ATA News from Albania, 96-08-16

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

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] PKL LEADER IN ELBASAN UNDER ARREST FOR FRAUD

[02] "DAP FAILS TO RESPOND CE RECOMMENDATIONS" -Gjongecaj

[03] SP SPLIT DEEPENS IN ELBASANI CONFERENCE

[04]

[05] FILES OF ALBANIAN PRISONERS TO ARRIVE IN COURT

[06] PRESS REVIEW

[07] NIKOLIN KURTI APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT AND TRADE

[08] ALBANIANS WHO HAVE CHANGED THEIR NAMES TO BE EMPLOYED IN GREECE LIABLE TO LOSE THEIR PROPERTIES IN ALBANIA

[09] ALBANIA AMONG THE COUNTRIES WHICH CONSUMES MORE COFFEE IN EUROPE

[10] POLEMICS IN THE 3RD SP CONFERENCE IN SHKODRA DISTRICT

[11] 15 NON PARLIAMENTARIAN PARTIES IN A ROUND TABLE WITH DP

[01] PKL LEADER IN ELBASAN UNDER ARREST FOR FRAUD

Police sources said that Beqiri making use of his party position has cheated people by saying he would help them to get different visas for journeys abroad. fh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] "DAP FAILS TO RESPOND CE RECOMMENDATIONS" -Gjongecaj

The DAP Secretary General Arben Imami said: "We do not accept the invitation because we do not agree with the creation and the way the Central Election Commission decreed by the President of the Republic is composed."

President of this party Neritan Ceka in the round table of the political parties of the opposition held Thursday said: "We should first discuss the changing of the political system in Albania" and offered his options for these changes which according to Ceka would be "first local elections, then the Constitution and later general parliamentarian elections."

Gjongecaj in his pronouncement, said "I can confirm that the political parties have agreed with the DP invitation, as it is an attempt to widen the political dialogue in Albania and a contribution to democracy."

The DP has initiated a round table with all parties which are not represented in the local government taking part according the CE recommendations.

"This table was organised to widen the political dialogue, for the main topics of the Albanian policy and the local elections" added Gjongecaj.

Analysing the DAP's refusal to attend this round table Gjongecaj said "the DAP, by failing to attend this table, loses a chance to display its political ideas, which means it will lose a good chance which would serve the DAP itself."

DAP was not represented in the local government. It was present for the first time in the May 26 elections, which they boycotted after the SP withdrawal some hours before the end of the vote. According to the figures the DAP has assured only some 1.3 per cent of the votes. eva/fh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] SP SPLIT DEEPENS IN ELBASANI CONFERENCE

The resignation of the SP deputy chairman Servet Pellumbi was asked in the conference, while the other deputy chairman Namik Dokle defended himself by attacking the SP leader Fatos Nano.

"Pellumbi should resign from the SP's Presidency because it is in his honour and to the benefit of the SP", said in his discussion Durim Hushi, one of the SP Leading Committee in Elbasani branch.

His discussion echoed strongly against the superficial general opinion to "defend the unity" which was present in the discussions of the SP deputy chairman Namik Dokle, the SP chairman of Elbasani branch Dritan Cerma and others.

Hushi called the people attending the meeting and the SP leading body to participate in the local elections and to say no to the boycott.

"The loss of the May 26 elections", said Hushi "who was at the same time an SP candidate for deputy, should not be dedicated only to Sali Berisha and the DP but even to the SP foreign policy, which failed to assure a sufficient support abroad. The four deputy chairmen and chairman Nano are responsible as well, so we should seek quick changes."

Another discussion supported his idea.

"I am pro Nano's motion for the reformation of the SP, but with some personal reserves which nevertheless do not show the contrary" said the SP deputy chairman Dokle, regarding a motion and other messages of the imprisoned SP leader Fatos Nano directed to his party presidency. Nano accused Dokle as one of the hinders for the SP reformation.

Dokle said the participation in the local elections will be decided by the SP Congress and the precipitation of events till then.

The SP leader Fatos Nano is imprisoned under the charge of falsification of documents and corruption, regarding the Italian aid while he was in office as prime minister in 1991. kei/fh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04]

"On such conditions, when the actual regime is imposing a situation of terror and insecurity for the local elections through the creation of a commission which favours the DP and the fixing of the date of election without realising the opposition conditions, the parties asked in this table declare they will not attend it and will not recognise the decisions coming out of this table said a statement of the Right Democratic Party (RDP), the Right Republican Party (RRP), the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP), the Agrarian Party (AP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Socialist Party (SP) after a meeting held in the premises of the SDP Thursday.

The statement said these parties "as the initiators of the dialogue remain open to sit in every table which invites all political parties interested to discuss the realisation of the conditions of the CE resolution and declarations of the U.S. Department of State.

President of the Republic has organised two meetings with about these problems. The opposition parties invited in these meetings refused to attend these talks.

The SP and SDP have declared they will boycott a round table initiated by the DP on August 19 with parties represented in the local government, while the DAP and RDP will boycott the DP round table with political parties not represented in the local government.

Besnik Gjongecaj the DP Secretary General said that "the round table initiated by the DP where the DAP and RDP are invited is organised to discuss the law on local elections according the CE recommendations."

The President's decree on the appointment of the members in the Central Election Commission said that four members would be from the DP and the Republican Party, Christian Democrat Party and the Social Democratic Union Party would have one member each while the opposition would have four from the SP and one member from the SDP, AP and the Human Right Union Party respectively. eva/fh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] FILES OF ALBANIAN PRISONERS TO ARRIVE IN COURT

Officials of the Tirana Court are expected to realise an enormous job, by examining the cases of the Albanian emigrants who have requested to suffer the rest of their punishment in the Albanian jails.

Albania referring to the statistics of the Albanian Ministry of Justice, which refers to the information of Greek Ministry of Justice, writes that some 200 Albanian prisoners in Greek jails have demanded to finish their punishment in Albania.

According the same statistics, quoted by Albania, some 700 Albanians are suffering their punishment for different crimes in the Greek jails. The specialists explain that not all of them have the right to come to Albania.

The Tirana Court has just finished the judgement of the first four cases, which marks the beginning of a long procedure. This procedure is mainly a formal procedure which functions according to a bilateral agreement signed last year between the authorities of justice in Tirana and Athens.

Sources of the Albanian Ministry of Justice say that until now the Courts in different districts of Albania have finished judgement of some 23 cases and this number soon is expected to increase. kei/fh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] PRESS REVIEW

Zeri i Popullit says that the street's crime accuses all the power segments. It also carries "Many parties of the opposition come out with a joint statement" where they inform "We will not attend and do not recognise the decisions of the DP tables" regarding a round table initiated by the DP on the local elections.

Republika writes "Albanian emigrants always prey of the fate" where it criticises the government about the problems of the Albanian emigrants in different countries.

Regarding the round table of the political parties Poli i Qendres writes that the opposition parties said halt to Berisha's manouvres and adds that "Another terror situation is being prepared."

The paper informs that the DAP President Neritan Ceka is invited to the US in the Convention which will declare the present US President Bill Clinton as the Democratic Party candidate for a second mandate in the White House.

Albania covers different comments of the SP deputy chairman Luan Hajdaraga in the SP conference in the Pogradeci district where he has responded to questions on the present polemics between the SP presidency and its leader Fatos Nano.

Another article underlines "for the first time in the history of the Albanian Army its soldiers, who were trained for a month in Bonn, Germany, will be in the list of the peace-keeping troops in Bosnia."

Lajmi i Dites covers a chronicle of the opening ceremony of the military exercises "Osprey '96" in the North Caroline, US.

Regarding the debate inside the SP after the messages of Fatos Nano, Tribuna writes "The SP 'renovated' on the left." It also covers the military exercises in the US.

Rilindja writes "The US government seeks the stability of the situation in Kosova" regarding a joint press conference of the US State Secretary Warren Christopher, the Envoy in Bosnia and Hercegovina for the implementation of the Dayton Accord, Carl Bildt, and the Swiss Foreign Minister in the status of the present OSCE chairman Flavio Cotti in Geneva.

Koha Jone writes the DAP president ask the European interference to realise talks with the DP while Dita Informaciaon writes "Corruption with wheat? $11 million profit."

Regarding the judgements for genocide Gazeta Shqiptare writes the Prosecutor's Office in Tirana has closed investigations for 7 files of the Interior Ministry and that former president Ramiz Alia will be the last official to be tried. kei/fh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] NIKOLIN KURTI APPOINTED DEPUTY MINISTER OF INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT AND TRADE

"This is only the beginning of cooperation, the presidency of the Christian Democratic Party has presented its demands to the Presidency of the Democratic party and we are expecting a reply or the realisation of our demands, says the Christian Democratic Party chief Zef Bushati. eva/xh/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] ALBANIANS WHO HAVE CHANGED THEIR NAMES TO BE EMPLOYED IN GREECE LIABLE TO LOSE THEIR PROPERTIES IN ALBANIA

Last year alone, about 300 people were registered to have their names changed in the Tirana municipality.

"Most of the 300 people have had Moslem names," said the chief of the Registration Office in the Municipality Abdyl Xhaja. One of the registered people said that "my aim and that of about half a million Albanians in Greece is to find a job due to our Orthodox names."

Approval for the changing of a person's name is made by the court.

"While the new name helps them get a job abroad, the old name ensures them the right of ownership in their country," said Xhaja.

Consequently the people who have changed their names by judicial decision have problems to solve regarding their right to ownerships registered with the previous name.

"Many people are forced to get again the name they have had in order to get the right on their ownerships," said Xhaja. kei/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] ALBANIA AMONG THE COUNTRIES WHICH CONSUMES MORE COFFEE IN EUROPE

Presently Albania imports 10 times more coffee than in 1990, writes the paper referring to reports by the Institute of Statistics.

During the past 18 months, 2 290 million kilograms of coffee have been imported by Albanian traders and the amount is estimated at 3 912 580 billion lek. kei/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] POLEMICS IN THE 3RD SP CONFERENCE IN SHKODRA DISTRICT

Besides the delegates, attending the conference also was the SP deputy chairman Ilir Meta and the member of the General Leading Council of this party, Bashkim Zeneli.

"I have supported the petition but I have asked that the executive presidency should function because in this way Nano violated the statute," said Meta in his address regarding a petition that Nano (imprisoned for corruption and falsification of documents regarding Italian aid for Albania in the period he was Prime Minister in 1991,) has sent to the SP presidency.

The chairman of the SP presidency for Shkodra Sadedin Stankaj who held the report on the activity of the SP between the two conferences, focused especially on the renovation of the party. He said that this process "is a task of all and that it must be realised both in higher and lower instances. In this way we show ourselves to represent a party of a real social democratic type."

23 speakers in the conference supported the petition of Nano.

In a meeting that Meta had in Italy recently with Italian SDP leaders Massimo D'Alema and Piero Fassino, he was told that "Sp should perform clearly its reformation not only in the program but also in the replacement of people in order to have the support of the Socialist International." About 70 per cent of the grass root organizations and of the presidency of the Sp come from the ranks of the former Party of Labour.)

The right wing in Europe, said Meta, is very powerful and the pressure from the left wing is very great, since we represent a former communist party." kei/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] 15 NON PARLIAMENTARIAN PARTIES IN A ROUND TABLE WITH DP

These parties are not represented in the local government and in the parliament and have not been invited in former round tables.

"The questions presented here are of interest for all Albanian political parties despite their being or not represented in the parliament because the parties represented in the local government are in a greater number than those represented in the Albanian parliament," said DP chief Tritan Shehu at the beginning of the meeting.

After the discussion of the main problems preoccupying the Albanian policy today, such as local elections of October 20, Shehu guaranteed that "the Parliament will examine the proposals of the round table, the same will do the government regarding questions which are related with it and which need a solution."

The political forces present in the meeting expressed their opinions about improvements in various directions and finally formed a common opinion in many aspects they discussed.

The talks were held without reporters. The participating parties considered the talks as successful and agreed to gather again before the parliament resumes work.

Absent in this meeting were the Democratic Alliance Party and the Right Democratic Party representatives who refused to take part in the round table. kei/xh/

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

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