Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-08-07

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] AMENDEMENTS TO LAWS ON STATE CONTROL SERVICE AND THE BANK OF ALBANIA APPROVED

[02] U.S. AMBASSADRESS LINO IN TIRANE MEETS WITH PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF FOREIGN POLICY

[03] PRESENT SITUATION, URGENT MEASURES FOR ALBANIAN ARMY - minister

[04] SERIOUS DIALOGUE TO START FOR KOSOVA POLITICAL STATUS - ambassador

[05] U.S. PRESIDENT WISHES PM FATOS NANO

[06] NEWS CONFERENCE IN TOWN HALL OF TIRANA

[07] PENAL CODE IS FAIR REGARDING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - chairman of Tirana Court -

[08] ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS CHARGE D'AFFAIRES OF YUGOSLAVIA

[09] MEETING OF PARTIES OF GROUPING "UNION FOR DEMOCRACY"

[10] MINISTER OF LEGISLATIVE REFORM AND RELATIONS WITH PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF JURISTS' ASSOCIATION

[11] NEW LEADERS OF RADIO TELEVISION APPOINTED

[12] NURSE IN CHIEF OF POGRADEC HOSPITAL KILLED

[13] VEHICLE WITH REFUGEES PLUNDERED IN BILISHT

[01] AMENDEMENTS TO LAWS ON STATE CONTROL SERVICE AND THE BANK OF ALBANIA APPROVED

The changes adopted in the law on the State Control Service are related with the fact that the Chairman of this Service must be appointed a representtive of one of the parliamentary opposition parties. But as the Parliament Speaker Skender Gjinushi stressed, he must not be from the ranks of that opposition which has just left the power." The chairman and his substitutes in the State Control Service must be named by the People's Assembly with the approval of the President of the Republic and this law enters into force on the day it is decreed.

The law presented for adoption by three parliamentary groups, that of SP, SDP and the Centre parties, stressed deputy Pandeli Majko, is important because it distances the SCS from the "hand of the govvernment" which administers continunously by operating on the basis of the laws it itself proposes before its majority. Such an amendement is also dictated by the agreement between political parties, according to which the post of the chirman of the SCS belongs to a representative of the parliamentary opposition. His mandate is the same as that of the People's Assembly.

With the amendements approved to the Law "On the Bank of Albania" the number of the Monitoring Council members increases from 7 to 9.

This, said those who proposed the change, becomes necessary with the participation of more specialists of various sectors of the economy closely linked with banking and monetary questions, in contributing to the policies of the Bank of Albania and creating more spaces for a balance of powers in favour of a greater independence of the long term policies which this national institution will follow.

The Governor of the Bank and his deputy are proposed by the Monitoring Council of the Bank of Albania. The Assembly also decided that the amendments will come into force immediately after they are decreed by the President.

The People's Assembly will resume its sessions on Monday. xh/

[02] U.S. AMBASSADRESS LINO IN TIRANE MEETS WITH PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION OF FOREIGN POLICY

"It is a special pleasure to meet with the Commission of the Foreign Policy which consists of distinguished politicians of the position and the opposition parties," said Mrs Lino at the beginning of the meeting.

Ambassador Lino highlighted the clear valuations of the Commission regarding the priorities in the relations of good neighbourliness with the neighbour coutries and especially with Italy and Greece, with regard to the integration strategy of Albania in the European structures abnd the realist stand for a peaceful solution to the question of Kosova and of the Albanians in Macedonia.

Mr Zeneli underlined that the Commission will play an important role in the foreign policy of the Albanian state. He highlighted the restitution of stability in Albania as a positive factor for the stability of the region and opening of Albania to integration processes.

Mr Zeneli expressed his thanks for the support that the U.S. has given and is giving to the institutionalization of democracy in Albania. xh/

[03] PRESENT SITUATION, URGENT MEASURES FOR ALBANIAN ARMY - minister

"The reasons which brought about the destruction of the army were: unfair release of military specialists, their replacement with inexperienced officers and civilians without appropriate education, insufficient economic treatment of military personnel and removal of experienced officers from the grass roots," Brokaj said.

Brokaj added that the measures to be taken for the army's restructuring should be urgent, of legal character and will be more complete after the introduction of the constitution of the Republic of Albania.

We will aim, he said, at stabilising the army, reconsidering the present situation and the status of the military personnel, raising the armed forces to the structures of NATO framework and dismissal of the inexperienced and incriminated persons from the army ranks and replaced them with the experienced released officers.

Answering other questions, Brokaj informed the deputies about finding of the looted missiles from Arshilengo and their storing, documents, war plans and diaries which implicate generals, extra arming of SHIK (National Information Service), quick and non motivated rank promotion for officers.

Reconsidering the problem of army's reorganisation, Minister Brokaj explained that the recruitment of soldiers will be based on a three-year payment and it is thought that some six thousand soldiers will be recruited until the situation in the army is improved. kei/ak/k

[04] SERIOUS DIALOGUE TO START FOR KOSOVA POLITICAL STATUS - ambassador

Gruber said "Kosova should have a high degree of autonomy, within Yugoslav Federation. This is our official position, similar to what European Union has presented," the German diplomat said in an interview to the newspaper "Koha ditore."

Gruber had a meeting in Prishtina with the President of the Republic of Kosova, Dr Ibrahim Rugova, representatives of two Albanian big parties - Democratic League and Parliamentarian party, and representatives of the Serbian installed administration. bj/pta/ak/

[05] U.S. PRESIDENT WISHES PM FATOS NANO

She gave to Premier Nano a warm message of friendship and support for the Albanian people and the new government from the U.S. government, Bill Clinton.

The message reads:

"Dear Mr Prime Minister,

Congratulations and best wishes on your appointment as Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. The past few months have been very difficult ones for Albania. The civil unrest and economic uncertainty affecting your country present your government with a tremendous task. I would like you to know that the United States and our partners in the international community are ready to assist your government in its pursuit of meaningful political and economic reform necessary to restore normal conditions in your country.

Your pledge to include the broad spectrum of political forces in the governing process is very encouraging in light of the political polarization that has afflicted your society. Also encouraging has been your stated willingness to cooperate fully with the international community. I am confident that as long as your country remains on the path of reconciliation and sound policies, Albania will have a stable and prosperous future," ends the message of President Bill Clinton. /s.sh/mt/sh/

[06] NEWS CONFERENCE IN TOWN HALL OF TIRANA

The restructuring of the administration, on the basis of professionalism and problems of housing and infrastructure, were the main objects on which Mayor Brojka focused in this conference.

Brojka said that from the reform of recent months are affected only the incapable persons and those who have abused with the power, without considering in any case the political convictions. Incurable "disease" was considered by Brojka the problem of housing in the capital, despite the aid and credits accorded by the previous democratic government. He said that there are more than 6500 families with the statute of unsheltered. Some 9500 others were added to these, who have sold their houses and deposited the money in the pyramid schemes, as well as those who have come from other districts.

Regarding the construction of kiosks, Brojka prefers the preventive work and not the destructive one. He called on the order forces and the constructing police, in the conditions when the municipal police is still in its "embryo".

Brojka was optimist regarding the solution of the supply of population with potable water, defining for this purpose a deadline of 4-5 months, with the end of the Project of Bovilla and reconstruction of the water-pipes inside the town.

Fair critics were considered by the municipal leaders the recent complaints regarding the tidiness of Tirana, although as it was stressed in the conference, it is expected the realization from the Government of the Project financed in cooperation with the Japanese government.

The journalists insisted in detailed explanations regarding the preventive work for the constructions without permits, abuses with the cleaning of the town, both from Albanian and foreign firms, and mainly in giving guarantees to finish the constructions in the aqueduct of Bovilla. Brojka and the leading staff of the town hall responded to the questions on the measures taken to stop the abuses and possible corruption among the administration officials in the town hall and 11 administration units of Tirana, etc./pas/mt/sh/

[07] PENAL CODE IS FAIR REGARDING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT - chairman of Tirana Court -

"The penal code of Albania, although it has maximally limited the number of acts on which capital punishment is envisaged, and for some cases it has accepted it and the solution given by the Penal Code is fair, because it covers the grave situation in Albania," said Qazim Gjonaj, chairman of the Tirana Court.

Some 217 requests have come in the Tirana Court from March 1 until July 1, to define security measures for different persons, and from these only for 202 persons the court of Tirana ruled the security measure, while for 15 persons the court has changed the measure requested./kled/mt/sh/

[08] ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS CHARGE D'AFFAIRES OF YUGOSLAVIA

Vukicevic gave the message of greetings from the Foreign Minister, Milutinovic, and stressed the will of the government of his country for the development of bilateral relations. He also said that there are already created the conditions to start the dialogue and develop the cooperation.

Milo said that the Albanian government expresses once again its will to create all the possibilities to open the dialogue with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Monte Negro), to discuss in the climate of understanding and cooperation the problems encountered and to give them solution as soon as possible. Our relations have passed through difficult periods, not only due to the crisis in Former Yugoslavia, but also due to the stand against the Kosova Albanians, stressed Milo. Expressing the wish for dialogue, we would like that even the Yugoslav government to convey clear message, which will open way the understanding and solution of the national rights of the Albanian in Kosova. We favour the development of relations on contemporary basis and without prejudices, but it is our legitimate right to show interest on the realization of the aspirations of our patriots, based on the international documents and engagements, stressed Milo. They said that improvement of relations between both countries contributes to the improvement of climate and confidence, as well as the security in the region. /a.ke/kled/mt/sh/

[09] MEETING OF PARTIES OF GROUPING "UNION FOR DEMOCRACY"

In the center of talks was the theme on "the revenge of ex-communist officials against the opposition, against the state institutions, against the public administration, against the juridical process and non government press."

"The participants in the meeting approved the respective documents to be made known to the public on Friday in a joint news conference and decided the installment of the round table of the parliamentary opposition parties to discuss the situation in Albania, as well as the engagement of all the political forces to reach the conditions of the European Union and the Conference of Rome," says an announcement of DP press and information office. /a.ke/kled/mt/sh/

[10] MINISTER OF LEGISLATIVE REFORM AND RELATIONS WITH PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY MEETS REPRESENTATIVES OF JURISTS' ASSOCIATION

Minister Imami stressed the necessity to restructure the institutions and mainly the prosecutor's office and put into efficience its work, based on the real democratic institutions, and asked institutional and long-term solutions.

The participants stressed that in the law it is envisaged the functioning of the prosecutor's office, while its role in a state misses.

The counselor of the President for the juridical problems, Kristaq Traja, said that "perversity and dualism have been noticed in the prosecutor's office, adding that these bodies can not belong to different systems." According to him, to have a strong prosecutor's office, the independence of the prosecutor should be strengthened./kled/mt/sh/

[11] NEW LEADERS OF RADIO TELEVISION APPOINTED

From the two candidatures presented, Ylli Pango was elected chairman with 12 votes in favour, out of 19 members who voted.

Seven votes favoured the other candidature, Aleko Gjergo, while two members of this council did not participate in the proceedings of this meeting.

The Director General of the Albanian Radio Television was appointed Mr Albert Minga. Two members, from 19 members, left the hall before the voting process; they were the former leaders Bardhyl Pollo and Antoneta Malaj.

"I am creator and feel responsible even as old employee of this institution, I express the thought that the Albanian Radio Television, being modest, will have the civil right to go from South to North of Albania, without bodyguards and policemen, where its protectors are the common citizens," said Albert Minga. The former director of RTSH, Bardhyl Pollo, considered unfair the voting process.

The leading council of RTSH is made up of 21 members, out of 11 it had before. The other 11 members were added to this council by the People's Assembly on August 5, 1997.

Minga has been one of the most outstanding producers of the cultural programs in the Albanian Television. Ylli Pango, who is psychologist, has an academic experience in the field of pedagogy./kled/mt/sh/

[12] NURSE IN CHIEF OF POGRADEC HOSPITAL KILLED

An armed and drunk persons entered the hospital in the afternoon and took by forces, under the threaten of the pistol, five nurses, aiming to separate one of them to violate.

The nurse in chief recognised the criminal and called him on the name. Due to this, he shot her on the head and left dead. After injuring another nurse, he fled away.

The police forces have identified the criminal and are working to detain him.

The medical staff of the Pogradec hospital appealed for the protection of the white uniforms. /a.ke/kled/mt/sh/

[13] VEHICLE WITH REFUGEES PLUNDERED IN BILISHT

According to one of the refugees, the gang was made up of 5 coloured and armed persons who had Kalashnikov-s and a car without number plate. They, after controlling the refugees one by one, robbed all the money and other things, and before leaving, to frighten them, they fired towards them, and due to this one of the refugees have been gravely hurt, who was later transported to the hospital of Bilisht. According to the doctor on duty, the life of the hurt is in danger./a.ke/kled/mt/sh/

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