ATA News from Albania, 96-09-05

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From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TIRANA

[02] PRESS RELEASE OF INFORMATION OFFICE AT THE PRESIDENCY

[03] POLITICAL PARTIES REACH CONSENSUS IN ROUND TABLE

[04] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER MEETS ODHIR DELEGATION

[05] FIVE MEDALS AWARDED TO ALBANIAN ATHLETES IN BALKAN CHAMPIONSHIP

[06] DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE PARTY BOYCOTTS ROUND TABLE

[07] CONSENSUS A LA TABLE RONDE DES PARTIS CONCERNANT LES ELECTIONS LOCALES

[08] EU APPROVES TWENTY MILLION ECUs FOR SALARIES IN ALBANIA

[01] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TIRANA

"I am pleased to welcome you as the representative of a great friendly country," Berisha said.

He added, "I want to express my gratitude for the generous help the U.S. has rendered at the beginning of the democratic processes in Albania and is rendering now. Albania considers a priority the friendship and all round cooperation with the U.S. Its achievements are based on the big potentiality of freedom and international solidarity in which the United States occupies one of the first places."

Berisha said that Albania is determined to continue its efforts for the consolidation of the rule of law, market economy and integration into Europe as demands of the Albanian people.

After conveying the greetings of the U.S. president Bill Clinton to President Berisha, the Ambassador Lino handed on to him a photo of the meeting of Presidents Berisha and Clinton in the White House.

Lino said: "I am very pleased to come to Albania as the U.S. Ambassador. I am very interested in friendship and cooperation between the two countries and I want to assure you that I am totally determined and committed to give my contribution in this direction."

President Berisha asked the Ambassador Lino to convey to President Clinton the cordial greetings and his estimation that the decision of the President Clinton against the reprisals of Saddam Hussein on Kurds is a just response against an incorrigible dictator. ake/ak/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] PRESS RELEASE OF INFORMATION OFFICE AT THE PRESIDENCY

The government forces and those of the opposition expressed unanimously that the electoral law is good but it needs some explaining amendments.

After a constructive debate the round table reached the following conclusions by consensus:

1. The deputy chairman of all the election commissions in all levels should be from the opposition and he will have the right of signature and vote on all the documents and decisions taken by the board of the election commission and sign all the documents related to the process of voting.

2. Antigenocide law should be amended and be subjected to the process of verification in compliance with this law only for the mayors. (There were different views on the law i.e. some wanted this law be abrogated and others thought this law be elaborated, but the above conclusion was totally reached).

3. The time at the disposal of the TV should be equal both for the government forces and the opposition as it is defined in the present law and the central election commission should set up a group including representatives from the government forces and opposition to monitor the observance of this law by the TV.

4. To change the ballot paper by placing squares before every candidates and electoral force with the aim of simplifying the process of voting.

5. Members of the election commission should have full legal guarantees for their activity and severe legal sanctions be imposed on for every withdrawal from the process of voting.

6. The government should clearly define the way of financing the electoral forces which should be vote-money.

7. To abrogate the 1991 decree on gatherings and demonstrations, though this decree has not been used in electoral campaigns and be replaced with a new law on contemporary standards.

8. Police should be given written instructions on their rights and tasks in the day of elections and they should be put under the full control of the board of the election commission.

9. A certificate bearing the photo of the holder should be used in case the identity paper is lost.

10. All the members of the election commission are obliged to sign the reports and each of them should have a copy.

11. These changes should be reflected in the electoral law within September 12, 1996.

The round table was characterised by understanding.

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] POLITICAL PARTIES REACH CONSENSUS IN ROUND TABLE

"All political forces held constructive talks today", Tritan Shehu, chairman of the Democratic party (DP) said.

All, except the Democratic Alliance party which did an absurd act by calling the meeting of the main party leaders an agriculture cooperative, were present to find an optimal solution to go to the local elections more prepared, he added.

Shehu said that today's meeting confirmed the DP position for a transparancy on the law on local elections and to assure a regular continuation of the process of voting and counting of votes.

"I think that this meeting reached its aim for most of the problems it handled, but there are yet others to be discussed. I believed that a good part of the demands on the law was treated relatively right," Et'hem Ruka, the leader of the Socialist party (SP) said.

"SP expressed its readiness to take part in elections in order to oppose the propaganda which aim at urging this party towards boycott. We, naturally, will have claims for political, juridical and technical guarantees," Ruka said.

Socialists, Social Democrats, Democratic Alliance party which had boycotted the party round table with the president about a month ago and had said that they would not take part in the local elections changed view.

The Republican leader Sabri Godo said, "the law should strengthen the belief in people that the elections should be free."

While the leader of the Human Rights Union party (HRUP) Vasil Melo said this meeting made us all undestood that we were not so far from each other regarding the problems we are concerned about.

"I believe that a kind of understanding for main things was reached and all the political forces reached a mutual credibility that there exist a common will to participate in free, democratic and acceptable elections," Melo said

The round table reached a concession that the deputy chairman of the election commission be a Socialist at least in majority of zones in which the SP has the majority in the local government. In the minority zones the chairman should be from the HRUP. According to this the deputy chairman should have the same rights with the chairman and secretary, thus he practically should sign, follow all the process of voting and counting of votes.

Police neutrality in polling stations was another problem discussed. The police forces should not be under the orders of the head of the polling stations but should be called by the consensus of representatives of the greater force and the opposition in which the Socialist party should be taken into consideration.

"All problems related to the voting commissions were solved," Shehu said.

All the political forces which have a member in the commissions will take a report signed by all the members of the commission and they should be obliged to sign it.

"Non signing is the same as boycotting and is punished by law," Shehu said.

"We would like that this round table continue in order to solve the problems of the constitution and the early parliamentary elections," Ruka said.

He added: "The law is good but it needs some improvements which naturally result from the time it was approved in 1992, that is, problems related to the organisation of the local government in that period."

The round table with consensus limited the space of action of the law on genocide for the proposed candidatures. The majority of political forces and the president shared the view that all the levels of the commune should not be included in verification. The law on scrutiny of political figures should be subjected only to 43 mayors.

Ruka said that the meeting "did not need any foreign mediator" as the Central Pole, Social democrats and Democratic Alliance party has asked for. He refused to comment on the withdrawal of the Democratic Alliance party representative Gjergj Zefi. pas/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER MEETS ODHIR DELEGATION

Arbnori briefed her on the political life in Albania and the situation before the local elections, assuring that they are taking all the measures for their continuity.

He informed the delegation on the engagement to improve the law on local elections, public gatherings, commissions' makeup, and possible amendments to the genocide law.

Glover praised their engagement to improve these aspects which are closely related to the continuity of the elections and offered technical assistance from the Institution she heads.

The meeting was characterized by a friendly and warm climate./s.sh/jz/mt/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] FIVE MEDALS AWARDED TO ALBANIAN ATHLETES IN BALKAN CHAMPIONSHIP

At the end of the championship, Albanian team won five medals - one gold, two silver and two bronze. /jz/mt/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE PARTY BOYCOTTS ROUND TABLE

"We consider this table a cooperative and we ask for the election law be subjected to changes", Gjergj Zefi, party representative said.

Zefi, whose party agreed to take part in the round table after the Socialist Party and the Social Democratic Party accepted to participate in after the request by the Council of Europe, said that "I do not have any prejudices about the round table, but we leave because it lasted more that it has been planned". /jz/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] CONSENSUS A LA TABLE RONDE DES PARTIS CONCERNANT LES ELECTIONS LOCALES

"L'entretien d'aujourd'hui entre toutes les forces politiques était constructif", a dit le président du PD Tritan Shehu après la table ronde. Tous étaient venus pour trouver la meilleure solution possible pour préparer le mieux les élections au niveau du pouvoir local, excepté le PAD qui réalisa un geste absurde en qualifiant d'une coopérative agricole la rencontre des leaders des principaux partis politiques".

Shehu a dit que la réunion a confirmé l'attitude du PD pour une transparence dans la loi des élections du pouvoir local et pour assurer une continuation régulière du processus du vote et du scrutin.

"Je pense que cette réunion a abouti à son but pour la plupart des problèmes. Naturellement il y a des problèmes qui prêtent à disscussion, mais je dis qu'une bonne partie des demandes que nous avons concernant la loi a été reflétée d'une façon relativement juste", a dit le leader du PS Et'hem Ruka.

"Le PS a exprimé sa disposition de participer aux élections, a dit Ruka, pour s'opposer à la propagande faite pour pousser ce parti à entreprendre le boycottage. Naturellement nous avons des prétentions pour des garanties politiques, juridiques et techniques, a ajouté Ruka".

Le PS, le PSD et le PAD qui avaient boycotté la table ronde des partis avec le président il y a plus d'un mois et avaient dit qu'ils ne participeraient pas aux élections locales, ont changé d'avis hier.

Selon le leader du PR Sabri Godo, "la loi doit renforcer la confiance des gens qu'il y aura des élections libres". Le président du PBDNJ Vasil Melo a dit que cela était une réunion ou nous avons tous réalisé que nos opinions ne divergeaient pas tellement concernant les problèmes qui nous préoccupent. "Je pense qu'a été créée la crédibilité réciproque de toutes les forces politiques qu'il existe une volonté commune de nous rendre dans les élections libres et démocratiques acceptables pour tous", a dit Melo.

A la table ronde a été faite une concession: que le vice-président de la commission électorale soit du PS dans la plus grande partie des circonscriptions, là où le PS a la majorité au pouvoir local. Pour les circonscriptions de la minorité le président sera du PBDNJ. Selon cela, le vice-président aura les mêmes droits que le président et le secrétaire , donc pratiquement il doit signer et suivre tous le processus de vote et de scrutin.

Parmi les autres problèmes que nous avons discuté était la neutralité de la police dans les bureaux de vote, ou le policier ne peut pas être sous les ordres du président du bureau de vote, mais doit être appelé avec le consensus du représentant de la plus grande force et de l'opposition où l'on prendra en considération même le Parti socialiste.

Tous les problèmes qui se reliaient aux commissions de vote ont été résolus, a dit Shehu.

Tous les sujets politiques qui ont des membres à la commission prendront chacun un proces-verbal signé par tous les membres de la commission, donc tous les membres de la commission seront obligés de signer.

"Ne pas signer est égal au boycottage et est un acte condamné par la loi, a dit Shehu.

"Nous souhaiterions que cette table ronde soit poursuivie afin de résoudre les problèmes de la Constitution et des élections parlementaires anticipées", a souligné Ruka, lequel concernant la loi a dit qu'"elle est une bonne loi, mais qui demande des améliorations qui sont naturellement nécessaire par rapport au temps lorsqu'elle était approuvée en 1992, des problèmes qui se relient à l'organisation du pouvoir local dans cette période - là".

La table ronde par consensus a limité l'espace d'action de la loi du génocide pour les candidatures qui seront présentées. L'opinion de la majorité des forces politiques et la prononciation du Président était que tous les niveaux de la commune ne doivent pas être inclus dans la vérification. A la loi de la vérification des figures seront soumis seulement les 43 présidents des mairies.

Selon Ruke dans la rencontre on" n'a pas senti le besoin d'une médiation étrangère" comme demandaient les partis du Pôle du centre le PSD et le PAD, tandis que concernant le départ du représentant du PAD Gjergj Zefi de la réunion, Ruka n'a pas accepté de faire de commentaire./tt/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] EU APPROVES TWENTY MILLION ECUs FOR SALARIES IN ALBANIA

"The assistance of the European Union is a support for the developments, democratic processes, democratic government in Albania. It is an assistance for what we have achieved," Tritan Shehu, deputy prime minister and Foreign Minister said.

He added: "I considered this a way of development and cooperation and for Albania's integration in E.U. ake/jz/ak/Z/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

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