Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-02-14

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] THE 12 YEAR BOY FROM VLORA WAS NOT PARTICIPANT IN THE PROTESTS THERE

[02] HIGHER VALUATION OF DOLLAR IN TIRANA

[03] ALBANIAN LEFT WING FORCES REFUSE INVITATION FOR DIALOGUE BY DP LEADER

[04] CREDITORS OF "CASHKU" COMPANY TURNED INTO SHAREHOLDERS

[05] JUDGE OF FORMER PRESIDENT ALIA RESIGNS FROM COURT'S JURY

[06] SP LEADER REXHEP MEJDANI SUMMONED IN THE TIRANA PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

[07] POLITICAL PARTIES DISCUSS TO SOLVE THE SITUATION

[08] "CENAJ" COMPANY STARTS GIVING RETURNS AND CAPITALS TO CREDITORS

[09] "ALBANIANS HAVE NO PARAMETERS AT ALL TO BE TREATED AS NATIONAL MINORITY" -DLK deputy chairman

[10] "ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT INVOLVED IN PYRAMID SCHEMES" - Prime Minister's press office

[11] MONARCHISTS AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR TECHNOCRAT GOVERNMENT

[12] FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS RELEASE

[13] PEOPLE IN MANY CITIES OF ALBANIA DO NOT RESPOND TO CALL FOR RALLIES BY FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY

[14] POLITICAL PARTIES ROUND TABLE: SUPPORT OF ECONOMIC MEASURES BUT ALSO OPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT RESIGNATION

[15] PROTESTS CONTINUE IN FIER

[01] THE 12 YEAR BOY FROM VLORA WAS NOT PARTICIPANT IN THE PROTESTS THERE

Sources from the hospital of Vlora told ATA that Bega had mental disturbances and had not taken part in the protests on Monday. He was found hanged at his home on Feb. 12, 1997 at 14.05 and was taken to hospital by his parents. xh/e

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] HIGHER VALUATION OF DOLLAR IN TIRANA

The increase of the value of dollar in foreign currency markets has its impact in the exchange rate market in Tirana as well, bank specialists say.

According to them, the higher valuation of the dollar in Albania is felt more these days when local people are receiving the money they had invested in the fraudulent pyramid schemes, millions of lek, which was frozen in Albanian banks after the collapse of these foundations.

A part of the money that creditors have been returned recently is being exchanged with hard currency in the free money exchange market, bank experts say. They forecast that the dollar will continue to be valuated if it also registers higher points in the international markets as well. eva/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] ALBANIAN LEFT WING FORCES REFUSE INVITATION FOR DIALOGUE BY DP LEADER

The meeting is planned for Friday.

Shehu has said he is open to a broad dialogue with all Albanian political forces, to listen to their opinions about the possible ways for a solution to the problems.

Through a press release, the left wing forces have declared that "we have asked the President of the Republic to hold a dialogue for a solution to the political crisis."

"DP has responded to our demands for a solution to the crisis with a higher tension," says the press release. kei/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] CREDITORS OF "CASHKU" COMPANY TURNED INTO SHAREHOLDERS

For the first time in Albania, a collapsed company as a result of the pyramid schemes, is turned into shareholding company.

The lawyers of this company, Dilaver Rexhepi and Nexhdet Kambo have asked the assembly created by the creditors to prepare the balance of the last two weeks.

According to the lawyers the creditors will receive the money deposited there in five years.

The lawyers make clear that the amount of money collected by the former presidents of the company, Shpetim Cashku, who was killed last July during an attempt to take hostage several operators of the Savings Bank, is much more than the amount of money invested.

The court has made legal the collapse and has accepted the formula chosen by the creditors, which in five years will repay a debt of 1 million dollars, reports Albania paper. /kei/mt/e

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] JUDGE OF FORMER PRESIDENT ALIA RESIGNS FROM COURT'S JURY

During the time of dictatorship in Albania, Aluca was condemned to death accused of making an attempt on Alia's life, during his visit in Tropoje.

The withdrawal of Aluca is approved by the chairman of the court, Qazim Gjonaj, who has replaced him.

The process against Alia will start on February 17, 1997.

The gravest charges against Alia are those of killings in borders, putsch of the United School of Officers in February 1991, some 300 deportations and expulsions, etc. /kei/mt/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] SP LEADER REXHEP MEJDANI SUMMONED IN THE TIRANA PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

Mejdani, SP secretary Genera,l was interrogated about the rallies of January 26 and February 3, 1997 in Tirana. These rallies have been qualified as illegal by police because left opposition parties leaders, as those of SP, SDP, DAP were not given any permission by police to held the rallies.

An investigation file has been opened in the prosecutor's office of Tirana about these illegal rallies. Under investigation also are Skender Gjinushi, Arben Imami, Pandeli Majko, Musa Ulqini etc.

In the rally of January 26, initialled and organized by left opposition political forces after the failure of fraudulent pyramid schemes where many people lost their savings, groups of protesters used violence, hurling stones at the forces of order and breaking glasses of the Palace of Culture, in the Skanderbeg Square. eva/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] POLITICAL PARTIES DISCUSS TO SOLVE THE SITUATION

Some of the left wing parties, like the Socialist Party, Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance did not accept to take part in this round table.

"The aim of this round table is the protection of Albania, the protection of democracy in Albania, as well as Albania's integration into Europe", said DP chairman Tritan Shehu, opening the meeting.

Then, representatives of the 7 political parties present in the meeting took the floor, and considered very necessary the organization of round tables between the parties, because in these tables are given opinions and are taken important decisions for the solution of different problems. They also condemned the non-participation of some left-wing parties in this table.

"This shows that they are not in favour of dialogue and don't want to give constructive opinions", said Shehu.

While the representative of Social Democratic Unity Party, Arjan Starova said that "the violence is consequence of the fact that some political parties do not want to respect the rules of the game, thinking that the power can be won by the street".

Some representatives of the political parties, participant in this meeting, asked the resignation of the government, considering impossible the solution of the situation by this government, but they rejected the idea of establishing a technocrat government.

In the statement of the National Front Party, presented by its chairman Hysen Selfo, was thanked the Albanian Parliament which did not approve the law of the state of emergency, was thanked the President for the removal of the special police forces from Vlore, as well as was called on all the political parties and different organizations to mediate to calm the situation down.

"All the political parties should find the responsibility on themselves for the solution of these problems", said the deputy chairman of the Republican Party, Fatmir Mediu.

The round table continues its proceedings. /a.ke/eva/mt/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] "CENAJ" COMPANY STARTS GIVING RETURNS AND CAPITALS TO CREDITORS

The director of the affiliate, Qendro Selimi, told ATA that "after the control of the non-parliamentary Commission of Transparency, we immediately started to give the returns to our creditors delayed since January. 320 creditors have received their returns only in the last two days".

According to him, based on the graphic of the affiliate, even the capitals deposited by citizens will be distributed.

14 000 citizens have deposited their savings in this affiliate. /a.ke/kei/mt/E

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] "ALBANIANS HAVE NO PARAMETERS AT ALL TO BE TREATED AS NATIONAL MINORITY" -DLK deputy chairman

According to Hyseni, this fact "makes the Albanians not accept him (Stoel) for talks because this would be a self-suicide for all the Albanians, who have no parameters at all to be treated as a national minority."

"This quality of his has created the possibility for misinterpretation or mistreatment of the question of Kosova as a question of national minorities," said Hyseni in the interview.

The naming of Max van der Stoel in the capacity of the personal representative of the current chairman of the OSCE for Kosova, has caused reactions in the political and state subjects of the Republic of Kosova.

"We hope that before he takes the new mission in Kosova, Stoel should give up the mission he is carrying out so far," said Hyseni in the interview with Rilindja. eva/kei/xh/E

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] "ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT INVOLVED IN PYRAMID SCHEMES" - Prime Minister's press office

"The Albanian Government has not had and has no relations with the functioning of the fraudulent pyramid schemes and has made no concessions to them. The Government has denounced their activity, it froze the monetary accounts of these foundations deposited in the state banks, asked the court to declare as illegal their activity, and that the swindlers of these foundations face law," the press release writes at the end. kei/xh/E

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] MONARCHISTS AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR TECHNOCRAT GOVERNMENT

"A technocrat government can solve nothing, because it does not have the mandate and support of the people and this experience did not have results in other countries for the solution of the problems there", LMP chairman told ATA.

Durollari thinks that the situation can be solved only by a government which has the mandate and support of people. According to him, this situation can be solved by this government which already knows the situation.

The LMP chairman said that "Leka Zogu is also of the same opinion, who has confirmed it even in an interview given to the News Agency REUTERS.

Durollari also showed his readiness to participate in the round table to be held Saturday, called by the DP chairman Tritan Shehu, and was waiting to receive the invitation for this activity. /s.sh/kled/mt/E

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] FOREIGN MINISTRY PRESS RELEASE

The Press and Information Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Albanian institution have shown full good understanding and offered all the necessary facilities to the journalists. This is why the existing structures and the newly built ones reliable to public relations have offered and shown willingness to present to journalists the perfect possible assistance in order to ensure a full and transparent information to them.

The Press and Information Department thanking foreign journalist teams being present in Albania for their realistic presentation of the most recent developments expresses at the same time its dissatisfaction that in some cases there are TV prestigious networks or news agencies which have released unbalanced reports even with serious irregularities that have nothing to do with the reality.

The Euronews TV Station is also largely watched in Albania and has enough contributed to the real presentation of Albania's post dictatorial image but unfortunately there are some news broadcast recently by this TV station which are untrue and contain serious irregularities.

On January 30 and 31, 1997, the Euronews TV Station has broadcast a news according to which many Albanian citizens, due to the loss of their savings in the pyramid schemes, have sold their blood to make a living. The same news was broadcast on February 6 adding this time that the number of those who were selling their blood had risen to 30 per cent. For the sake of truth, we confirm that the news is entirely untrue, and above all, it appears to be a pitiful publicistic invention which does not in any way correspond to reality.

The Albanian health authorities categorically refuted the news one week ago. This categorical denial has been confirmed by the Center for Blood Donation and has been supported by the Blood Donors Association. As in every other country, in Albania, too, blood is not sold but donated.

In another program called "No comment", events happening in the southern Albanian city of Vlora have been broadcast as if they were occurring in the capital, Tirana. Even as a small technical irregularity, such wrong presentation of the events creates the impression that in addition to Vlora, similar events have been happening in Tirana, where to the contrary the situation is quite normal. We think that for Albania even such irregularity matters are very important.

This analysis of the events in some Balkan countries also included Albania (Broadcast by the same station in the evening of Feb 5 and 6). We think that despite the fact that there have been demonstrations in Albania, the analogy however is not realistic. It would be quite unrealistic that the Albanian protesters, desperate from the loss of their savings in the failed pyramid schemes, be compared to the protesters in other Balkan countries.

In particular, the statement released by the same station, according to which the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have warned the Albanian government two years ago about the danger of the pyramid schemes, results entirely untrue.

We wish to inform you that none of these two institutions, nor any expert, have done so either formally or informally two years ago. It is only in the last months that these two institutions advised the Albanian Government to inform the public of the risk of these pyramid schemes. Not only because of the fact that this comment of Euronews does not refer to the sources of these institutions of other similar sources, but also due to the already public and incontestable fact accepted also by these two institutions, we find it difficult to believe that such sources of references related to those institutions would even exist.

The news transmitted by Euronews TV station on February 13,1997 according to which a child has died by the police violence in the Vlora District is completely false. The child has lost his life in circumstances and for reasons which have nothing to do with violent events that happened in that city.

The news that in that city four people have been killed is a true allegation and nobody can neglect it. Vlora citizen Mr Artur Rustemi has been killed by fire arms for which case the Albanian authorities have urgently ordered the full examination related to the circumstances which caused his death.

Let us repeat once again that in all the other cases when Vlora citizens lost their lives, it had nothing to do with the violent events. The relevant Albanian authorities are in full possession of all legal documents including declarations of the deceased's relatives which confirm the lost of their lives by natural circumstances.

The falsification of the facts and their amplifications do not respond to the truth. Bearing in mind that the journalists of this TV Station and the other journalists are following the events in the ground, we believe that for them it has not at all been difficult to find out the real causes and reasons of the above mentioned citizens' deaths.

The Press and Information Directory of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would very much appreciate of the Governor Board of Euronews TV Station and all journalist teams will consider the above mentioned observations and encourage their journalists being present in Tirana to fully respect the professional principles of information.

The Press and Information Department once again wishes to assure the representatives of the International media in Abania of its help requiring at the same time realism and truthfulness./JZ/Z/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] PEOPLE IN MANY CITIES OF ALBANIA DO NOT RESPOND TO CALL FOR RALLIES BY FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY

In the Vlora city, also today, the tenth day of protests, continued the same scene. Crowds of people kept up their peaceful protests in the main square of the city, chanting slogans "We want our money" and other anti- government slogans.

The Democratic Alliance Party for Shkoder had warned that it would organise today, at 11.00, a rally at the "Isa Boletini" square of the city. The rally was not held.

The chairman of the DAP Assembly held a news conference this afternoon. He expressed indignation at the other opposite forces, which did not support this rally, under the pretext that the "crowd might come out of control and resort to destructions".

A few people, incited by the Forum for Democracy, gathered to protest this noon in front of the "Durres" hotel in the Durres city. But they dispersed as they were not backed by other citizens.

In the Cerrik town, at 12:00, some hundreds of people staged a peaceful rally called by the Forum for Democracy. The leaders of this forum supported the demands of the protesters chanting slogans "We want our money", "Vlora-Vlora" and other anti-government slogans.

After several minutes of street protests, the crowd dispersed peacefully, also due to the correct stand of the public order forces.

In the square of the Elbasan stadium, some hundreds of inhabitants staged a rally organised by the Forum for Democracy.

The leaders of this Forum said the rally was organised to protest "not with stones but with flowers", which will continue until the realisation of their demands.

After some 40 minutes, the participants who chanted various slogans dispersed without causing incidents.

Some hundreds of Fieri inhabitants protested today chanting slogans "We want our money", "Vlora-Vlora" and other anti-government slogans.

In this city protestors clashed with public order forces, but caused no incidents. After this the crowd was dispersed peacefully. rf/jz/lm/Z

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] POLITICAL PARTIES ROUND TABLE: SUPPORT OF ECONOMIC MEASURES BUT ALSO OPTIONS OF GOVERNMENT RESIGNATION

They generaly supported the options of the economic measures taken by the DP government, but at the same time provided options of various political solutions and the resignation of the government.

"All the political forces taking part in the meeting shared the view that the option of a coalition or a technocrat government together with the socialists is not considered," the chairman of the DP, Tritan Shehu, said at the end of the meeting.

Shehu had invited today all the political parties, which gained over one per cent of the votes in the local local elections, to take part in a consultation on the savings issue at the Palace of Congresses.

The participants in the meeting strongly condemned the tendency of terrorist and vandal acts as well as political manipulations.

The left parties, the SP, SDP and DAP, refused to take part in this meeting.

"When I invite the left parties I respect their electorate, their desires and will for democracy, law and order," Shehu said. "Non participation and boycott are the most anti-democratic means," Shehu added.

Some parties demanded in this meeting the resignation of the government and the creation of a another government, but regarding the new government there were provided different options.

Guro Durollari and Hysen Selfo, of the Legality Movement Party and the National Unity Party, respectively, said that they did not favour a technocrat government, because this would lead the country to a chaos." Selfo said that the National Union Party did not want to participate in the next government.

The chairman of the Human Rights Union Party, Vasil Melo, said he favoured "a pluralist government coalition with the participation of parliamentary and non parliamentary forces, with socialist leaders also included in this coalition."

The deputy-chairman of the Republican Party, Fatmit Mediu, said that "The RP would never prefer to participate in a government coalition with the SP". jz/lm/Z

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] PROTESTS CONTINUE IN FIER

At about 12:00, a crowd of some hundreds of people marched towards the prefecture and later headed towards the road leading to Vlore.

Later the crowd was dispersed peacefully. The situation got back to normal. s.sh/jz/lm/Z

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