Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-03-14

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

News in English, 14/03/97

TITLES

• Albania at the brink of civil war.

ALBANIA

While chaos prevails in Tirane and the north of the country, rebels in the south cut off oil shipments to northern Albania, highlighting the geographical division of the country.

The Albanian government has lost its grip on the entire country. There were reports Thursday evening that President Sali Berisha himself had left the country. Earlier, Berisha, who for two weeks has refused the rebels' demand that he resign, deliberated with opposition party leaders Thursday.

With the 3 dead and 50 wounded in fighting in Tirane, and other casualties in looting and clashes around the country, the political parties have decided to ask the West European Union to impose constitutional order on the country.

Baskim Fino, the southerner appointed prime minister a few days ago to appease the rebels in the south, warns that the country is on the verge of civil war.

There have been bloody clashes in northern Albania. In Skodra, the largest city in the north, scenes familiar in the south were repeated: military bases were stormed, civilians seizing weapons. Sources say people loyal to Berisha and his opponents are have armed themselves. Five people were killed in clashes Thursday.

There has also been fighting in some sixty northern villages, apparently as residents try to settle old scores with their new weapons.

Authority has melted away even in Tirane. The airport has been closed since Wednesday night. The authorities announced that it will remain closed for two days. But two days could be a long way away:

Antenna's Stratis Liarelis reports that government forces and the police have abandoned the city: gone are the roadblocks that dotted the road from the capital to the airport just a few days ago.

Civilians who'd armed themselves fired their booty - Kalashnikov rifles - into the air all night, giving the nervous capital one more reason not to sleep.

There were revolts in the city's prisons.

Even one ruling party newspaper has suspended operations - journalists there abandoned it in fear for safety.

In Tirane, politicians search for a way out of the crisis. But just 500 metres from the centre of the capital, civilians saunter about armed with automatic weapons. And there were reports Thursday night that pro- government tanks would be drawn to defend the the centre of the capital.

Amid the chaos, it is unclear who is rebelling against whom.

One policeman in Tirane told Liarelis: "It's every man for himself. Everyone has guns. Some to fight Berisha, some to fight against him...some to defend themselves against an enemy they haven't even identified yet".

No one was even sure who was in control of the airport Thursday. Liarelis reports that he and other people attempting to approach it wer greeted by shots from armed people in civilian clothes, warning them away.

There fear of imminent war has spurred many people into trying to get out of the country. Some tried to make it to the Adriatic, to escape by sea; others headed north, toward southern Yugoslavia, where a large and restive separatist Albanian majority lives.

But, getting out may be more difficult than it is normally for the people of Europe's poorest nation. Yugoslavia has closed its border; the Former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia and Greece are on alert for waves of refugees trying to cross their borders.

Just getting out of Tirane may be difficult for many people: amid reports that pro-Berisha forces had entered the capital to defend it, the trains weren't running Thursday, as people desperately lined the tracks, waiting, hoping that their ride out would soon be along.

And with the fear of war, comes the fear of hunger. People have raided stores of flour, in the hopes of guaranteeing tomorrow's food.

In the south, rebels have organised themselves and imposed at least a semblance of order. The first ship laden with food and medical supplies docked in rebel-held Saranta Thursday. The Greek consul general from nearby Argyrokastro, the two leaders of the rebels, and a number of armed insurgents were on hand to guarantee that the ship was not raided, and that distribution was carried out calmly and fairly.

The Popular Salvation Committee, the committee of the rebels in the southern cities insists that they will put aside their weapons only when Berisha resigns.

And the feeling in the Argyrokastro area is that Berisha will soon fall. Rebels in the village of Libokovo said Thursday that prime minister Fino is ready to free socialist leader Fatos Nano; Nano didn't wait - he escaped Thursday.

Whatever Berisha's real intentions and contingency plans, Berisha has not yet TALKED of throwing in the towel. In the new interim coalition government set up, his party has held on to the crucial interior ministry, the ministry that controls the secret service and the nation's election machinery. That prompted one party to quit the coalition.

In the south, there were the first signs of acts directed against the north by rebels who have so far said the only thing they want is Berisha's resignation. In Balsi, rebels have taken hold of the southern part of the country's largest oil refinery, allowing oil shipments to go only to destinations in southern Albania.

Rebels say Berisha's agents provacateurs tried to blow up the refinery during protests several weeks ago. They want to safeguard the refinery from similar acts of sabotage, they say.

Rebels guarding the refinery repeated their common complaint to Antenna's Vassilis Hitos, "Berisha's a thief. He's got to go".

ALBANIA DIPLOMATIC

The Greek foreign minister was scheduled to fly to Tirane for talks with political leaders Friday, but that trip was postponed by the closure of the Tirane airport.

Greek deputy foreign minister Giannos Kranidiotis is due in the southern port of Saranta, with its large Greek minority, Friday.

More on the Greek reaction to Albania, in this report.

Ethnic-Greeks in rebel-held Avlona appealed to Greece to help them Thursday.

Greece wants to do all it can to help find a peaceful settlement in Albania. It is sending aid, and keeping in close contact with politicans and Greek minority members there.

But, during a televised interview Thursday, Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis made it clear his country has no intention of meddling in Albania's affairs.

Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos says the greatest possible consensus among all sides is imperative in Albania. All sides should work together, he added, to set the country on the road to democracy and a free market economy.

Tsochatzopoulos also said the international community has got to keep an eye on the wider Balkan region for signs of instability.

New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert agrees with that. He discussed developments in Albania with Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos. Afterwards, Evert said, "A generalised civil war is possible. Bold initiatives are needed. The European Union", he added, "must tell Berisha the truth", seeming to suggest that Berisha should resign.

FYROM

An estimated 30 thousand people have lost millions of German marks in the TAT bank, the director of which was arrested recently on charges of fraud.

The nationalist, non-parliamentary party VMRO has demanded the government resign, warning that the otherwise, Monastiri could come to resemble an Albanian rebel town.

SIMITIS

Prime minister Kostas Simitis defended foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos's recent statement that Turkey is a European nation. Greece wants Turkey in the European Union, said Simitis, and Greece would benefit from it. "But there are conditions", he added. "First, Turkey must take its claims on Imia or any other part of Greece, if it insists on making them, to the international court. And it must agree to have the issue of the Aegean continental shelf decided by the court.

Asked about his refusal to meet the economic demands of the nation's farmers for higher subsidies, Simitis said, "The government doesn't give presents. It holds serious discussions of economic issues with cabinet members and groups making financial demands". There was no room to give in tot he farmers' demands, he explained.

As for striking teachers asking for higher raises than the government is offering, Simitis said "teachers are badly paid, if you consider what their work is worth. But not if you compare their wages and raises with what people in other jobs are getting".

Asked about the increased tax burden Pasok is hoisting upon the nation, Simitis said that the government was unable to make all the spending cuts it wanted to, because of social welfare needs. But he also said that the tax burden is falling on the backs of the haves, not the have nots.

TEACHERS

The education ministry appears to have balked after announcing that every day the strike continues this week will add a day to the school year.

The deputy education minister now says the government will reveal its intentions next week.

A majority of the striking teachers are in favour of continuing the strike into next week.

BASKETBALL

Aris lost the second leg of its semi-final bout with Trevizo Wednesday, 87- 86. But it won the first contest by four, giving it the ticket to the final by virtue of its better points aggregate.

The Aris victory was celebrated in the streets of Thessaloniki all night.

Aris takes on Turkish team Tofas Boursa in the home- and-away final, on March 26th and April 2nd.

RESCUE

Safe, sound, and smiling, the group that left for the three-day weekend last week, ran into more snow than they had bargained for.

They had to abandon their car before reaching their winter destination.

One of the members of the group explained that they spent four days in a near-by refuge.

Alarmed, relatives alerted the authorities, who launched a search in the snow. Some snowdrifts were four metres deep.

The party of five arrived safe and sound in Ypati Wednesday night.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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