ATA News from Albania (96-06-03)

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] BALLI KOMBETAR CANDIDATE WINS IN VLORA CONSTITUENCY

[02] PRELIMINARY RESULTS IN THE RUN - OFF CONSTITUENCIES; SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

[03] ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH HIS AUSTRIAN COUNTERPART

[04] PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

[05] KOSOVA ALBANIANS PROTEST IN GENEVA AS SUMMIT ON BOSNIA CONTINUES

[06] CHAIRMAN OF THE HUNGER STRIKE STAFF OF SOCIALIST CANDIDATES ACCEPTS "HALF OF THE FAULT" FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SOCIALIST PARTY FROM MAY 26 ELECTIONS

[07] INTERIOR MINISTRY PRESS RELEASE

[08] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TAKES DECISIONS

[01] BALLI KOMBETAR CANDIDATE WINS IN VLORA CONSTITUENCY

Some 30 polling stations, among 50 of the constituency have sent so far their final results forms. From the information given on telephone it results that the participation to the voting is 65 - 70 per cent. There are areas like Lepenice and Gumenice where the participation has been 100 per cent.

The candidate of the Balli Kombetar party has won so far 80 per cent of the votes based on the results of 30 voting stations. But, as Armando Dule, chairman of the commission, says, the number of voters in this commune is about 4 000 from the 15 000 which is the total number of voters in this consituency.

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] PRELIMINARY RESULTS IN THE RUN - OFF CONSTITUENCIES; SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

Participation winning party

1.Vlora 65 per cent 85 % of votes Balli Kombetar 2.Lushnje 65 per cent not confirmed 3.Gjirokaster 48.3 per cent 84.4 % Democratic Party 4.Permet 51 per cent 80 % of votes, DP 5.Elbasan 60 per cent 81 % of votes, DP 6.Mirdite 61 per cent Republikan party 7.Pogradec 55 per cent Republican party 8.Korce 52.3 per cent 80 % of votes, DP 9.Librazhd 61 per cent 85 % of votes, DP

Sources from the Commission said the Democratic party is leading as well in the second round and its candidates have obtained more votes in the second round than in the first one. The overall participation in the second round is about 60 per cent.

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH HIS AUSTRIAN COUNTERPART

The two ministers discussed the Central Europe Initiative and the possibilities created for a more qualitative cooperation between the CEI countries and Albania.

Mr Schuessel voiced his belief that the second round of elections in Albania will be marked by correctness and tranquillity. In this context he congratulated Serreqi on the landslide victory of the democratic forces in the first round of elections in Albania and assured of Austria's further and full support.

They dwelt on questions of the situation in the region and the extreme tense situation in Kosova.

During the conference Minister Serreqi also met and had separate talks with the foreign ministers of Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia and with representatives of the European Union and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. ake/kei/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

Sources from the Commission say the Democratic party is also leading in the second round and its candidates have obtained more votes than in the first round. Overall participation of voters in the second round is about 60 per cent.

Taking part in the second round ballot are five parties: The Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Human Rights Union Party, the Social- Democratic Union Party, the Balli Kombetar Party and the Legaliteti League Party.

In the meantime five opposition parties, the Socialist Party (SP), the Social-Democratic Party (SDP), the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP), The National Unity Party (NUP), and the Agrarian Party (AP), which boycotted the elections in the first round three hours before ballot was over when they pulled out of election commissions their representatives, are not taking part in the second round, alleging that the first round elections was manipulated by the Democratic Party.

The DP won in the first round of poll on a majority system in 95 of 115 constituencies, against five constituencies of the SP and two of the HRUP.

In the elections in 1992, 90 of the 100 deputies elected on the majority system were from DP, six from SP, two of HRUP, one from the SDP and one from RP (SDP and RP won these seats only in zones the DP left free for them.)

Left wing parties had called on their electorate not to take part in the second re-run.

Foreign observers monitored voting in eight of nine constituencies in which second round of elections was held. kei/lm/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] KOSOVA ALBANIANS PROTEST IN GENEVA AS SUMMIT ON BOSNIA CONTINUES

According to this agency the demonstrators called on the contact group to exercise a pressure on Serbs so that they put an end to the oppression in Kosova.

English press agency Reuter reports that 3000 Albanians during the demonstration said that the Serbian leader Milosevic should be tried in the Hague court for the repression exercised in Kosova.

The Kosova region was unjustly truncated from the country and was annexed to Serbia according to a decision of the Ambassadors' Conference in 1913 in London.

This manifestation was organised at the same time a meeting on Bosnia was being held in the UN Palace in Geneva.

The US Secretary of State Warren Christopher and the Serbian, Croat, Bosnian presidents respectively Slobodan Milosevic, Franjo Tugjman and Alija Izetbegovic attended the meeting. sara/gen/fh/g

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] CHAIRMAN OF THE HUNGER STRIKE STAFF OF SOCIALIST CANDIDATES ACCEPTS "HALF OF THE FAULT" FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SOCIALIST PARTY FROM MAY 26 ELECTIONS

Candidates for deputies presented by the Socialist party in the May 26 elections are in a hunger strike in the SP headquarters in Tirana since last Friday.

Passers-by round the SP headquarters walk indifferently. Three policemen keep looking calmly at money changers, who also addressed us with: "Any dollars, DM or drachmas to change?" Policemen keep calm although a crowd of 20 people in the yard of the Socialist party headquarters utter offences for the president, the government and call for gathering through a communist song of World War Second. A man with a hat, about 60, chants slogans which are repeated by the whole crowd in chorus.

Passers-by stop with curiosity for a moment and look at the crowd consisting of old people with sports caps, some boys with an intimidating view and several women with bags in their hands.

We enter the main hall with the impression that we will not be allowed to go into as it happened with Albanian TV reporters. A guard does not allow anyone to go inside. He asks our names and somebody else from inside the headquarters where hunger strikers are, give our names to the strike leader, Pandeli Majko.

Majko welcomes us kindly and gives us an authorization to enter up to the inner stairs of the building, but refuses to allow us to visit the hall where socialist candidates are staging their hunger strike. He himself looks calm and without problems related to the lack of food.

Former chairman of euro-socialists Pandeli Majko, now substituted by Ilir Meta, agrees to respond our questions:

ATA: As we see, are the permissions to come here authorized by you?

Majko: Yes.

ATA: This is a hunger strike and I believe people are not allowed to come out of the hunger strike.

Majko: Anyhow, rules are strict, with some small exception, especially for those candidates for deputy who have come from the districts. In a meeting we unanimously decided to stage a hunger strike but participants could not inform their families about it. Family members have come to meet the hunger strikers who are also allowed for such contacts. They have brought things like cigarettes and clothes, which are allowed according to the regulation of the strike.

ATA: The press says that most of participants in the hunger strike are candidates for deputy who did not win in the last elections or deputies in the former legislature who were not standing for these elections. How would you comment it?

Majko: The present participants in the hunger strike are only candidates for deputy standing for the May 26 elections. Regarding the fact who won and who did not win, I may say that the result is based only on the figures of the democratic party, while our reports about elections show we have a higher percentage of votes than presented.

ATA: Are your data based on polls?

Majko: I would like to repeat a statement made not only by foreign reporters bur especially by eurosocialists of a district who consider the hunger strike as the legitimate parliament of Albania.

ATA: Do you refer to results issued by the polls with people?

Majko: Let us not go into confidential talk. We have our own information.

ATA: You have said that elections were manipulated by the state, Berisha, the National Information Service (NIS) and by other people. But we have noted that the results of these elections are not much different from those of 1992. In the 1992 elections 92 candidates for deputy of the democratic party won through direct voting while in 1996, their number was 96. Six candidates of SP won in the first legislature, five have won in this legislature, at least according to official outcome. The past elections were considered free and fair, the latest ones are considered unfair and not free, what's your comment upon it?

Majko: I think that the statement of the U.S. Department, which says that the May 26 elections represent a step backward as compared to those of 1992, is the best comment.

ATA: But the same statement also says that the opposition must accept responsibility for its withdrawal before elections were over.

Majko: Precisely the withdrawal gave a boost to manipulations. ATA: Don't you feel guilty of it ?

Majko: Honestly speaking, I feel partially guilty, but better to feel guilty this way than to allow the people's vote be violated and perhaps even greater confrontation.

ATA: You said that you feel partially guilty. Is this your judgement or the Socialist party too feels it is half-guilty ? Majko - I think you didn't get my idea. When I said half-guilty I didn't refer to the first meaning of this word, but I used it ironically, because no one in Albania apologizes for faults which are perhaps one hundred times greater such as beatings and detention of deputies, while you insistently urge me to discuss a half- guiltiness.

ATA: What about the American suggestion on the partial re-run of the elections?

Majko: I think this is the first step to a historical compromise which may be offered to Albania. Since we started the hunger strike, we also expressed our option for a dialogue with government institutions. I think that the coming of the foreign observers is a very important move. We have strongly approved their presence.

ATA: Will you take into consideration the American suggestion or not?

Majko: Certainly. Without affecting the essence of our demands, we think that the presence of the foreign observers in Albania represents the first step for the beginning of an open dialogue in Albania.

ATA: Will you refuse a partial re-run of elections?

Majko: We have strongly approved only the presence of foreign observers. It is still too early to express an opinion. Let's wait and see whether the government members will agree or not on the arrival of foreign observers.

ATA: Are you for a complete re-run of elections, or for a partial ballot as the U.S. Department of State recommends in its latest statement?

Majko: Read the Statement of the U.S. Department of State.

ATA: I've read the statement and it asks for a partial re-run.

Majko: Read the statement of the hunger strike.

ATA:- However, as a hunger strike leader, can you give us a precise reply to this?

Majko: Our hunger strike has its objectives and I, as leader of this strike, can't play with the points of this strike. xh/gen/g

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] INTERIOR MINISTRY PRESS RELEASE

"The Socialist Party, through the official document 192, dated June 2, 1996, and the Democratic Party, through the official document 401, dated June 2, 1996, ask to hold rallies in the "Skenderbej" square.

The Interior Ministry reports that the "Skenderbej" square is a public place, which is not approved for mass activities like rallies, gatherings and manifestations for any of the political subjects due to heavy traffic of vehicles and people as well as to the disorders its blocking brings about.

The Interior Ministry reports that it is ready to take measures for the development of these activities in the following places:

1.The Sports ground "Ali Demi"

2.Two of Tirana's stadiums

3.The pupils campus sports ground

4.The "Asllan Rusi" Sports hall

The Ministry asks the political subjects, the Democratic Party, the Socialist Party and others to respect the laws in force on the development of gatherings and manifestations. It wants them to take all the necessary measures to maintain and not violate law and order during the activity to be carried out in one of the aforesaid places and not to create conditions leading to disorders", the announcement concludes. kled/lm/sh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS TAKES DECISIONS

It approved the main parameters set forward in the draft-ideas of the construction of the Kalivaci and Banja Hydro-power stations as well as the programmes for the preparation and signing of the respective contracts.

For the further development of the works for the reconstruction of the Rinas airport, they decided to expropriate all buildings included in the area approved by the Territorial Adjustment Council of the Republic.

They decided to add 30 million leks to the funds allocated for the drinking water and its chlorination.

Some 28 families, settled in the Thumana commune since 1992, have been given the right to use some 20 hectares of land from the Agricultural Enterprise of Sukth and 10 hectares from the Agricultural Enterprise of Gramez. The decision will benefit the families when they provide proofs from the cadastre of the district they come from that they have handed over their land there for redistribution in the land commissions.

The Council of Ministers made invalid the decision to approve the draft- idea and the estimate of the project "The Irrigation of Mali i Thate in the Pogradeci district" and decided to interrupt works. s.sh/kled/lm/sh/

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

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