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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-03-26Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] Abolition of death penalty not possible, spokesman saysTIRANA, March (ATA) - Abolition of death penalty was impossible now considering the present conditions and particularly the increase of criminality after the events of last spring 1997 when most of Albanians were armed and prisoners were at large, a spokesman of the Justice Ministry said on Wednesday."Nevertheless, the government has been engaged in observing the amendments of the Council of Europe on a gradual abolition of the death penalty," the spokesman said. He added that it would be necessary to launch a nationwide survey on that by the non governmental organisations (NGOs). During the last three months, the Albanian courts have ruled three death penalties, but none was executed. ake/mima/ak/d Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] Albania's president urges prevent, crackdown on contrabandTIRANA, March 25 (ATA) - By A. Haxhiu: Need to increase efficiency of state structures in order to promote preventing and operational measures to fight contraband and fiscal evasion were on the focus of a meeting on Wednesday between the President of the Republic Rexhep Meidani and senior officials of the state administration.The meeting was attended by officials charged of tariffs, Interior minister Neritan Ceka, Defence minister Sabit Brokaj, head of National Information Service (SHIK) Fatos Klosi, deputy minister of Finance and officials of State Control Service, Order Information Service (SHIR) and Army Information Service (SHIU). "A spirit of cooperation, coordination and parallel control should exist between different ministries to prevent and fight contraband," Meidani said. He urged the approval of a legislation for the military police as an important structure to fight the corrosive phenomena of the society and expressed his active commitment to that in the future. miman/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] Tirana mayor unsatisfied of state budget for infrastructureTIRANA, March 25 (ATA) - By K Shehu: The state budget for 1998 would accord one million and 850 thousand dollars to improve the local infrastructure of the capital, Albert Brojka, Tirana Mayor said to ATA on Wednesday."These funds will be used to rehabilitate some 13 km of roads, or 5 percent, in the main axis, construct 27 modest apartments to house 70 families, or 1 percent of the homeless families," Brojka said. He added: "The funds do not foresee any finance of emergency projects and perspective of the sewage infrastructure," Brojka said. mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] Police seize trucks carrying contraband goodsKOPLIK, March 25 (ATA) - By M. Malja: Police forces of Malesia e Madhe, North of Albania, had seized eight trucks carrying contraband goods in the last two days, Shemsi Premçi, chief of the police station, said on Wednesday.Police forces took the trucks and 12 persons to the police station. During the last months, police forces in cooperation with forces of the Interior Ministry have been in efficiency to prevent contraband through Shkodra lake, North of Albania. This area has been the most preferred by traffickers particularly for fuel and cigarettes since the embargo against former Yugoslavia in 1993. ake/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] Police free VEFA Holding offices from hunger strikersTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - By Th. Thanasi: Police forces of the commissariat 1 at the capital freed on Wednesday the offices of the VEFA Holding Company from a group of creditors, who were on hunger strike for almost 30 days."Police have observed the law. This act is based on the article 6 of the law on order police," Fadil Canaj, chief of the police Directorate in Tirana said. He said that the police intervened to resolve a dispute between the accountants Deloitte & Touche, on the request of latter, and a group of creditors of the VEFA Holding who have prevented local administrators from starting work. The police forces called on the strikers to go out of the building but they refused. "Police obliged them to leave the building without using force and 18 strikers were taken to their houses by police cars," Canaj said. s.s/mima/ak/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] President Rugova summoned Advisory Group in a meetingPRISHTINA, March 26 (ATA) - The President of the Republic of Kosova, Ibrahim Rugova, summoned Wednesday in a meeting the Advisory Group and familiarized its members with the appointment and goal of this group, Kosova Information Center reports.During the meeting it was discussed the drafting of a platform for unconditional talks regarding the Kosova issue with representatives of Milosevic, with international mediation. The meeting also discussed the situation in Kosova which is becoming worse and dangerous. /p.ta/mima/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] Italian journalist - witness of police attack in Gllojan villagePRISHTINA, March 26 (ATA) - The journalist of the Italian TV channel "Rai Tre," Amadeo Riluci, eye witness of the attack, carried out by the Serbian forces in Gllojan village (Kosova) declared that "some 200 Serbian policemen, reinforced by three military armoured vehicles, fired weapons."The Italian journalist, who was just by accident in the spot, told the Kosova Information Center that along with the Serbian policemen, a number of persons in green uniforms and helmets operated there, who, according to him, should have been soldiers. The Italian journalist confesses further on that on his way back he had seen the body of an old man and not far from him a man who was moving with difficulties and seemed to be with tied hands or wounded. After speaking about the presence of four police helicopters, as well as about a house in flames, the Italian journalist adds that "during this time, the Serbian police ordered us to leave the village and showed us a way through which we could flee from the village." "They showed us a car, for which they said it was attacked by the Albanian 'terrorists, but there, I didn't see any blood print. The policemen showed us even the uniform of the terrorists, as they said, but they were not used," ended the Italian journalist. /p.ta/mima/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] I don't support Milosevic, I am a great friend of Albanians, says KinkelTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - The unity inside the Contact Group is very important for the future of the solution of the Kosova issue, Albania's Prime Minister Fatos Nano told Thursday the German Foreign Minister, Klaus Kinkel, in a meeting held in Bonn, PM spokesman reported.Despite the time left to Milosevic to reflect, it is important that the four following weeks be filled with acts which unblock the dialogue and with clear encouraging messages for the Albanians and Belgrade. The massive participation in last week's elections and the support given to the pacific alternative of Ibrahim Rugova show that the Albanians are resolute to continue their fight through political means, said Nano. Talking about the status of Kosova, the Albanian Prime Minister stressed that there is no need to have discrimination of peoples within the Yugoslav Federation. Belgrade should sit as a party in talks, as the capital of the Federation and not of Serbia. The Albanians on their side, headed by Rugova, have taken the talks too seriously, but any delay or backward step from Belgrade, such as the appointment of Seselj in executive leading posts, would cause problems even among the different political alternatives in Prishtina. Kinkel, on his side, said that the Contact Group has difficulties, already known now, regarding the Kosova issue, but the fact that Russia has accepted to discuss the change of the current status of Kosova, gives us hopes for a more optimal solution. Milosevic should accept the European mediator, Felipe Gonzales, because any rejection would make difficult the relations with the international community. Rugova has followed so far a mature policy, said Kinkel, but I will try to contact with him to further coordinate his stands, which should not give the possibility of provocation to any of the Contact Group members. Kinkel was also interested in the security aspects inside Albania and mainly in Kosova, adding that the Albanians should avoid the armed conflicts, because this would help Serbs for other cleansing. Neither Germany nor the United States trust Milosevic, who considers terrorist the women and children killed in Drenice. Everyone should understand that I do not support Milosevic, but on the contrary I am a great friend of Albanians. Albanians are people with much dignity, but they should prevent several individuals, even in Germany, who damage the image of the whole nation through criminal acts. Talking about bilateral problems, the German Foreign Minister said that he will encourage the federal government to disburse the aid and programs for Albania within the defined deadlines. /a.ke/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] Option of Nano on Kosova welcomed by Contact GroupTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - The Contact Group welcomed the option of Albania on the status of Kosova, according to the Montenegrin pattern "republic minus the right to be detached from the Federation."Albania's PM declared this in an interview for Zeri i Popullit newspaper, published on Thursday, who participated in the Contact Group meeting in Bonn. "I am pleased that this option, which is republic minus the right to be detached from the Federation, was welcomed," said Nano in his interview. According to him, this option is also an orientation for the talks. Referring to the meeting of the Contact Group, Nano said that the meeting appreciated the fact that the Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova is ready now to realise the engagements for an unconditional dialogue, and also condemned the fact that the Yugoslav authorities, headed by Milosevic "continue to be ridiculous in their proposals for dialogue, continue not to withdraw the police forces and kill civilians." The Prime Minister of Albania does not consider long the deadline of four weeks given to Milosevic to put an end to bloodshed in Kosova, because "these four weeks will be filled with acts and missions in Kosova, Prishtina, Belgrade to guarantee the realisation of dialogue." /das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] Speaker Gjinushi ends visit in CroatiaTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - Albania's Parliament Speaker Skender Gjinushi and the parliamentary delegation he headed, after holding high ranking meetings in the Republic of Croatia, returned Thursday to Albania.Gjinushi declared after the arrival in the airport of Rinas that "the visit of the Albanian parliamentary delegation was very successful and to the good of boosting inter-parliamentary relations and recent developments in Kosova," stressing that "we found full understanding in all the meetings we held." /a.ke/das/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] DP leader repeats in rally slogans to topple governmentKAVAJE, March 26 (ATA) - By G. Kabashi: The chairman of the Democratic Party (DP, opposition), Sali Berisha, during a meeting held Thursday in the town of Kavaje, has reiterated his slogans to topple the government and set up a technocrat government.In the rally, held by DP on the occasion of the 8-th anniversary of the first anticommunist demonstration in this town, Berisha invited the people of Kavaje to fight to overthrow the socialists from power like they did eight years ago. Former President Berisha considered completely failed the policy followed by Nano government and asked as the only solution the establishment of a technocrat government, which will lead the country towards new elections. These requests have been rejected by the international community. Some eight years ago, on March 26, 1990, the people of Kavaje openly demonstrated his aspiration for freedom and democracy. In the clashes with the police, the young man Josif Buda was killed, who was declared the first Martyr of Democracy. In the June 29 polls of last year, the candidates of the Democratic Party faced a deep loss in the district of Kavaje, which was considered a stronghold of the democrats. /s.s/mima/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12] Godo suggests discussion of DP options on Constitutional CommissionTIRANA, March 26 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: The co-chairman of the Commission for drafting a Constitution, Sabri Godo, suggested Thursday to the presidency of Parliament to find a way in order to discuss the options of the Union for Democracy regarding the Constitutional Commission, one of which foresees the removal of Godo himself from the post of the co- chairman.He proposed for this option a plenary sitting in an accelerated procedure or contacts to be set by the presidency with representatives of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party and Center Right. The DP has urged the change of the commission members and its co- chairmen during a table which was held Monday without the presence of any of the parties of the government coalition. Godo has confessed that he would accept to discuss any request of DP regarding the constitutional process, but in the Commission or Parliament. The socialist majority has categorically rejected the idea to remove Godo from the post of the co-chairman and has said that if this request comes to parliament, they will undoubtedly vote against it. /a.ke/das/mt/ From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |