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Albanian Times, 96-06-13

The Albanian Times (by AlbAmerica TRade & Consulting International) Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting International <http://www.worldweb.net/~ww1054/>

Albanian Times
June 13, 1996


CONTENTS

  • [01] Berisha Defends General Elections
  • [02] OSCE Criticizes Albania on Elections
  • [03] Daily Attacks OSCE For Selecting Pro-Socialist Monitors
  • [04] More Former Communists Convicted
  • [05] E-U Presidency Calls For Dialogue
  • [06] Opposition Parties Ask Austria To Mediate Row
  • [07] Opposition To Ask Greece To Protest Vote
  • [08] Multi-national Training Details Discussed in Tirana
  • [09] U-S May Send Back Troups to Bosnia, Perry Says Enroute To Skopje
  • [10] Ex-Yugoslav Countries, Albania Told To Cooperate

  • [01] Berisha Defends General Elections

    ISTANBUL, June 12 - Albanian president Sali Berisha, has again defended his country's controversial elections. Answering reporters' questions in Instanbul, where he is attending a United Nations conference on human settlements, Berisha said "(the elections) were held in a regular manner." He described as a "Marxist decision" the withdrawal of opposition parties before the closing of the ballots on May 26. "With their free vote, the Albanians demonstrated they belong to democracy and Albania will be a democratic country," he said. In his address to the conference, Berisha called on the international business community to invest in Albania. The conference, which will end Friday has drawn little international interest, although it was dubbed as ``summit of summits'' by U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros- Ghali. (Albanian Times)

    [02] OSCE Criticizes Albania on Elections

    VIENNA, June 12 - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Wednesday in a final report on Albania's general election that the ballot had failed to meet the country's own legal standards. ``The administration of the election seriously departed from the election law,'' the OSCE said. ``More specifically, 32 (election law) articles out of 79 dealing with the pre-election period and election day were violated,'' the report said. (Albanian Times/Reuters)

    [03] Daily Attacks OSCE For Selecting Pro-Socialist Monitors

    TIRANA, June 12 - An Albanian daily has criticised the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for selecting leftist observers to monitor Albania's vote on May 26. The pro-government daily "Albania" said on Wednesday that 30 percent of the OSCE observers who monitored the election were proposed to the international body by the Socialist Party, the former communists. "Albania" said a group of observers from Norway's Working Youth Organisation, invited by the Socialist Party, was included in the OSCE monitoring mission. The newspaper editor Ylli Rakipi told the Albanian radio that the observers enjoyed a double status, representing both the OSCE and the Socialist Party. This status was granted to them by the OSCE coordinator Mark Power Stevens and the Swiss ambassador to Albania Thomas Voegel, Rakipi was quoted as saying. The editor noted that "the Norwegians were harsher than any other group" in criticizing the election and calling for a re-run of the May vote. (Albanian Times)

    [04] More Former Communists Convicted

    TIRANA, June 12 - Three top former Communist officials were convicted of crimes against humanity and given 49 years of prison sentences, Albanian Television said. The defendants, Pirro Kondi, Qirjako Mihali and Sulejman Bushati served as Communist Party secretaries in the cities of Tirana, Durres and Shkodra where they ordered internal exile for hundreds of people, including pregnant women and children. The defendants have rejected the accusations. Three other top officials of the Communist regime were sentenced to death on May 24 on charges of crimes against humanity. (Albanian Times)

    [05] E-U Presidency Calls For Dialogue

    BRUSSELS, June 10 - In a statement released Monday, the Presidency of the European Union has called for dialogue among the Albanian political forces, following the controversial elections of May 26. "The EU Presidency reiterates the expectation that all parties would show restraint, enter into a substantial political dialogue and contribute constructively to the implementation of the electoral process..." it said. "The appeals urging all parties to re-establish fair conditions...have proved helpful," the diplomatically crafted statement said. However, the E-U statement stopped short of giving a clear verdict on the elections, which the opposition leftist parties say were manipulated. (Albanian Times/E-U source)

    TIRANA, June 11 - The ruling Albanian Democratic Party has responded positively to a statement of the E-U Presidency calling for dialogue with the opposition, but has sharply attacked its political foes. "We are open to dialogue...we also favour a dialogue at round tables," Tritan Shehu, chairman of the Democratic Party, told the Albanian Telegraphic Agency on Tuesday. However, in a clear reference to the the opposition Socialist Party, the former communists, Shehu called it "paradoxical and perverse in its attitudes and decisions." "It has only one goal: to create a bad image of Albania," he said. The Socialists and two other opposition forces, the Social-Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance have not directly responded to calls for dialogue and have refused to participate in the partial re-election scheduled for June 16. (Albanian Times/ATA/Radio Tirana)

    [06] Opposition Parties Ask Austria To Mediate Row

    TIRANA, June 12 - Two Albanian opposition parties said they had asked Austria to help settle a row over the last month's elections, signalling they may be ready to talk to the ruling Democrats. In a letter made available to Reuters, the opposition parties ask Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky to act as mediator to help bridge Albania's political impasse. ``Your Excellency's mediation would be a great honour for us and for our people, who wish to regain the right of free and fair elections, denied for 50 years by the communist dictatorship,'' says the letter, which was faxed to Vienna on Tuesday. It is signed by Social-Democratic leader Skender Gjinushi and Democratic Alliance leader Neritan Ceka. ``Albania is going through a critical situation as a result of manipulation and physical violence during the whole process of the May 26 elections. This crisis demands a fair and immediate solution,'' the letter said. (Courtesy of Reuters)

    [07] Opposition To Ask Greece To Protest Vote

    TIRANA, June 11 - Leaders of Albania's three opposition parties, left for Greece on Tuesday to call for support from Athens. ``The goal of the visit is to explain to the Greek authorities that a coup d'etat took place in Albania during the May 26 elections,''Gaqo Apostoli, secretary general of the Social Democratic Party, told Reuters. ``They will ask Greece and the European Union not to recognise the elections.'' The delegation was made up of Socialist vice-chairman Namik Dokle, Democratic Alliance president Neritan Ceka and Social Democrat chairman Skender Gjinushi. Two weeks after the disputed ballot, the Greek government continued to observe what some Albanian newspapers have described as a silence tantamount to approval of the result. (Albanian Times/Reuters)

    [08] Multi-national Training Details Discussed in Tirana

    TIRANA, June 12 - Details of a multi-national military training, the largest yet to be held in Albania, were discussed Wednesday in Tirana. Military teams from Albania, the United States, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, Italy and Macedonia have made final preparations for the exercise code-named "Peaceful Eagle 96" to be held a month from now in Biza, central Albania. The materiel has been shipped and installation work will begin in the rugged training grounds of Biza, Albanian defense officials said. The training will be held from July 15 to July 20. (Albanian Times)

    TIRANA, June 11 - A Tirana court has rejected a demand to lift custody for Irakli Kocollari, former head of National Information Service, accused of destroying former secret police files while in office. A prosecutor in Tirana has presented as evidence remains of scorched documents which he said were destroyed following an order issued by the defendant on December 24, 1991. Kocollari, a former intelligence officer, was appointed to head the National Information Service by a coalition government of Socialists and Democrats in 1991. He was arrested last March together with former Interior Minister Vladimir Hysi. Both face up to 7 years in prison if convicted. (Albanian Times)

    [09] U-S May Send Back Troups to Bosnia, Perry Says Enroute To Skopje

    SKOPJE, June 12 - U.S. Defence Secretary William Perry said on Wednesday he would recommend sending U.S. troops back to Bosnia next year if NATO decides to deploy any new ground force to prevent a renewal of ethnic warfare there. ``If they make that decision, it would be my recommendation that the United States participate in any force that is so designated -- including ground troops, including whatever is determined,'' Perry said en route from Washington to the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Perry met with some of the 500 U.S. troops serving with Nordic soldiers in a U.N. peacekeeping force watching over Macedonia's borders with Serbia, Kosova and Albania to prevent the spread of ethnic unrest in the region. (Albanian Times/Reuters)

    TIRANA, June 12 - Albania will apply value-added tax (VAT), beginning July 1, officials in Tirana said. VAT is a tax levied on the difference between the cost of materials and the selling price of the commodity. The 12.5 percent VAT will replace the current turnover tax of 15 percent. The Ministry of Finances has asked private businesses with a turnover of more than 2 million Leks ($20,000) to register as the deadline approaches. Without a VAT registration card, businesses will not be allowed to proceed through customs offices, the ministry warned. (Albanian Times)

    [10] Ex-Yugoslav Countries, Albania Told To Cooperate

    LUXEMBOURG, June 10 - The countries of former Yugoslavia have been told by the European Union they must cooperate with each other if they expect EU help. Briefing EU foreign ministers on Monday after a weekend visit to the region, European Commission President Jacques Santer said the former Yugoslav republics must learn that not working together has a high human, political and economic cost. The countries were told that favourable relations were on offer, but only on a regional basis and if they worked together to secure peace and stability. Albania is to be included in the same group, but Slovenia is on a different, individual track. ``Our message was very simple,'' Santer said. ``Cooperate together if you want the European Union to cooperate with you.'' German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel echoed Santer's comments. He also said Serbia must do something about the 2,400 to 2,800 refugees coming into Germany every month, mainly from Kosova. Earlier, Santer dropped plans to visit Albania saying the elector al process there was still in the process. (Albanian Times)

    ROME, June 12 - Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro received Mother Theresa of Calcutta on Wednesday afternoon. The Albanian born nobelist was received at the Quirinal Palace. Last month, Mother Theresa was awarded the honorary citizenship of Rome. (Albanian Times)


    This material was reprinted with permission of AlbAmerica Trade & Consulting International. For more information on ATCI and the Albanian Times, please write to [email protected]

    Copyright © ATCI, 1996


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