Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-01-19

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] STUDENTS OF TETOVA UNIVERSITY PROTEST AGAINST INSULTS OF MACEDONIAN STUDENTS

[02] ELBASANI MAYOR MEETS WITH JOURNALISTS AND INTELLECTUALS

[03] PRESS REVIEW

[04] DECISIONS OF EXPANDED MEETING OF DP NATIONAL COUNCIL

[05] "SOCIALISTS AND THEIR LEVERS DEMAND DESTABILIZATION AND ANARCHY" - from the speech of Shehu in the DP National Council -

[06] "WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY AND STATE" - from the speech of Premier Meksi in the DP National Council -

[07] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION EXPLOITS MISFORTUNES FOR POLITICAL AIMS

[08] INTERIOR MINISTRY CONFUTES REPORT "ON INJURED" IN TODAY'S MEETING

[09] PROTESTS IN TIRANA AGAINST COLLAPSE OF "SUDE" PYRAMID SCHEME

[01] STUDENTS OF TETOVA UNIVERSITY PROTEST AGAINST INSULTS OF MACEDONIAN STUDENTS

The chairman of the Students' League of Skopje University, Toni Mircevski, said that the students are distanced from the nationalist slogans shouted a day before and considered them individual calls of students and faculties. /p.ta/jz/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] ELBASANI MAYOR MEETS WITH JOURNALISTS AND INTELLECTUALS

Seven commissions in the municipality council and 11 respective departments within this building will face with the different problems of the city.

In the meeting Dakli talked about the near urbanism projects. Speaking about the education, he set forth the aim that the Elbasani University "Aleksander Xhuvani" should play a defining role in the life of the city.

In the meeting Dakli also mentioned the first $500 000 of the investments approved for the Elbasani city, which will be used in the infrastructure of the city. /kei/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] PRESS REVIEW

"Peaceful protests" reports Zeri i Popullit. "The squares belong to the people, and nobody has the right to prevent the people to protest for protecting its own interests", reports the paper. The paper carries an interview with SP Secretary General, prof.dr. Rexhep Mejdani, under the title "The solution of the political-institutional crisis needs the contribution of all Albanian political forces and the initiative of the opposition".

"Albanians scared from the emptiness of their pockets", is the editorial of Republika paper. The project status of Republican Party is published on the pages of the paper.

Lajmi i Dites carries the chronicle of the DP National Council under the title "1997 - year of very important decisions".

Under the headline "Berisha demands to government the establishment of a special commission. Manifold help for the people cheated by the pyramidal schemes of usuries", Albania paper carries the article "Citizens to take their money". "The collapse of a pyramidal firm as it was that of "Sude" and the warnings for the other ones have woken the leadership of the left Albania opposition", reports the paper under the title "Kastriot Islami will close down the accounts of Sude".

"Today the opposition invites the people in the square", reports Dita Informacion. "There is fire between position and opposition" reports the paper in the heading "Opinion". "The current situation in the country is precipitating quickly towards the massive protests and revolts" reports the paper.

"Today, demonstration in Tirana", reports Koha Jone. "Berisha condemns usuries to death. Seizure of the companies' money", reports the paper. "State threatens the free press" is another article published by the paper. "Foreigners abuse with Albanian minors", reports the paper.

"Berisha promises: money and interest rates", writes Gazeta Shqiptare. "Police patrolled the capital even yesterday. Police cars and blue uniforms in center and crossroads. Incident at Sude", reports the paper./kled/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] DECISIONS OF EXPANDED MEETING OF DP NATIONAL COUNCIL

1. The laws on the decentralization and increase of autonomy of the local government to be presented in Parliament by the beginning of February.

2. Albania, the country of the lowest taxes, to mark with the coming three months a full turn in collecting taxes and levies in the country, in accordance with the prevision of the state budget.

3. The privatization of the medium enterprises should end within this year and to start the privatization of the big enterprises: banks, energy, mines and Telecom.

4. This year the number of students in universities should increase by 50 per cent compared to the year 1995.

To transfor the grounds of the former school of the Party into a new university center; as well as reorganization of the students' life.

5. To realize the program for the increase of salaries of employees and the defining of them in conformity with the increase of prices.

To establish a governmental commission to study the consequences' dimensions of collapse of pyramidal companies and to define manifold measures to facilitate these consequences in families and groups hit by this phenomenon.

6. To declare cities in which the free zones will be set up, to define their territories, laws and the rules for these zones and to start the activity in these zones.

7. To propose to Parliament to declare May 9th the Day of Mother.

8. All the DP structures and the state institutions to be engaged in a wide fight against criminality and implementation of law.

9. To strengthen the role of DP structures at all levels for a more active role in promoting the development of reforms and their explanation everywhere.

10. To realize a better coordination of cooperation between the structures of the party and all the state levels elected by free vote of our electorate, being more conscious and responsible in realizing our program.

11. The current two-month period should be an intensive working period for the compactness and enlarge of all our structures, starting from the farest section as a preparatory condition of the election campaign in the level of branches, which should start in spring./kled/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] "SOCIALISTS AND THEIR LEVERS DEMAND DESTABILIZATION AND ANARCHY" - from the speech of Shehu in the DP National Council -

According to a notice of Zeri i Popullit, Socialist Party, Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance, connected their protest with one of the most difficult moments for many Albanian families, who had deposited their money in the pyramid scheme "Sude", which collapsed three days ago.

With regard to the aim of this gathering, Shehu said that "their aim is to create destabilization, anarchy, to break the rules of the rule of law", meanwhile that according to the laws, gatherings in the Scanderbeg square are not permitted, and for such activities there are other places that can be used. This is made known even before when there are presented requests for such activities".

The notice of the Interior Ministry says that positive answer is given to all the requests of the opposition parties to organize meetings in the places defined for protesting gatherings.

Regarding the support of the citizens on the SP call, Shehu said that "this is an adventurous act of those SP leaders who can not be separated from the past, who have in their head Marxist mentalities. I am convinced that this is in opposition to the interests of SP intellectuals or to a leading part of SP".

According to the notice, police is resolute to guarantee order and quietness for citizens and all their rights in conformity to the laws in power./kled/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] "WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE A STRONG ECONOMY AND STATE" - from the speech of Premier Meksi in the DP National Council -

Further on, Meksi mentioned the DP attention for the continuous increase of public and private investments in the infrastructure. Considering as a promise keeping towards the electorate and DP program, Meksi mentioned the approval of the package of laws against crime, smuggling and fiscal evasion. Meksi also talked about the autonomy of local power and the law on means of public and private information, television and radiophonic.

Premier Meksi talked among others about the situation of the opposition.

"We are interested in the reformation of the opposition, in its transformation into a constructive opposition. And this starts with the return to Parliament and with the will to contribute in the development of democracy", said Meksi. /kled/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] ALBANIAN OPPOSITION EXPLOITS MISFORTUNES FOR POLITICAL AIMS

The misfortune of some individuals from the collapse of a pyramid investment scheme was exploited by the Albanian left opposition, headed by the Socialist Party, former communist, in order to reach its political aims, by shouting slogans which accused the government.

Starting from the SP headquarter, leaders of this party, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Democratic Alliance, surrounded by a group of their militants, pierced police cordons to reach the stairs of the Palace of Culture, joined by different citizens who had lost their money in "Sude" pyramid scheme, which collapsed three days ago.

"We don't need the parties, we need our money back", one citizen said.

Attending this demonstration were some other opposition leaders, among whom the former Minister of Education of the communist government during 1989-1991, SDP chairman Skender Gjinushi.

In their speeches they tried to force the crowd, which shouted "we want our money", to throw slogans to topple the government.

As it was an illegal meeting, because the request presented to the competent bodies by the organizers for demonstration in the square, was rejected, the police dispersed the crowd without incidents, by beating often the shields with their batons to try to scare demonstrators, and according to the reports, there were no injured people.

Meanwhile, the state-run television said demonstrators had daubed themselves with red ink to look as if they had been beaten, in order to manipulate the Albanian and foreign press. After they were cleaned, it came out that they had no "wounds".

For this demonstration, the competent bodies had put into disposal other squares, such as at "Ali Demi", at "Selman Stermasi" stadium, At "Asllan Rusi" Sports Hall, etc.

After the crowd had been dispersed from the main square, a part of it, some 100 people, entered the SP headquarter.

Voices of different leaders from the inside of the building, who remained anonymous, continued to speculate in a continuous way with usuries, accusing for this the government, and at the same time shouted political slogans, like: "we want Fatos Nano", "we want new elections", and called again for gathering in the square.

"I have not lost money, but I am here to express my political convictions", said a "demonstrator".

Meanwhile, the government ordered on Thursday the seizure of $255 million of the foundations "Populli" and "Xhaferri", in order to guarantee the deposits of citizens who have invested their money in these foundations. At the same time, in the meeting of the DP National Council was said that the government, with its own possibilities, will help the people who lost their money in the pyramid investment scheme "Sude".

The Albanian opposition parties, during the period these loan-taking companies conducted their activity, did not say anything against them even two weeks ago. They did not give any solution on this problem today as well.

"This demonstration clearly shows the unmorality of the Socialist Party and of the other left parties, too. This shows that they are resolute to follow by persistence the Marxist way of the permanent revolution. This is not at all a human approach of them", said DP chairman Tritan Shehu on Saturday./mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] INTERIOR MINISTRY CONFUTES REPORT "ON INJURED" IN TODAY'S MEETING

Police dispersed the crowd by pushing them with their bodies. Police did not use batons and any other rigid means.

Police rejects reports given by some correspondents of foreign news agencies on "hurt people" during the today's manifestation.

The Interior Ministry confirms that there had been no injured people during the illegal gathering of January 19, 1997.

Police detained some citizens who used red ink to seem wounded by police in order to manipulate the Albanian and foreign opinion, by presenting themselves as "victims" of the "police violation". /kled/mt/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] PROTESTS IN TIRANA AGAINST COLLAPSE OF "SUDE" PYRAMID SCHEME

The group of protesters, led by leaders of the Social Democratic Party, Skender Gjinushi and Gaqo Apostoli and SP leaders, Pandeli Majko, Musa Ulqini etc, gathered before the Palace of Culture in the center of the capital.

The Albanian left opposition had called two days ago on "protests in the square", in the Scanderbeg Square, although the competent bodies had put into their disposal others squares.

"We don't need the parties, we need our money back", said one citizen.

Police officers beat shields with their batons to try to scare demonstrators away from the avenue, and used their bodies to push people, without using batons.

After police dispersed the crowd in the main square of Tirana, at about 12 o'clock, a group of 100 persons entered the SP headquarters, where they shouted again to regather in the center of Tirana.

At midday the traffic in the center of the city returned to normal.

During the news of the afternoon, the state-run television gave sequences of some detained persons who had daubed themselves with red ink to manipulate foreign opinion by presenting themselves as "victims of the police violation" during the today's gathering.

The collapse of the loan-taking company "Sude", who had worked according to pyramid schemes, destroyed some 100 000 persons, who had invested their money there, hoping to take big profits due to the highest interest rates it offered.

The scheme manager of Sude company, Maksude Kademi, and her 18 collaborators were arrested under the accuse of fraud.

Right after the collapse the government ordered the seizure of $255 million of the foundations "Populli" and "Xhaferri", in order to guarantee the deposits of citizens invested in these foundations.

President Berisha said Saturday in the meeting of the DP National Council that the government, with its own possibilities, will help the persons who lost their money in the loan-taking company "Sude".

The loan-taking companies boomed in Albania after the fall of communism in 1990, luring thousands of Albanians into selling homes, land and livestock with promises of big returns on small sums invested./kled/mt/sh/

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

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