Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-05-24

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] IMF FOR BUDGET DEFICIT AND PROBLEM OF PYRAMID SCHEMES IN ALBANIA

[02] BERAT STILL STAINED WITH BLOOD

[03] SURVIVORS FROM OTRANTO TRAGEDY STAGED HUNGER STRIKE WITHOUT LIMIT

[04] MINISTER OF FINANCES ORDERS REPLACEMENT OF INSIG DIRECTOR

[05] MINISTRY OF FINANCES ASKS CHANGES IN LEADING BOARD OF SAVINGS BANK

[06] "I DON'T CHANGE MY CONVICTIONS ON MODERATE LEFT" - Deputy Rexhepi

[07] SERBIAN POLICE ARREST THREE ALBANIAN ACTIVISTS OF KOSOVA

[08] OVER 4000 ARMS OF VARIOUS KINDS GATHERED IN DURRES

[09] DAP AGAINST PRE-ELECTORAL ALLIANCE WITH SP, SDP IRRESOLUTE FOR THE ALLIANCE

[10] CEKA DOES NOT YET BELIEVE IN OSCE AND IN CENTRE POLE

[11] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS

[12] ALBANIAN LEFT WING ASKS AGAIN COOPERATION WITH ODHIR

[13] BERISHA AND ARBNORI VISIT POLICE OFFICERS HIT BY TERRORIST HAND

[14] ALBANIAN ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS "FRIGHTEN" TOURISTS IN CORFU

[15] AWDL CONSIDERS JUNE 29 THE DAY TO END CHAOS AND RETURN CALM

[16] PRESIDENT BERISHA MEETS INHABITANTS OF ZALL-BASTAR

[17] UNION FOR DEMOCRACY CONTINUES DEBATE ON JOINT DISTRICTS

[18] SITUATION IN ELBASAN IS CALMER

[19] EFFORTS TO STABILISE SITUATION IN CERRIK

[20] EFFORTS TO STABILISE SITUATION IN CERRIK

[21] GOVERNMENT PROPOSES END OF STATE OF EMERGENCY

[22] APPEAL OF ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER BASHKIM FINO

[01] IMF FOR BUDGET DEFICIT AND PROBLEM OF PYRAMID SCHEMES IN ALBANIA

"We gave on Friday our detailed recommendations to President Berisha, Premier Fino, Minister of Finances Malaj and Governor Tusha," said the members of this mission.

According to them, the economic problems of Albania are very serious. They are, especially worried about two issues: for the budget deficit and for the solution of the pyramid schemes problem.

"Our concern for the budget deficit has to do more with influence it will have on the inflation," they said.

To Albania, according to them, is necessary the solution of the problem of pyramid schemes, the protection of the depositors' interests, as well as the prevention of other schemes. But this can be reached only after a complete and transparent control of all the current suspended pyramid schemes.

"We and our colleagues in World Bank also think that the administrators of all the companies which continue their activity should be nominated. These administrators should be responsible for the control of entrances and for the protocols of the companies to the interest of the depositors.

The International Monetary Fund will continue to cooperate with Albania, but it cannot discuss on a detailed economic program, as long as the security and the political situation is not stable./cela/s.sh/jz/mt/sh/

[02] BERAT STILL STAINED WITH BLOOD

The few witnesses confessed that the killer, after committing the crime, fled away very quickly. Four people were immediately sent to hospital, where it is reported that two young men, round 21- 24 years old died, while the two others were sent to the operation room.

These murders carry to 86 the toll of the victims killed by fire weapons in Berat, since the ammunition depots were stormed. A men round 42 years old died on the same day after several days of medical treatment due to the wounds caused by fire weapons. /jz/mt/sh/

[03] SURVIVORS FROM OTRANTO TRAGEDY STAGED HUNGER STRIKE WITHOUT LIMIT

14 people are on strike, which has started at 18:55 (time when the tragedy happened).

The strikers are supported by the Italian association "The center of youths" in Brindizi, represented by Roberto Aprile.

The strikers said that they will continue this strike until the measures to recover the bodies of their family members and relatives are taken, and they will return to homeland together with them.

In the meeting with the prefect of Brindizi and deputy prefect of Taranto, the association "Homeland for refugees and emigrants" has demanded that the 16 Albanians who survived from the tragedy and are now in the camps of Italy be provided long-term documents for staying in Italy. /jz/mt/sh/

[04] MINISTER OF FINANCES ORDERS REPLACEMENT OF INSIG DIRECTOR

The same source reports that Qemal Disha, director of INSIG, will be replaced by Sherif Bundo, based on this decision.

Disha said that he does not intend to remove from work, because his replacement is not yet in the competencies of the minister and the court should decide on this issue.

Disha has been minister in the Government of Stability in 1992, and also witness in the trial against Fatos Nano, current chairman of SP, accused of corruption and falsification of official documents, when he was prime minister in 1991.

Sherif Bundo is financier in chief of the Socialist Party. /kei/mt/sh/

[05] MINISTRY OF FINANCES ASKS CHANGES IN LEADING BOARD OF SAVINGS BANK

According to the deputy director of the Savings Bank, Mr Everest Musta, the details on these changes and their replacements are not known yet./kled/mt/sh/

[06] "I DON'T CHANGE MY CONVICTIONS ON MODERATE LEFT" - Deputy Rexhepi

"My idea is for a genuine Albanian left wing. I don't change my convictions for the moderate left, which are different from the extreme ideas of Kastriot Islami and Sabit Brokaj," said in an interview with ATA today, Mr Rexhepi.

Sali Rexhepi was fiercly opposed by the SP extreme wing, because he did not respond to the party's call to boycott the Parliment and they went so far as to expel Rexhepi from the Socialist Party.

When the Socialist deputies joined the Parliament in April this year, it was said that Rexhepi would be a member of the Socialist parliamentary group, but he did not accept./jz/xh/

[07] SERBIAN POLICE ARREST THREE ALBANIAN ACTIVISTS OF KOSOVA

Sources of the Democratic League of Kosova report that the deputy of the Kosova Parliament, Ali Lajci, is arrested, as well as the chairman of the Council for Human Rights in Decan, Musa Berisha, and the chairman of the Parliamentary Party branch of Kosova in Peje, Ethem Ceku. The vehicle with which they were travelling was raided. /ag/b.j/mt/sh/

[08] OVER 4000 ARMS OF VARIOUS KINDS GATHERED IN DURRES

This has led to a lower number of bullets fired into the air and to a reduced number of crimes.

Also last night, police patrols accumulated a considerable amount of various arms such as automatic rifles, machine guns and a number of cartridges.

The police commisssariat has organized the work for the accumulation of the arms from the people through blitz controls during the day and patrolling over the night hours. xh/sh

[09] DAP AGAINST PRE-ELECTORAL ALLIANCE WITH SP, SDP IRRESOLUTE FOR THE ALLIANCE

According to the paper, Ceka did not answer positively to the public invitation of the socialists for its cooperation with the Social Democratic Party, Democratic Alliance and the Human Rights Union Party.

"DAP after the elections can enter a governmental coalition with the right wing, surely without DP," says Ceka.

"The Social Democrats seem to accept the pre-election alliances with the socialists," reports the paper, which cites the SDP chairman, Skender Gjinushi, as saying "his party will decide itself whether to participate or no in the elections, as well as on this basis it will judges on the alliances for a closer cooperation with the other 7 parties, rival of DP".

"The social democratic leader does not accept to further comment the proposal of socialists, but only stresses the necessity of a grouping of parties from, the left wing to the center," reports the paper.

In the local elections of October 20, 1996, accepted as regular even by the international community, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Party (Central Pole) won 3.09 per cent of the votes./kled/mt/sh/

[10] CEKA DOES NOT YET BELIEVE IN OSCE AND IN CENTRE POLE

"There is not yet any special decision of OSCE, because we are of the opinion that if an OSCE monitoring would be really realised, then things must be made in written," said Ceka.

OSCE warned Friday that the internatioal community "would reconsider" its commitment in Albania if the Albanian parties did not fully cooperate with the Organization in the preparation of the elections.

"We want to know which is the concrete commitment. This is a great action, it is a very important political solution which cannot be realised with telephone calls and messages, said Ceka, whose party does not yet seem to be ready to take part in the ballot.

Ceka said today after the meeting that he had proposed the Government some measures for the preparation of the elections because the present situation could not ensure free and fair elections.

"The electoral campaign will start in the moment when the conditions will be created. There can be no electoral campaign with armoured vehicles and tanks," said Ceka.

Ceka said that his party would present its own candidates and the Centre Pole was not envisaged to continue to exist as in the May 26, 1996 parliamentary elections, but he did not rule out an alliance with the right wing after the elections. jz/xh/k

[11] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS

The Dutch Ambassador, as representative of the EU current presidency country, hailed the consensus reached between the Albanian political forces. Mr Van Hajnen expressed the support of the European Union for the OSCE mission in Albania, led by Dr Vranitzky, for a solution of the Albanian political crisis.

Fino asked a close cooperation of the group of OSCE experts with representatives of the Albanian Government to realise the elements of the electoral process, including the preparation by the international community of all the logistic basis for the elections.

Fino demanded the greatest possible number of monitors in the electoral process and the re-interpretation of an extended mandate of the mutinational forces in Albania to secure the polling stations.

The PM briefed the ambassadors of today's meeting of the parties of Balli Kombetar, Democratic Alliance, Socialist, Republican, Social Democratic, Human Right Union and the Movement for Democracy, which asked the government to adopt a number of measures to administer the polls such as the lifting of the state of emergency, the question of the SHIK leaders, the registration of the population for the poll, the necessary changes to the elected local governmment, etc.

PM Fino said that all the parties are for a participation in the elections, but recently, for known reasons, the electorate and the parties in Albania have lost their confidence in the free vote and their concern is not without any reason. kled/xh/k

[12] ALBANIAN LEFT WING ASKS AGAIN COOPERATION WITH ODHIR

In a fax, responding to the AYC, signed recently by Shaun Barcavage of the ODHIR office in Warsaw, it is made known the predisposition of ODHIR to cooperate with this organization.

"Please, send us further information about AYC and inform us of your interest to help us have other contacts," says the fax addressed to AYC.

After the last parliamentary elections, complaints regarding the report of this office were presented, where it was not mentioned as irregularity the boycott of vote counting by the left parties two hours after the voting was finished, and the fact that defined persons from ODHIR had a double status, as ODHIR observers, and invited by SP.

Attending this mission were also collaborators of the dictatorial regime of Enver Hoxha. Their drivers and translators were defined by the Socialist Party.

"With regard to the conduct of elections in the near future, OSCE and ODHIR will cooperate with NGO-s all over Albania to help and take from them native observers," says the response of the fax.

The OSCE office for the democratic institutions and human rights of ODHIR says it is very interested in identifying NGO-s to cooperate in Albania. Meanwhile the analysts of elections notice that to be really neutral, it should choose collaborators in the whole political spectrum. /kled/pas/mt/k

[13] BERISHA AND ARBNORI VISIT POLICE OFFICERS HIT BY TERRORIST HAND

"The authors of the ugly act in Cerrik will be punished," Berisha said.

Berisha condoled with the families of the fallen, their relatives and friends.

Meanwhile, according to the hospital's director, nine out of the 15 wounded, are still hospitalised, one of them in a critical condition.

In his talk with the chief of the commissariat, Agron Koliqi, hospitalised, Berisha said: "The loss is great. But I believe the public order forces will give the merited blow to all those who continue violence and terror. It is indispensable to pull the country out of violence and terror and march towards elections, peace."

* * * *

Speaker of Albanian Parliament Pjeter Arbnori also visited the Army hospital to visit the public order officers, wounded in Cerrik yesterday. s.sh/jz/lm/Z

[14] ALBANIAN ILLEGAL EMIGRANTS "FRIGHTEN" TOURISTS IN CORFU

The island's media has often treated the question of tourism, which is the most important source of annual income for over 100 000 of its inhabitants.

Various analysts link this phenomenon not only to the increase of prices here, the heightening of the cost of living in the western countries, which prefer tourism in this island such as Germany, England, France ans Scandinavian countries, but also to the mounting Albanian illegal emigrants, drug and arms trafficking.

The phenomenon of illegal trafficking coming from the Albanian shores seems to have posed a dangerous precedent for tourism at the Corfu island, which is otherwise called the Greek Gate.

Only few days ago a couple of French tourists, rowing their boats on the Corfu Channel were attacked and robbed of their possessions by Albanian gunmen.

The news was not made known to the Island's TV channels for fear that this might rouse panic among the other western tourists, who are currently vacationing at the Corfu town, its nearby villages and at the Paksos island, like in the case of many other episodes taking place earlier and which are linked with Albania.

Especially after the latest events in Albania the acts of the Albanian illegal emigrants at Corfu have intensified.

The traffic of illegal emigrants is considered by the local authorities of Corfu on a second plane as opposed to the arms and drug traffic, killings and other phenomena.

Some 20 days ago Albanian illegal emigrants shot dead a Greek guard of Corfu and seized a motorboat of the border guards, etc.

At a recent working visit in Sarande, the Corfu prefect, Andrea Pankratis, said that with the full restoration of order in Albania a bilateral cooperation would be materialised to prevent the influx of illegal emigrants to Corfu.

A protocol of cooperation, also including the aforesaid issue, was signed on July 17 last year in Sarande, in the context of strengthening cooperation between the local governments of the Vlore prefecture and that of Corfu.

Meanwhile the Greek media, after the murder of a Greek border guard has announced of fresh army and police reinforcements on the sea line along the Albanian shores.

But, despite this, the number of tourists at the Corfu island is decreasing as opposed the previous years.

Some predict this decrease will be furthered during the summer of 1998.

The latest turmoil Albania has caused tourist agencies of Corfu and agencies of many other countries to cancel the one day tourist visits to Sarande by tourists coming to Corfu. This was confirmed by the Corfu prefect, Pankratis, at his meetings at the Sarande district council. jz/lm/Z

[15] AWDL CONSIDERS JUNE 29 THE DAY TO END CHAOS AND RETURN CALM

"The AWDL positively pronounces itself on the elections, meaning that it will support the DP in its campaign, undertaking to clarify and convince all Albanian girls and women of what took place in Albania. It will also explain the responsibility of the DP for this situation," the chairwoman of the league, Flutura Hasko, said at today's meeting of the league's presidency.

"I hold that after the rebellion, the presence of women in parliament would as well be a factor of continuing this reconciliation initiated by President Berisha on March 9," she said. jz/lm/Z

[16] PRESIDENT BERISHA MEETS INHABITANTS OF ZALL-BASTAR

"I have come to meet and congratulate you, the inhabitants of this land with ancient patriotic traditions, with high democratic culture who said "No" to violence and destruction the socialist opposition sought to sow all over the country, using as a pretext the collapse of the pyramid firms," Berisha told the participants.

He told them that the failure of the pyramid schemes was a pretext for the beginning of the red rebellion, while the main cause is that the ex-communists cannot conceive loss of power by the free vote.

"The latest events show that the socialists are closely linked with the committees of the rebellion, that they continue alliances with those criminals who massacre, terrorise, and carry out raids in several cities of the south," Berisha said.

Conscious of several errors in democratic governing, Berisha also admitted that it was the free initiative of the Albanians that would recover this country, would lead Albania ahead just like at the beginning of democracy.

Speaking of the importance of the June 29 elections for all Albanians, Berisha said:'

"If May 26 was about various forms of governing, the June 26 separates violence from democracy, separates democracy from rebellion, the past from the future." jz/lm/Z

[17] UNION FOR DEMOCRACY CONTINUES DEBATE ON JOINT DISTRICTS

They agreed to be represented with joint candidates in certain districts. s.sh/jz/lm

[18] SITUATION IN ELBASAN IS CALMER

Gunmen sieged the Elbasan city for around two hours in the Elbasan town on Thursday afternoon.

A bloody gunbattle took place yesterday in Cerrik town between the police forces and several heavily armed people which killed six policemen and wounded 13 others, among them the new interim chief, Agron Kuliqi.

Meanwhile, sources of the Elbasan hospital report that there have been no victims over the latest hours, except four people wounded by gunfire. jz/lm

[19] EFFORTS TO STABILISE SITUATION IN CERRIK

However, the police station is almost abandoned and due to yesterday's tension today's morning found the school doors closed.

Every vehicle and unknown person is subjected to control by an armed group before entering the town.

The town major Mishelina Xhelo and the political parties have continued contacts with the armed citizens to avoid possible conflicts.

Yesterday's attack of the armed group on the Interior Ministry special forces in Cerrik killed six people and wounded 13 on the part of the special forces, four of whom were burnt inside an armoured car.

The newly elected chief of Elbasan commissariat, Agron Kuliqi is among the wounded.

A group of experts of the interior Ministry has arrived at the Cerrik commissariat in an effort to return the situation to normal. a.ke/jz/lm/Z

[20] EFFORTS TO STABILISE SITUATION IN CERRIK

However, the police station is almost abandoned and due to yesterday's tension today's morning found the school doors closed.

Every vehicle and unknown person is subjected to control by an armed group before entering the town.

The town major Mishelina Xhelo and the political parties have continued contacts with the armed citizens to avoid possible conflicts.

Yesterday's attack of the armed group on the Interior Ministry special forces in Cerrik killed six people and wounded 13 on the part of the special forces, four of whom were burnt inside an armoured car.

The newly elected chief of Elbasan commissariat, Agron Kuliqi is among the wounded.

A group of experts of the interior Ministry has arrived at the Cerrik commissariat in an effort to return the situation to normal. a.ke/jz/lm

[21] GOVERNMENT PROPOSES END OF STATE OF EMERGENCY

The participants stressed the fact that the date of holding the new parliamentary elections is already set. Under these conditions it is necessary to create more normal conditions for a regular electoral campaign by all the election subjects.

On this basis, the government decided to propose the President of the Republic to end the state of emergency called by decision of the People's Assembly No 297, dated 2.3.1997.

Meanwhile, the situation in several districts of the county continues to remain tense. Only yesterday in the Cerrik town, the terrorist hand hit the police officers. As a result, six were killed, and 15 other wounded.

On the same day in the Berat town an unknown man sprayed bullets on a group of youths at a bar at the center of the town, killing two people and wounding two others.

While today four people were injured by gunfire in the Elbasan city. lm

[22] APPEAL OF ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER BASHKIM FINO

"I have followed and continue to follow with maximal commitment and great preoccupation the tragic events occurring throughout the country and which are claiming people's lives, which are destroying bridges, libraries, institutions and are keeping the country in destabilization.

Proceding from these circumstances, under my full responsibility as a Prime Minister of the Governmemt of National Reconciliation, I appeal:

To the forces of order, not to kneel down before the pressure of crime and banditry, but to fight it with all their force and means by observing the law, their depoliticized status and their existence as forces of a democratic order.

In this way, they will regain the respect and the belief of the people that they are and are working to protect the law, man and property.

To the President and to all political forces, to take their historic responsibilities, to leave aside political passions, the extreme militancy. It is in the interest of the Albanian nation to go to the polls with a social pact of peace, in order that the weapons be left at home and not used to attain political goals. It is up to the Albanian political class to show the people that their fate is determined here, in Albania, by the Albanians.

To the Albanian people, to give up the language of political hatred and peace down the strange and agitated spirit of the Albanian. Let us not elaborate the theory of hatred, blood, violence and savageness, but that of love, understanding, tolerance, dialogue and moderation.

To all Albanians, without any distinction of party, religion, and region, I call on them to surrender arms, to restrain the language of iron and fire, to come to use their reason, dialogue, understanding, spirit of compromise, civil co-existence, which are vital for the future of the Albanian people.

I personally, and the Government of National Reconciliation have full confidence that the Albanian people, the political forces, all together will be able to overcome this period of extraordinary crisis.

Our Albania, our future and that of our children have a chance: free, calm, fair and democratic elections, to restore the stability, democracy and prosperity. xh

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