Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-03-07

Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 07/03/97

TITLES

• Former military officers bring discipline to the ranks of Albania's rebels.
• Residents in northern Greece fear armed raiders from across the border.
• And, New Democracy's leadership candidates have a productive meeting.

ALBANIA

But Antenna's correspondents in rebel areas say that the picture on the ground is very different: that the rebels are now methodically organising their resistance to an eventual government offensive.

With rebel and government forces combat ready, Albanian president Sali Berisha has given the insurgents 48 hours, starting 6 am Friday, to hand in their weapons.

Berisha and representatives of 8 opposition parties agreed to the ultiatum Thursday. Berisha in turn agrees to grant a general amnesty and to call off all military operations in southern Albania.

Berisha also agrees to find a prime minister all the parties can agree to, and to set up an all- party committee to investigate the investment schemes that set off the protests when they went belly up almost two months ago.

But in Agiou Saranta, the main port city in southern Albania, the population showed no signs of lowered resistance.

rally greeted the Berisha ultimatum with enthusiastic defiance Thursday night, they insisted that Berisha must go, and demanded their money back.

Two former army officers who've taken on the responsibility of organising the rebels in the port city of Agiou Saranta, at the centre of the rebellion, spoke to Antenna.

Jerat Cotsia and Mustapha Golemi said they are playing no political role; their only brief is to organise the defence of the city. They explained that the rebels have no intention of trying to bring about the fall of the government militarily. But they added that the people consider Berisha a dictator, and they won't lay down their weapons unless he resigns.

Everywhere, the rebels are organising themselves. In Agiou Saranta, the chaos of previous days was gone. There were no marauding bands of youths firing their automatic weapons into the air

Thursday, no joy-riders firing out of car windows. Instead, military discipline reigns. Scores of former army officers have taken over, turning the anarchic rebels into an army; and there are committees to run operations, though these apparently have not taken on any political clear political hue.

In Agiou Saranta, and in nearby Delvino and Tebeleni, the rebels have set up roadblocks, and booby-trapped roads at key points.

The defiant firing of weapons WAS in evidence in Tebeleni and nearby Memali- eh. The jubilation followed a raid on the largest army base in southern Albania. The rebels seized guns, bullets, cannons, and shells. And the insurgents in the south have several tanks in their possession.

Thursady afternoon, rebels arrested four Berisha agents at the edge of the town. The agents were armed and had a radio.

In Tebeleni and Memali-eh, residents are angry and hungry. "Everyone's armed", one man told Antenna. "We want Berisha out and our money back".

A bridge not far from Delvino, near the road to government-held Argyrokastro, was blown up. Some say that was to prevent Sali Berisha's forces from advancing on the rebels. But some rebels in Delvino say the government forces blew up the bridge, to make people think the rebels are simply bent on mindless destruction, and to make it difficult for the rebels to move around.

In Agiou Saranta, there was a peaceful rally in the central square Thursday morning; school children cheered, waved the country's naval flag, and shouted anti-government slogans. The message: we don't want war, but we won't live under Berisha any more.

And life in the port city seemed to have reverted pretty much to normal. People went calmly and without evident concern about their business, and their are no food shortages.

The veneer of normalcy would be shattered quickly should war break out.

The hospital in Agiou Saranta is having difficulty even coping with the handful people wounded so far. One thirty-year-old man with two children was in critical condition. Doctors say that

Opoter Vishy, shot in the liver and lung during a skirmish wit government forces Wednesday, would die if he isn't evacuated immediately to a larger hospital. With the rebel areas cut off by the government forces, the only hope was for Vishy to be taken to Greece, and he and another seriously injured man were taken to Corfu.

None of the other casualties are in any danger, say doctors. Some of the wounded men residents claim are government agents, are handcuffed in their beds.

In Avlona, doctors say seven people died of wounds from Kalashnikov rifles Wednesday - 25 have died since last Friday. And there is concern at reports that Berisha has armed 5 thousand members of his Democratic Party in the area.

Residents say at least four rebels and two government soldiers were wounded in one skirmish east of Agiou Saranta, which ended with the government forces retreating. Soldiers at an army base in Tebeleni fled without a fight, leaving a considerable cashe of weapons behind.

Among the military hardware the insurgents have are, of course, the omnipresent Kalashnikov's. But they also have heavier weapons, including bazookas and anti-aircraft guns.

The hope of everyone is that they will not be used. Appealing for self- restraint and dialogue, Orthodox archbishop of America Anastasios said conflict and bloodshed must be avoided.

Whether that can be done is unclear.

Thomas Mitsou, and MP for Ag Saranta, told Antenna Thursday night that the people will only give up their guns when Berisha gives up his post.

There's a lack of trust in the government, he added, but also said he believes the offer made by Berisha and the opposition parties is just the first step of a Berisha retreat to resignaton and early elections.

ALBANIA REACTION

As the current European Union chair, Holland is responsible for coordinating EU efforts to help smoothe things out in Albania.

More on Greece and Europe's response to the crisis in this report.

Greek deputy foreign minister Giannos Kranidiotis is going to Tirane on Saturday. Kranidiotis says he will meet with government and opposition leaders, with orthodox archbishop Anastasios, and with Greek-minority leaders. He added that he will convey Greece's concerns over the fate of the Greek minority in southern Albania.

But New Democracy vice president Iannis Varvitsiotis says the Pasok government has done little to guarantee the minority's well-being. "Protecting the minority should be the government's first priority", he explained. "The government has been unprepared for this crisis".

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas says the situation in Albania doesn't appear to be deteriorating. He added that international diplomatic efforts are helping things take a positive turn.

Greek European Union commissioner Christos Papoutsis says the EU is determined to do what it can to help Albania get through its crisis. The EU, he added, believes a democratic political solution should be found through dialogue.

The international community is still weighing up the pros and cons of its different options.

Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos told Nato that Greece would be prepared to take part in a multi-national alliance force in Albania, if such intervention is deemed necessary.

Justice minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos rejected Pasok MP and former minister Stelios Papathemelis's call for Greece independently to send troops to Albania. Yiannopoulos said that would be interfering in the affairs of another nation

SECURITY

Greek police and military patrols along the border have been stepped up. 50 men from special units have been drafted in from Athens to help out, and helicopters scout from the air.

The main worry is that armed bands may start sneaking across the border.

One woman who lives a two hour walk from Albania says she's so scared of raiders that she can't sleep at night.

ND

After the balloting for 1309 voting delegates to the congress by New Democracy members, current party leader Miltiades Evert's camp said their man had won 46 per cent of the delegeates. But contender Giorgos Souflias's people said the MP had 47 per cent of the delegates in HIS corner; and the word from MP Kostas Karmanlis's corner was that HE had 44 per cent of the delegates in his pocket. Add it all up, and it comes to 137 per cent.

Despite their different assessments of the delegate vote, the candidates were all pleased with the way their meeting went Thursday.

Souflias said that they agreed on a number of changes that need to be made in the way the party works.

Karmanlis, and MP Vyron Polydoras also said the meeting had been fruitful.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article