Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-05-24

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] Albanian future parliament to have one house

[02] Heavy firefight in border region between Kosova, Albania

[03] Serb forces attack villages, set houses on fire

[04] Unity for Democracy returns to Skenderbej square

[05] Three Albanians killed, six wounded in fighting in Kosova

[06] First week of Italian film in Tirana on Monday

[07] Lady of Shkodra church inaugurated

[01] Albanian future parliament to have one house

La Pergola suggested on Friday to the Constitutional Commission to include in constitution a committee within parliament, which will give in a way the idea of a senate and will have some functions of the Upper House.

"The committee is not a way of compromise between the one or two- house system. La Pergola has offered a psychological compromise or more than a compromise between the two systems because there is not an intermediate system. I think that the one-house system won," Pandeli Majko, Socialist Secretary General said to ATA on Saturday.

The DAP president Neritan Ceka said that the existence of a second house is part of his party program.

"The importance is not in a name but what tasks will such a institution undertake in balancing powers in Albania," said Ceka, whose party was for two-house parliamentary structure.

"This is an acceptable form but we should consider the attributes of the committee," Vasil Melo, the HRUP leader, who backed the creation of a senate, said on Saturday.

The committee proposed by La Pergola will serve to examine constitutional problems, those of the most important legislation, whose suggestions and proposals will be reconsidered by the Assembly's plenium but under some certain procedures.

Members of the Constitutional commission are divided in two on the structure of the Albanian parliament.

Neither side has managed to gain the decision-making majority for its alternative and the issue is going to be submitted to political forces.

The SP and its allies, except for the Democratic Alliance party, are against a senate in Albania.

Meanwhile, both co-chairmen of the constitutional commission, Sabri Godo, Republican party and Arben Imami, Democratic Alliance party, and representatives of the Legality Movement party and HRUP back a two-house parliamentary structure seeing senate as a regulator of political balances. ake/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] Heavy firefight in border region between Kosova, Albania

An attack with heavy armaments and all forces has started against the villages of Smolice, Ponoshec, Morine and other villages of the border line, Besa Arlati, the spokesman of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) in Gjakova said by telephone.

The Albanian population is responding in self-defence to the barbarous attacks of the Serb army, police and paramilitary refusing to obey calls of Serb military forces to give up weapons. das/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] Serb forces attack villages, set houses on fire

They shelled the villages of Gexhe, Malesi e Vogel, suburbs of Rahoveci commune, Drenice, village of Llapushnik of the commune of Gllogofc and Marine, Turiçefc, Kline e Eperme and other in the commune of Skenderaj.

Large Serb forces arrested early on Saturday all the Albanian citizens travelling by the train of Peje-Prishtine line. The arrested include many women, children and old people, part of whose were held hostage, the Council for the Human Rights in Kosova reported. das/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] Unity for Democracy returns to Skenderbej square

"The Albanian government is not meeting the promises and is leading the country to poverty," Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic party told the crowd.

He said that the only road to overcome the crisis would be early elections which, according to him, should be carried out through democratic means such as strikes and protests in different cities.

Kujtim Koçia, speaking for the Albanian independent Trade Unions, accused the government for its indifference towards the requests of the Albanian workers.

"The government's indifference towards our requests shows that it (government) is not able to govern Albania," he said.

The other leaders of the Unity for Democracy grouping denounced the government backing the request for early elections. ake/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] Three Albanians killed, six wounded in fighting in Kosova

The situation in Kosova is increasingly aggravating even on Sunday due to incessant attacks of the Serbian forces.

Facing a powerful resistance from the Albanians the Serbian forces were obliged to withdraw on Saturday evening from their positions in Decan suburbs leaving behind destroyed war machinery and a number of weapons.

Albanian sources from Gjakova said that during the Saturday's firefights in the border line villages the Serbian forces suffered considerable losses.

Sources of the Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) in Gjakova said that they did not have any confirmation on the reports of the Serbian propaganda, which said that five Albanians from Morina village were kept hostage.

Reports from Gjakova, Deçan and other regions under military operations said that incessant movement and deployment of Serb military, police and paramilitary forces, which had blocked roads and tightened curfew, were noticed. la/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] First week of Italian film in Tirana on Monday

This important one-week activity of the Italian cinema is organised in Albania by the Italian Embassy and the Institute of the Italian Culture in Albania under the auspices of the Albanian Ministry of Culture and Prof Ennio Grassi.

The best films of the Italian cinematography produced by Nanni Moretti, Giani Amelio, Pappo Corsicato, Sergio Rubini and others will be screened to the audience.

The documentary film "Terre di mezzo" produced by Matteto Garrone featuring the difficult conditions the Albanians live in Italy will be displayed at the end of the activity. ake/mima/ak/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] Lady of Shkodra church inaugurated

Present at the ceremony were President of Albania Rexhep Meidani, deputy prime minister and minister of government coordination Kastriot Islami, representatives of the Holy Seat and over 100 Albanians living in the United States, representatives of the Church of Lady of Good Counsel.

The mass was said by the Cardinal of the Holy Seat Jozef Tonko.

"We are ordaining today God's house, the house of the Lady of Shkodra. Shkodra and the whole Albania are experiencing the joy and hope for their future," Cardinal Tonko said.

President Meidani addressing the worshippers said: "I heartily wish you for the new house of God. We should live together in the road of virtue, faith, peace and love."

Five years ago on April 1993, the Pope John Paul the Second laid the foundation stone of this church. The history of this church is related to figure of the Lady of Good Counsel, who as the protective Saint of the city and the whole Albania "was transferred from Shkodra to Italy" where has been kept for more than 100 years. This has been evoked in 1993 when the Pope brought a copy of the original of the Saint in the city of Shkodra.

This church was built due to a charity fund offered by Monsignor Simon Duka, an Albanian Arberesh resident of Roma. ake/mima/ak/

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

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