the country's 4,703
polling stations and was still unable to issue a provisional result.
Long before the results were announced, Democratic Party supporters
flooded city streets across the country in a non-stop victory bash
which
began on Sunday night. Most leftists have stayed out of public view.
Despite repeated opposition statements denouncing the vote as a farce
and
reports from European observers confirming some election irregularities,
there have been no reports of violence on the streets since the polls closed.
(Albanian Times/Reuters)
[02] Observers Mixed About Poll
TIRANA, May 27 - European observers and delegates from a European security
forum said on Monday they had seen many irregularities in Albania's general
election in which the ruling Democrats claimed victory. Therese Boutsen,
president of the Belgian young socialists, spoke of ``pressure and
intimidation measures exerted by police against opposition
members and supporters.'' Some people had sustained broken noses and ribs in
confrontations with police, she was quoted as saying. A parliamentary
delegation of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
said that ``the state-owned media and some authorities were not entirely
unbiased.'' Jean-Francois Vallin, secretary-general of the Socialist group in
the European Parliament (PES), also said the election had been unfair due in
part to the absence of opposition members in the polling commissions set up to
organise the vote. ``The PES delegation has experienced several severe
violations of the Albanian election laws,'' a statement said. However, a
spokesman for the OSCE said the elections were held in a quiet and peaceful
atmosphere and the electorate has expressed freely their will. "The officials
at the polling stations, in general, performed their duties in an orderly
manner and in accordance with the law," the spokesman said. (Albanian
Times)
[03] Berisha Promises Respect for Opposition
TIRANA, May 27 - Albanian President Sali Berisha told a news conference in
Tirana that the vote of the opposition in the Parliament will be fully
respected. "They will have their own place in the Parlament despite their
absurd decision." "With yesterday's vote everybody is a winner. The losers
were a handful of Marxists," Berisha said. Berisha assured the Albanians that
his government would use the election victory to consolidate democracy in
Albania and to guarantee the development of Albania along a fast paced
economic pattern. Berisha's office said on Monday that the elections were
free and fair, but added that Albania needs more time to have a "perfect
procedure." "The run-off elections will be free and fair and whoever wants
may come and monitor them," the president's office said. (Albanian
Times)
[04] Italy Concerned Over Albanian Elections
ROME, May 27 - European Union president Italy said on Monday
it was following events in Albania closely after Sunday's general election in
which the governing party claimed a big victory but the opposition branded the
process a charade. ``Italy...hopes that all sides will demonstrate the utmost
moderation, balance and constructivity in this delicate phase,'' the Italian
foreign ministry said in a statement.
Italy stressed it was making the statement ``also in its role as EU
president'' and said it was waiting for the report of international
election
observers, due on Tuesday. The governing Democratic Party of conservative
President Sali Berisha denounced the opposition election boycott as
``irresponsible and absurd.'' (Albanian Times/Reuters)
[05] Albania:Post-Election Worries
TIRANA, May 28 - Albania faces the worst crisis of its young
democracy after an election denounced as illegal by nearly all the
Balkan
state's opposition, analysts said. Conservative President Sali Berisha and
his ruling Democratic Party were feted by jubilant supporters as the clear
winners in the parliamentary election minutes after polls closed on Sunday in
more than 24 hours of celebrations. First results had been expected on Monday
but election officials said they were more likely to come on Tuesday.
While the Democrats prepared for a second term in government in what
they
predict will be a bigger landslide victory than the 62 percent they won
in
the last nationwide poll in 1992, opposition leaders met behind closed
doors
to mull their next steps after pulling out of Sunday's ballot. The Socialist
Party of reformed communists and three other parties, representing 52 deputies
out of the 56 in opposition in the last assembly, announced they would not
take up their seats in the new parliament. ``I certainly did not expect
this,'' said one Western analyst, visiting Tirana as an unoffical observer.
``It will look very strange if there are only Democrat deputies sitting in
parliament with no opposition.'' The call to the streets raised the pervasive
tension in the country at a time when Albania was considered to be one of the
most stable corners of the volatile Balkan region. The crisis puts the United
States and Europe in a dilemma. (Albanian Times/Reuters)
[06] Quake Shakes Albanian South
TIRANA, May 27 - A minor earthquake shook Albania's rural
south on Monday, the state news agency ATA said. ATA, quoting Albania's
Seismological Institute, said the quake measured 4.0 on the Richter scale,
which could be powerful enough to cause serious structural damage in a heavily-
populated area. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage to
buildings, it added. The epicentre was reported near the town of Tepelena,
about 150 km (95 miles) south of Tirana, where Albanian Socialist Party leader
Fatos Nano is in jail on charges of embezzlement. (Albanian Times/Reuters)
This material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting
International. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, please
write to AlbaTimes@aol.com
Copyright © ATCI, 1996
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