Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-04-06

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] MEETING AT INTERIOR MINISTRY WITH CE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY DELEGATION

[02] PRESS REVIEW

[03] SHKODER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL FORCES CONDEMN HOLD UP INCIDENT OF PREMIER FINO IN BUSHAT

[04] CADASTRE OF GJIROKASTER DISTRICT SET TO FIRE

[05] ZALL HERR COMMANDO UNIT READY TO ACCOMPANY MULTINATIONAL TROOPS IN ALBANIA

[06] SAVINGS BANK AFFILIATE IN KRUJE RESUMES ACTIVITY

[07] UNPAID WAGES AND PENSIONS DISTRIBUTED IN BERAT

[08] ALBANIAN SP CONSIDERS ACT AGAINST RECONCILIATION GOVERNMENT AS GRAVE AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

[09] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND DP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP SUPPORT PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE FOR THE CONSTITUTION

[10] SERB POLITICAL FIGURES SAY THAT KOSOVA QUESTION MUST BE URGENTLY SOLVED

[11] CHARGE OF AN ARMED GROUP THAT 120 NORTHERN ALBANIA PEOPLE WERE ISOLATED IN SARANDA TURNED DOWN

[12] PRONUNCIATION OF ALBANIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ON APRIL 5 EVENT IN BUSHAT

[13] ARCH BISHOP OF ALBANIA JANULLATOS TAKES PART IN A MASS IN SHEN TODHRI CHURCH IN VLORE

[14] REPORT OF INTERIOR MINISTRY OF ALBANIA

[15] MEETING OF ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT

[16] CITIZEN SHOOTING AT POLICE PATROL IN DURRES ARRESTED

[17] CLASSES RESUME IN MILITARY ACADEMY

[01] MEETING AT INTERIOR MINISTRY WITH CE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY DELEGATION

Celo familiarised the CE rapporteurs with the current situation in Albania and briefed them on the urgent measures the ministry has taken to restore law and order.

Celo spoke of the recent emergency measures to reorganise and put into efficiency the police commissariats and special units of the Interior Ministry. Over 95 per cent of the police commissariats on a country scale have been reorganised and are functioning normally, he said.

Celo said that order and peace have substantially improved, but in many cases the material basis is lacking.

"There are great shortages in logistics, what we hope to complete through a quick assistance from the EU and the other friendly countries," Celo said.

They also discussed the measures the police have undertaken and should undertake to prepare the new elections, whose holding requires the necessary order and peace, as the CE experts said.

The delegation showed interest in many aspects regarding the situation in Albania such as the electoral law, electoral commissions and other aspects. a.ke/kled/lm/sh/

[02] PRESS REVIEW

Under the title "Military committees jeopardise the elections and the future of democracy" the paper covers the meeting of Speaker of Albanian Parliament Pjeter Arbnori with the rapporteurs of the CE Parliamentary Assembly on Albania.

The paper covers yesterday's visit and meetings of the delegation of the Italian Christian Democratic Centre Party, headed by the Political Secretary of this party Pierferdinando Casini.

The paper runs the news conference of the Italian delegation under the title :"Respect for the institutions guarantees political equilibrium of the country".

The paper also carries an interview with the minister of justice, Spartak Ngjela, under the title: "The great harm justice has suffered is the fact that people violated the law".

"Meeting of Prime Minister Fino in Shkoder fails", the paper says also carrying a statement of the Albanian Government which says among other things that in the vicinity of the Bushat village an armed group blocked the way, firing into the air and throwing bombs, asking the Prime Minister and his escort to turn back.

As regards the statement signed by 20 deputies of the Democratic Party, the paper carries the list of their names and their governmental functions.

Under the headline "All for peace, against killers", newspaper Zeri i Popullit carries the article "The SP is setting the example of coexistence".

The paper covers the activity of a SP delegation, headed by chairman Fatos Nano, which, at the invitation of the party of European Socialists, took part in the Conference on the Balkans the EU is holding in Salonika of Greece.

The paper says that Socialist chairman Nano will then travel to Strasbourg, where he is invited to take part in the plenary session of the European Parliament to be held on April 8.

The paper reports on the visit of Defence Minister Shaqir Vukaj in Vlore under the title:"There are no rebels in Vlore, but people's revolt".

Under the headline "Political commentary ", the paper carries the article:"Decomposition of the democratic party". It also carries an interview with the deputy mayor of Sarande, Qirjako Martiko, under the title :"We need the help of the government".

"Readiness to escort the multinational forces", is the title of an article in the newspaper Rilindja regarding the visit of the Secretary of State at the Defence Ministry, Ali Kazazi, and Chief of the General Staff, Major-General Adem Copani, to the military unit of Zall-Herr in Tirana.

"Turkey will help Albania more", the paper says. Under the headline:"Albanian economy towards recovery", the paper carries the article: "Joint ventures to open". kled/lm/sh/

[03] SHKODER LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL FORCES CONDEMN HOLD UP INCIDENT OF PREMIER FINO IN BUSHAT

Immediately after the incident on Saturday morning, a meeting was held in Shkoder with the participation of representatives of the municipal council and district. Also present were the prefect Elham Sharra, the mayor Bahri Borici, the chairman of the district council, Lorenc Mosi.

The incident was considered by all participants as a pre-prepared scenario of political motives, directed against the national reconciliation platform of March 9, 1997. Through a declaration, all the participating political forces in the meeting, supported once more the government and prime minister Fino and asked from the judiciary to investigate into the matter. They also demanded a full commitment of the government to solve the present problems in Shkoder, assuring that the people of Shkoder, religious communities, local government bodies and the political parties welcome the government representatives in Shkoder.

The declaration was signed by all the political parties and associations, whereas the DP representative made the following note: "We think that the laying of the stress on political motives is a prejudice. It should be stressed as a shameful scenario, which inflicts the execution of sovereignty of the Albanian government in the zone of Shkoder." pas/xh/k

[04] CADASTRE OF GJIROKASTER DISTRICT SET TO FIRE

The eight offices of the cadastre, which is close to the district council of Gjirokaster, were looted yesterday by armed people, who after stealing a good part of the documents and the new facilities in those offices, set the offices to fire. The damage, one of the cadastre senior officials said to ATA, is incalculable. xh/k

[05] ZALL HERR COMMANDO UNIT READY TO ACCOMPANY MULTINATIONAL TROOPS IN ALBANIA

Training has started recently for the selected troops of the Albanian Army. Founded 30 years ago as an intelligence unit and special troops, now the unit of Zall Herr is being regrouped in the context of the entire reorganization of the Albanian army.

The state secretary in the Defence Ministry, Ali Kazazi and the Chief of the General Staff Major General Adem Cobani, presented to the effective of this military unit the platform of the reorganization of the army by the national reconciliation government. The chief of the General Staff named the commando troops as "the elite of the national army." xh/k

[06] SAVINGS BANK AFFILIATE IN KRUJE RESUMES ACTIVITY

According to the bank officials, beginning from March 27, this financial centre has distributed wages and pensions according to the set dates.

The construction firm "Skenderbej", through a fund of the Tirana Savings Bank, reconstructed the savings bank premises in Kruje. a.ke/kled/lm/sh/

[07] UNPAID WAGES AND PENSIONS DISTRIBUTED IN BERAT

Under tough operation of these forces, hundreds of the pensionists and budgetary officials have received last month's unpaid payments.

The opening of the banks has also enlivened the market. Prices of several items have been lower than a week ago. The supplies or the goods in warehouses may have had their own effects.

Meanwhile the public order forces continue to control the town. Various weapons and ammunition have been intercepted during the controls exercised by them.

According to a source in the Berat town hospital, over the last four days of relative calm, 2-4 people injured by stray bullets or explosive devices, especially from villages, have been hospitalised daily.

A 23 year old youth from the Kutalli commune has been sent to hospital dead by gunfire. a.ke/kled/lm

[08] ALBANIAN SP CONSIDERS ACT AGAINST RECONCILIATION GOVERNMENT AS GRAVE AND POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

According to the declaration, the armed hold-up of the government members on their road to Shkoder has been instigated and organized by occult forces which are directly or indirectly linked with those political segments that want the tired and desparate people continue to hold on their shoulders the vile and corrupted governing.

"SPA condemns with great indignation the concepts and political acts which want to divide Albania and the Albanians into geopolitical domains for daily electoral interests. Albania is a single body from the south to the north and every Albanian, without any distinction of religion, region or idea knows this well perhaps better that the abortive politicians," says the declaration.

SPA declares that now the policy of the division of the country according to vile and antinational concepts is over and that the national reconciliation government might not be to the liking of only those who support such concepts and to a group of thieves who do still obey their orders or political spirit.

SP appeals to all those parties which have signed the March 9 agreement to support the National Reconciliation Government as the only optimal solution to overcome the present crisis in Albania.

SP asks the national reconciliation government to adopt all the measures to throw light on the event and to put before responsibility the authors of the grave political incident against it.

In this context, SP has demanded the immediate discharge of the Interior deputy minister, the Police General Director and the Commander of the Republic Guard of Albania for failing to carry out the duties entitled by law. lgj/kei/xh/k

[09] ALBANIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER AND DP PARLIAMENTARY GROUP SUPPORT PRESIDENT'S INITIATIVE FOR THE CONSTITUTION

"I think that despite the difficulties Albania is experiencing, the compilation and adoption in the parliament and then through a referendum of a western type constitution would be a major contribution of the political forces and the parliament to the country and a fundamental guarantee to the Albanian democracy and its future," says a declaration.

Also the presidency of the DP parliamentary group expresses through a declaration the support for the initiative of the President of Albania for the constitution. It voiced its conviction that the DP parliamentary group would be committed with a great devotion, sense of understanding and full responsibility to the process for the preparation and adoption of a western constitution for Albania. ake/xh/k

[10] SERB POLITICAL FIGURES SAY THAT KOSOVA QUESTION MUST BE URGENTLY SOLVED

The representative of the coalition "Zajedno" for Kosova, Rangjel Nojkic, in a talk with reporters of Nasha Borba, criticizes fiercely the policy of Slobodan Milosevic in Kosove, Information Centre of Kosova reports.

Nojkic stressed that the agreement between Milosevic and Rugova on education must be implemented immediately.

In a news conference of the Civic Alliance of Serbia it was stressed that the Belgrade regime should start talks with the Albanians of Kosova as soon as possible and gradually, on education, health, use of the Albanian language and then questions related with the constitutional-judicial concept of Kosova.

"The Kosova question may be solved only through peaceful and political means, tolerant behaviours, without the use of force," declared the spokeswoman of the Party "Nova Demokratija," Rebeka Serbinovic in a news conference, Information Centre of Kosova reports.

"Also in the round table in New York, the two sides will be orientated towards such a solution to this issue and will renounce extreme stands," said Serbinovic.

She added that one of the premises for the Yugoslavia to turn to international financial institutions is the question of Kosova and that this this question must be urgently solved.

Deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Serbia Miograd Perishic declared to newspaper Nasha Borba that the political geography of Serbia should be by all means changed and that for this there are economic and political reasons.

Further on Perishic said that the fundamental principle of his party in the solution to the question of Kosova is that "there is no change of borders, that the Albanians and their political parties must take part in elections and that the bigger parties such as that of Rugova and Demac must be integrated in the fight for best possible election conditions."

According to Perishic, the DP holds that there will be not resort to the constitution of 1974, "because those solutions have brought about political failures."

In yesterday's regular meeting of the chairmen of the LDK branches, also present was the president of the Republic of Kosova Ibrahim Rugova, who valued as important the stand of the specialists Tretter, Marko and Boriq, presented in the review Thema of Prishtine, that Kosova has the right to self-determination and that the Albanians in Kosova are a people. pta/kei/xh/k

[11] CHARGE OF AN ARMED GROUP THAT 120 NORTHERN ALBANIA PEOPLE WERE ISOLATED IN SARANDA TURNED DOWN

The gunmen prevented the government team headed by Premier Bashkim Fino to go to Shkoder, North of Albania, for a working meeting.

Through a phone talk with the Information Department of the Albanian Television, chairman of the Saranda district council Thoma Papagjika informed that the declaration was issued after a meeting of the above mentioned forces in Saranda.

"This is an ill-intentioned accusation which seeks to undermine the sacred mission and the functioning of the National Reconciliation Government," says the declaration.

It expresses the opinion that set individuals and extreme-inclined segments want to sow the seed of splitting between the South and the North, something which will be never realised, because Saranda is part of Albania.

The declaration says that the people of Saranda welcome a group of local government members and citizens of Shkoder to see closely how untrue this diabolic accusation is.

"We appeal to our people from the north to the south to distance themselves from these groups which seek a further destabilization of the country. We hope and have faith in the national reconciliation government which we support and in its competent structures that they soon will throw light on the truth and these groups will be put before legal responsibility," the declaration writes at the end. kei/xh/k

[12] PRONUNCIATION OF ALBANIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ON APRIL 5 EVENT IN BUSHAT

"First of all, I would like to say that I, as an Interior Minister and the State Secretary of the Interior Ministry, Lush Perpali, have not been present in yesterday's incident.

For the movement of Premier Fino towards Shkoder, which was planned to be made by helicopter, all measures were adopted conformed to the law.

Twenty minutes before leaving, Premier Fino confirmed that he would go to Shkoder by road, with his car.

As soon as we received this report, the Interior Ministry, within a short period of time, took all the measures for the Premier's Fino leaving for Shkoder.

The event that happened in Bushat yesterday is a grave act. All measures are adopted to throw light on this incident. A part of the authors have been identified and work is going on to catch them. We ask all medias and people, that in these difficult moments for the Albanian nation, to support Albanian police.

We, as a Ministry, the Republic Guard guarantee the movement of any member of the National Reconciliation Government throughout the Albanian territory," ends the pronunciation of the Interior Minister of Albania. xh

[13] ARCH BISHOP OF ALBANIA JANULLATOS TAKES PART IN A MASS IN SHEN TODHRI CHURCH IN VLORE

His Excellency Janullatos preached peace and goodwill for the believers of all religions, saying no to violence and the use of arms.

Then the religious ceremony was transferred to the seashore, where His Excellency Janullatos and other people present threw bouquets of flowers in the sea.

After this moment, the Arch Bishop paid visits to some families that had lost their relatives in the tragedy. Janullatos also went to the village Narta to visit the family of the police officer Spiro Toshi, who lost his life some days ago during an operation of the police forces. ake/xh/+++

[14] REPORT OF INTERIOR MINISTRY OF ALBANIA

Yyesterday evening, as a result of the fire of arms exchanged between two armed groups, not yet identified, two inhbitants of Vlore, Xhevahis Muraj and Sofor Ribaj, were killed.

In the village Trevllazen, in an attack between two rival groups, a not yet identified person was killed and some other citizens were injured.

Last night in Gjirokaster, some unidentified armed people have open fire against the police commissariat of this district. Police, not yet well-organized here, are working intensively to identify and catch the authors of these serious crimes. ake/xh

[15] MEETING OF ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT

First, the government discussed the material regarding the approval in principle of the agreement on the status of the Multinational Forces, which, as is made known, must be reached between the Republic of Albania and the United Nations and namely with the countries, which on the basis of the Resolution 1101 of the U.N. Security Council will send to Albania, for a three-month period, their forces in the context of the multinational security troops.

Additionally, the Council of Ministers discussed the extension of the mandate of the European Community Monitoring Mission, ECMM, which, upon a request of the Albanian Government, is, since 1992, monitoring the border of Albania with Montenegro, Kosove and Macedonia. The mission consists of diplomats and military experts, who inform regularly the European Union presidency through analysis regarding the situation on the border of Albania with the above countries. This Mission also operates in six other countries bordering with former-Yugoslavia and has played an important role also in Bosnia.

The Government decided today that, on the basis of the request made by Albania according to the agreement signed by ten Albanian Political Parties and the President of Albania, Sali Berisha, regarding "the demand for a military aid to restore constitutional order and defend the country's integrity," to expand the monitoring activity of the ECMM throughout the territory of Albania.

During this meeting, the Council of Ministers decided to add new security elements to the diplomatic and service passports of Albania.

As reported, in March this year a number of such passports was looted and damaged by ill-doers and they can be used illegally.

The Foreign Ministry of Albania has already identified the damaged passports and the interior and foreign ministries of all foreign countries have been informed of this issue. By a new decision, these category of passports will be added many high security elements conformed international standards.

Also in this meeting, the Council of Ministers extended until September 1997 the deadline for the functioning of the Commission for the Restitution and Compensation of Ex-owners, set up close to the Tirana Municipality. xh

[16] CITIZEN SHOOTING AT POLICE PATROL IN DURRES ARRESTED

None of the policemen was injured.

The citizen, with unauthorised weapon, was arrested. a.ke/kled/lm/sh/

[17] CLASSES RESUME IN MILITARY ACADEMY

The teaching process resumed in this high military education institution after a long period of interruption, due to the imposition of the state of emergency all over Albania.

The commander of the Academy, Brigade - General, Luan Hoxha, stressed that 72 per cent of the pupils were attending classes so far.

The military postgraduate course has also resumed in this academy. kled/lm/sh/

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