ATA News from Albania, 96-08-06

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] ALBANIA, GREECE DETERMINED TO IMPROVE TIES

[02] SP REJECTS WAY OF CREATION OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

[03] ALBANIAN PEACE KEEPING COMPANY ENDS PREPARATION IN GERMANY

[04] GENERAL COUNCIL OF ALBANIAN ORTHODOX AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH CONVENES

[05] DEBATES ON SP SPLIT

[01] ALBANIA, GREECE DETERMINED TO IMPROVE TIES

"The government's decision meets one of the demands of the Human Rights Union Party (HRUP) and will help the minority children in these districts to study in their mother tongue. It is a further step towards the improvement of the relations between the two countries," HRUP chairman Vasil Melo told ATA on Monday.

The proposal of the Ministry of Education and Sports came in the course of the talks between Albanian President Sali Berisha and Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos in Tirana last March.

Stephanopoulos had considered the opening of the minority's classes in Gjirokaster, Delvine and Sarande, beginning with the next school year, a fact which "would further strengthen the climate of confidence and cooperation between the two countries as well as the productive participation of the Greek minority in Albania's reconstruction".

"I hope after today's meeting, two other deputies of our Party (HRUP), Thoma Mico and Vangjel Dule, will also join parliament as one of their demands is met," Melo said after a meeting of his party, which discussed the position and "misunderstandings created inside his party after the May 26 elections". The HRUP also discussed the laws on local elections and local government.

Albania rejected last week a request of the Istanbul Patriarchate to appoint three Greek bishops in three Albanian cities, but this did not produce severe reaction on the part of Athens like in 1993 when Albania expelled a Greek priest.

The archbishop of the Albanian orthodox Autocephalous Church, Anastassios Iannulatos, has stated that he would abide by the Albanian authorities' decision regarding the three bishops.

Iannulatos has suggested the Oecumenical Patriarchate not to ordain the three Greek metropolitans. lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] SP REJECTS WAY OF CREATION OF CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION

"The way he (President) is acting, seem us arbitrary" voiced the SP disapproval its deputy chairman Servet Pellumbi, adding that, he calls it arbitrary because political forces should have been consulted before the appointment of permanent Central Election Commission.

Creation of a permanent Central Election Commission has been a continuous request of the SP after May 26 elections. This commission, according to them, should be made up by members of different political forces and should include even members of parties without an electorate like Ecological Party, Social Worker's Party, Right Wing Republican Party and others, which were the SP's allies in its boycott of May 26 elections.

"These should be discussed and President alone cannot decide on them" Pellumbi said.

President of the Republic according to his competencies, on point 19, article 28 of law Nr. 7491, dated April, 4, 1991 "On main constitutional provisions", decreed Saturday, creation of Central Election Commission of the Republic of Albania, which will be a permanent body and will organise, monitor and control the conduct of elections in the Republic of Albania, in accordance with legal electoral provisions of the Albanian state.

"First we should agree on modalities on the round table of parties, and then should commission be decided" said Pellumbi.

Central Permanent Commission of Elections will be made up by a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and 14 members. It is appointed by President of the Republic upon the proposals of the Council of Ministers and political parties.

Pellumbi said that "These issues have been discussed in no political table", referring to four recent meetings SP-DP which have discussed for two months on elections and other problems concerning them. ksh/fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] ALBANIAN PEACE KEEPING COMPANY ENDS PREPARATION IN GERMANY

Germany, one of Albanian's most important friends, alongside the concrete aid in the military field and special measures in preparation of military exercises "Mati "96" is offering an all-round support in preparation and completion of Albanian peace keeping forces.

Albanian forces seriously valuated this new mission of the Albanian army and with the German forces were intensively and professionally prepared. The troops were inspected by the chief of German Staff of Infantry Forces, lieutenant general Willman and later by vice Chief of the Albanian Army General Staff, major general Armand Vincani. ssh/fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] GENERAL COUNCIL OF ALBANIAN ORTHODOX AUTOCEPHALOUS CHURCH CONVENES

The Press Office of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church in a clarification "in order to avoid misinterpretations" says that Anastassios was urgently summoned to the Oecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul to carry the ordainment on July 22,1996. But, after analysing the specific conditions and numerous difficulties, Iannulatos said a day later that: "Fear and concerns have now been intensified in Albania that the Greeks tend to penetrate and realise their ethnic plans through the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church".

Iannulatos refers to the "clear cut reaction" of President of the Republic Sali Berisha after the election of archbishop Iannulatos. Berisha "in his meeting with the patriarchate's delegation in 1992 clearly said that :'The Albanian government will accept no other Greek bishop' and counter-proposed that 'bishops of some other citizenship be sought'".

The committee for the defence of autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church on August 1st launched a protest to Istanbul Oecumenical Patriarchate Fanari, to Patriarch Bartholomew , against the nomination of three Greek bishops as metropolitans of Gjirokastra, Vlora and Korca.

"The orthodox believers and the all the Abanian people consider this act ominous and interference into the home affairs of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church", the protest says.

The letter the representative of the Albanian government, Bardhyl Fico, handed over on August 2, 1996 to the archbishop of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church, Anastassios Iannulatos, says: "We are surprised at the fact that the patriarchate, without a preliminary talk with Albanian government representatives, takes the decision that the whole Synod be composed of Greeks.

"This not only goes beyond any ethics of relations between sides, and at the same time jars into the national consciousness of our people, also including the Albanian orthodox.

"Please, Your Holiness, make known our firm stand not to allow any foreign clergy to run the religion affairs in Albania".

The letter of the Albanian government stressed that this approach has nothing to do whatsoever with the friendship between the Albanian and Greek peoples.

Also the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church says in its explanation that Iannulatos has said in his letters to Istanbul's patriarchate that :"If the Oecumenical Patriarchate, without coming to agreement with Albanian authorities, undertakes the realisation of the said decision, the resistance will be much more negative. Albania is an independent state. It has its own laws and a sovereign government".

Iannulatos would like "a Hierarchy delegation of the Holy Synod to come to Albania to treat the problem also with local orthodox functionaries".

However, the letter of Iannulatos does not at all refer to the status of autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church. But, according to analysts, if for Albanians the autocephaly is indisputable and the coming of Greek metropolitans unacceptable, then, what would the Hierarchy delegation solve in Albania? The key point of the statute of the Albanian orthodox Autocephalous Church of 1929 says that the clergies and hierarchies should be of Albanian nationality and citizenship. This point is also included in the statuses of all the autocephalous orthodox churches.

The Istanbul Patriarchate recognised the autocephaly of the Albanian Orthodox Church in 1936. pas/lm

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] DEBATES ON SP SPLIT

The left wing daily "Koha Jone" said the SP deputy chairman Servet Pellumbi has stated it in a close meeting of the SP Leading Committee of Tirana branch.

"Fatos Nano will create a new party" has Pellumbi stated according the daily Koha Jone.

Pandeli Majko, one of Nano's supporters when asked about Pellumbi's statement, said "This is to see dreams in day light."

"If this saying is true, then it is a provocation" said Majko, adding that his own opinion will be pronounced if this statement would become public.

Pellumbi negates to have made such a statement.

"I do not deal with newspaper's statements, especially with those of Koha Jone. I do not comment any of its statements, as they are all articles to sell the paper" Pellumbi said.

The split inside the SP has started after May 26 elections, when the SP leader Fatos Nano, in jail for corruption and falsification of documents, sent a motion from the jail for a renovation of his party.

The SP Leading Committee in one of its meeting rejected with a vote majority its leader's motion, which was supported by a minority.

Later on, Nano sent two other messages, in one of which he strongly accused the two SP deputy chairmen Pellumbi and Dokle.

Sources inside the SP speak about a third message of Nano still unknown. pas/fh/

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

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