ATA News from Albania, 96-07-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF VLORA FOLK GROUP

[02] NINE FORMER COMMUNIST OFFICIALS TO STAND TRIAL

[03] SHIPYARD DURRES-GDANKS REPAIRS 48 SHIPS

[04] COMMUNIST PARTY FOUNDERS FACE TRIAL

[05] ALBANIANS START HUNGER STRIKE IN LARISA PRISON

[06] TRANS-BALKAN PIPELINE BLACK SEA - ADRIATIC AGREEMENT APPROVED

[07] ALBANIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE PROTESTS AGAINST GAGE'S SPEECH IN US CONGRESS

[08] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPROVES TWO DRAFT LAWS

[09] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT DEFINES OCTOBER 20 FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

[10] ALBANIAN MILITARY DELEGATION ENDS VISIT TO PAKISTAN

[11] SOME $100 000 FOR ALBANIA'S ENVIRONMENT

[12] COURT'S PANEL TO TRY CP FOUNDERS CHANGED

[13] DP AND SP CONTINUE TALKS ON LOCAL ELECTIONS

[01] SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE OF VLORA FOLK GROUP

The Albanian group performed eight concerts in Brunsum which were positively evaluated by the spectators and personalities of the world folklore.

62 groups from different countries took part in the world folk competition. ake/ak/Z/

[02] NINE FORMER COMMUNIST OFFICIALS TO STAND TRIAL

These officials have held posts varying from most important ones to member of internment-expulsion commission in districts.

They also include Lenka Cuko and Llambi Gegprifti, former members of the Polit-Bureau of the Party of Labour of Albania (PLA).

The officials are accused of genocide and crimes against humanity because they have ordered internment and expulsion of different persons for political reasons during the communist dictatorship.

Penal offences of genocide and crimes against humanity in complicity are considered as the worst crimes and are sentenced between fifteen years to life imprisonment and death penalty according to the articles 74, 73, 67 and 25 of the Penal Code.

The Tirana District Court has sentenced 14 persons, three of which to death penalty, five to life imprisonment and others to different convictions after they have been sued in the Tirana Prosecutors' office by the Forum of Independent Intellectuals. kei/ak/Z/

[03] SHIPYARD DURRES-GDANKS REPAIRS 48 SHIPS

Two Albanian fishing ships are under repair and some 100 tons of sheet metal replaced in another big ship in this shipyard. Ships from Hungary, Ukraine, Syria, Croatia and Turkey will arrive here to be repaired according to confirmed news.

The financial balance sheet has suffered a notable increase against the same period of the last year, officials of the shipyard directory said. ake/fh/Z/

[04] COMMUNIST PARTY FOUNDERS FACE TRIAL

Sami Meta, 62, Kristaq Mosko, 45, Timoshenko Pekmezi, 54, and Tare Isufi 73, were arrested on March 1 this year and were accused of recreating an outlaw party. They all have confessed this before the Tirana District Court and were put into custody.

"Yes, our aim is to recreate a new Communist party," they said.

They have said that they were going to demand the legalisation by the Justice Ministry for their renovated Communist party which will be based in the 45-year experience, by accepting political pluralism and predicting no use of violence.

The 45-year experience of the communist rule, great economic backwardness, monstrous crimes are not yet forgotten in Albania.

The Prosecutors' office accused them of secretly collecting illegal and anti-constitutional materials in complicity to recreate the Communist party.

Founding communist parties is considered an anti-constitutional and illegal act and those who try to found them are sentenced between one to five years in prison according to the main constitutional provisions of Albania.

In 1992 the Albanian parliament outlawed the Communist party created by Hysni Milloshi in 1991. jz/ak/Z/

[05] ALBANIANS START HUNGER STRIKE IN LARISA PRISON

They have warned that they will stop drinking water starting from today because the Greek administration and media as well as the foreign media have kept silence on their strike, the daily said.

The Larisa prison which has a large number of Albanian prisoners also include 25 teenagers who have joined the hunger strikers, the paper went on.

They have sent a telegram to the Greek Justice Ministry and the Albanian Ambassador in Athens saying that the health condition of six hunger strikers is worse. Even the prison doctor does not take care of them anymore.

The Albanian prisoners protest against being put into custody without trial. Even their life conditions there are worse than those of others.

They have gained a confirmation of hunger strike from other Albanian prisoners in five other prisons in Greece. 150 prisoners in Athens prison will go on hunger strike on July 29.

Though the files of 25 Albanian prisoners in Greece have been sent to Tirana their transfer needs a long time to take place because of bureaucratic reasons.

In the last four years the Albanian prisoners in Greece have organised 19 revolts, the daily Albania reported. jz/ak/

[06] TRANS-BALKAN PIPELINE BLACK SEA - ADRIATIC AGREEMENT APPROVED

This pipeline will begin at the seaport of Burgas, Black Sea and pass through Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania to the Adriatic Sea. It will transport the crude oil from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in the seaport of Vlora.

Artan Resuli manager of the project in the National Committee of Energy said the project is supposed to end within 22 months. It will lie at a length of 567 miles, with a transporting capacity of 15-30 million tons of oil per year and according to studies it is thought to cost some USD825 million.

The axis of the pipes in Albania will move in the direction Qafe-Thana - Vlora. This project is part of the strategy on the infrastructure for the East - West corridor, which will be a source of crude oil for the European countries and the US.kei/fh/z/

[07] ALBANIAN HELSINKI COMMITTEE PROTESTS AGAINST GAGE'S SPEECH IN US CONGRESS

"He (Gage) has painted the situation of the Greek minority in Albania in dark colours, pretending that the minority is object of a wild and systematic discrimination and has surpassed every limit in saying that schools and churches of the Greek minority have been set on fire" the Helsinki press release said.

"The Albanian Helsinki Committee expresses its conviction that the reality on the Greek minority in Albania cannot be hidden by the irresponsible words of extremists. We can only express our regret that such voices have reached the highest offices of the US democracy. The Greek minority is an element which enriches the Albanian society. It is the duty of all, minority and majority to defend the friendly coexistence from explosive efforts of extremists circles" it continued.

The press release said this means that a solid ancient tradition stands on the foundation of this reciprocal understanding and normal coexistence between minority and majority exists in the Albanian population.

Gage has spoken recently of "persecution of the Greek minority in Albania" in a report held in the sub commission for international activities and human rights in the House of Representatives of the US Congress.

Shelley Clois, member of the US-Albanian Federation criticized the June's report in the US Congress where this Greek-American, Nicola Gage, was also attending.

She said "Gage represents in his efforts to topple Berisha's government neither the Greek government nor the Greek community in the US."

The freedom and human rights, the Greek minority has in Albania, are highly estimated by international organisations. No school or church of this minority have been set on fire in Albania. kei/fh/Z/

[08] COUNCIL OF MINISTERS APPROVES TWO DRAFT LAWS

The ministers approved the draft-law on ratifying the memorandum of understanding between the government of Albania and of the United Kingdom on the gold issue and that on sending an Albanian company to take part in the NATO operation "Joint Effort" in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

By special decision they also defined the extend of remuneration for the civil and military personnel participating in this operation.

The Council of Ministers authorised the Ministry of Industry, Transport and Trade to sign and follow the application of the agreement on the Initiative of the Southern Balkans' Development programme on transport. s.sh/jz/lm/sh/

[09] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT DEFINES OCTOBER 20 FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

The date was fixed on Monday by Albanian President Sali Berisha, by decree 1562, based on article 28, point 3 of the law 7 491, dated April 29, 1991 "On the main constitutional provisions" and article 7 of the law 7 573, dated June 16,1992 "On the local government elections". a.ke/kled/lm/sh/

[10] ALBANIAN MILITARY DELEGATION ENDS VISIT TO PAKISTAN

An Albanian military delegation, headed by the chief of General Staff, General Sheme Kosova, visited Pakistan last week, at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, Marshal Khan.

During the visit the Albanian delegaiton was received in a separate meeting by the President of the Republic of Pakistan, Leghari.

They exchanged views on a more effective cooperation and assistance in the future.

General Kosova conveyed Albanian President's greetings to the Pakistani President.

"We know well the geographic position of Albania and its problems", said Leghari adding he highly appreciated the friendship between the two countries.

The Pakistani Minister of Defence, Mirani, in his meeting with General Kosova said he was well aware of the situation in Albania and followed it closely. He also confirmed cooperation and concrete assistance for the future.

General Kosova, on behalf of Albanian Defence Minister Safet Zhulali, invited the Paksistani Defence Minister to visit Albania.

Other meetings took place between General Kosova and the chief of the United staff, Marshal Khan, the chief of the infantry staff and the chief of staff of the air forces.

General Kosova's visit to Pakistan was followed with interest by the television and the country's press.

The Albanian military delegation returned home on Monday. kled/lm/sh/

[11] SOME $100 000 FOR ALBANIA'S ENVIRONMENT

The Budapest based Regional Environment Center for Eastern and Central Europe has agreed to provide 100 000 dollars for the Albanian environment.

The aid programme, divided into three tranches, began application last week with the release of the first tranche at the beach of Dhermi, Vlora district (Southern Albania) in the shape of a training course for 24 specialists from the regional environment centers in districts and the Environment Protection Committee, as well as for journalists and hygienic specialists.

This will be followed by two other courses.

"After the full realisation of the 100 000 dollar programme, a monitory center is planned to be set up, making active an environment network for Albanian governmental and non governmental environment associations," the coordinator of this programme for the Albanians, Elida Metaj, told ATA. jz/lm/sh/

[12] COURT'S PANEL TO TRY CP FOUNDERS CHANGED

According to the programme, the trial, to be presided over by Qazim Gjonaj, chairman of the Tirana Court, was scheduled for Tuesday.

But, because of health problems and the necessity of medical treatment, Gjonaj has switched the trial of the case to judge Gjergj Pojani, who will soon fix the date for the beginning of the trial.

According to sources inside the court, the trial is likely to start soon.

Sami Meta, 62, Kristaq Mosko, 45, Timoshenko Pekmezi, 54, and Tare Isufi 73, were arrested on March 1 this year on charges of creating an illegal party. They all have confessed this before the Tirana District Court when they were arrested.

"Our aim was create a new Communist Party," they confessed.

They said that they "were going to demand the legalisation by the Justice Ministry of their reconstructed Communist Party of Albania", which they said would be based on the past 45-year experience, by accepting pluralism in politics and thought and predicting no violent assumption of power in their programme.

The founding of the communist parties, based on the main Constitutional Provisions of Albania, is considered an anti-constitutional and illegal act and sentenced from one to five years imprisonment.

In 1992 Albanian parliament outlawed the Communist Party of Albania created by Hysni Milloshi in 1991. jz/lm/sh/

[13] DP AND SP CONTINUE TALKS ON LOCAL ELECTIONS

Constructive meetings continued on Monday between DP chairman Tritan Shehu and SP deputy chairman Namik Dokle regarding the parties' participation and the development of the local elections.

Shehu said the DP presented the option that in the local elections "should take part the parties which participated in the 1992 local elections as they are actually the most powerful parties".

Namik Dokle presented on behalf of the SP four formulas : 1-meeting of all the parties which took part in the May 26 elections, 2- meeting of all the parties which were invited by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, 3-meeting of all these with the forces represented in the local government and 4-meeting between seven representatives from the local government and seven from the opposition forces.

These meetings are reported to be merely consultations without any decision taken.

Discussion on this issue and other problems on the local elections continue.

Both sides appreciated the fruits of the round table between the parties and stressed the need of discussion in the spirit of understanding and the CE recommendations.

The DP and SP bilateral meetings, started two week ago, have been criticised by the SP chairman, Fatos Nano, as "dialogue for the sake of dialogue".

The two parties were represented by four of the main respective leaders in today's meeting regarding the future of the parties' round table, suggested by the international organisations. kled/lm/sh/

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

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