“All the procedures were carried out properly.” Tritan Shehu arrived yesterday after the meeting of the 14 parties, at Arbnori’s leadership, responding to the accusations raised in the meeting, especially by Deputy Abdiu. “The observations of the Law Commission were presented by Arbnori,” Shehu said, “and the results were also given on the electronic board. But the frustration of the Socialists led to the passage of the law.” During the meeting, Lakalula complained that he had not been given the floor in the session of the Assembly, Abdiu that many procedures had been violated, etc. The latter even testified to constitutional violations in the adopted law. “Through the possibility of pursuing these violations through the necessary legal channels,” said the left-wing deputy after the meeting, who, while explaining how he thought the path of the electoral law would proceed, continued: “Objections will be presented to the President, who has the right to sign the law within 15 days from the day of approval, or to return it to Parliament. That is, if he has not already signed it today. Parliament will vote on it again. Then we will turn to the District Court of Rusesim Gjates, if he is still alive by then.” “I consider the meeting with the President unnecessary,” Shehu said in the meantime. “For us, the law has taken its final form.” After the meeting there was a confrontation between the two opposing leaders, Shehu and Dokle, over the copy of the electoral law approved by the Assembly. Shehu had the only copy, which he did not want to give to the Socialist vice-president. Dokle called Shehu a “schemer,” while Godo said that “perhaps it is for the better” that the deputies do not know the law they approved. A. Simoni

Having been confronted with the accomplished fact of Parliament’s approval of the election law, it seemed that the 13 parties which, on the initiative of the PR, had tried for four months to keep unchanged the essence of the previous law had nothing left to do but take stock of the “round table,” as it has been repeatedly called by the press. However, determining at a glance, even with an analytical eye, the direction of this balance is not so easy. Not only because the complexity of the problems that had been progressively signaled over the period during which this issue was in focus emerged in all its breadth, but also because many, especially the major parties, tried to experiment within the framework of the discussion on the electoral law, by creating alliances or reciprocal, frontal or bilateral coordination, even up to the limits of political and electoral coalitions, even temporary ones. Nevertheless, from Mr. Godo, who as usual in his role as initiator of the round table opened yesterday’s discussions, to the often heated exchanges among the Republicans present, every analysis began with this very question: “Can this round table be called successful or not?” The fact is that in the end it was possible to gather all the parties several times around a common table for discussions, and this cannot but be called a success. Nor can the fact be called a failure that the final declaration of the 12 parties partly influenced the modification (if it can truly be called that) made by the PD to its draft. But to claim that this round table managed to impose its demands on the PD, when its disregard reached the limits of absurdity with the irregular act of filing its draft law in Mr. Arbnori’s drawers, as well as with the complete annihilation of the essence of the law, which, more or less, lay precisely in the relationship between its majority and proportional parts, would mean deceiving oneself with an empty spoon. However, it is now known that the signature Berisha yesterday hastily placed on the law, bizarrely approved in Parliament, constitutes the final act of the PD’s stubbornness and of the networked bargains. Even yesterday’s official request from the round table to seek a meeting with the President of the Republic (a request rejected only by Shehu and Brojka) was not accepted by the Presidential staff on the grounds of Saturday’s “exclusivity,” although that very Saturday the President did not hesitate to cut short his rest in order to rush and sign the law in question. Perhaps the archived request for Monday will have the same fate as the opposition’s draft law. However, the chances are that even a possible meeting with the President could serve nothing more than a demagogic courtesy. So all parties are forced to accept the PD’s challenge by entering the elections under the conditions imposed by democratic power. Perhaps the words Mr. Godo said yesterday at the end of the meeting, that in the face of the President’s signing of the law “then this round table has no reason to continue, since nothing depends on it anymore,” are also the epilogue of this round table, which perhaps will long remain in the history of Albanian politics. Genci Çobani

The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, according to a statement from the Press and Information Office at the Presidency, by decree no. 1358, dated 03.02.1996, promulgated law no. 8055, dated 01.02.1996, “On amendments to law no. 7556, dated 4.02.1992, “On elections to the People’s Assembly of the Republic of Albania.” Thus, only 2 days after the election law was approved by Parliament and sparked broad discussion among the country’s political groupings, the president decreed it, without responding to the opposition political forces’ request for a meeting. I. Z.

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On 31 January ’96, Mr. Sabri Godo received Baron Gerhard van Pallaudt, ambassador of the Kingdom of Holland, and had a long conversation with him about the PR and current politics in Albania. Mr. Godo welcomed the opening of the Dutch consulate in Tirana and the mutual benefits of intensifying political and economic relations. Ambassador van Pallaudt said that Holland is providing assistance to Albania and will expand it further. He also stressed the importance of holding free elections. Europe is very interested in Albania having a truly democratic orientation. As for Holland, the ambassador said that it is based on political pluralism and coalition government. Mr. Godo said that on this point there is complete agreement of views and that the 300-year democratic experience of Holland should be carefully valued as one of the most advanced countries in the world. The Kosovo issue was also discussed. Mr. Godo said it would be a mistake to think that this year was leaving the Balkans by giving Kosovo cultural autonomy under Serbian occupation. The ambassador said that Europe is observing the Kosovo issue carefully and that, with the resolution of the Bosnian issue, Kosovo will receive priority. The ambassador promised that he would continue the PR meetings in March and would look into the possibility of creating direct contacts between the PR and political forces in Holland. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the meeting was useful and candid. Also present at the meeting were the deputy chairman of the PR, Fatmir Mediu, and the Secretary General, Çerçiz Mingomata.

Due to the change of the Central Headquarters of the Republican Party, all interested parties are informed that, temporarily, contacts will be made at the telephone numbers 231-81, 292-03, 420-86 and Also, you may contact the editorial office of the newspaper “Republika” at telephone number 321-12, address: “Ferit Xhajko” Street, 63/2, near Medrese, Tirana.