The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, according to the announcement by the Presidential Press and Information Office, issued decree no. 1358, dated 03.02.1996, promulgating 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.’” Berisha decrees the electoral law The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, according to the announcement by the Presidential Press and Information Office, issued decree no. 1358, dated 03.02.1996, promulgating 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, just two days after Parliament approved the electoral law and after it had sparked broad debate among the country’s political groups, the President decreed it without responding to the opposition political forces’ request for a meeting. I. Z.

For the LDSH, its platform is fundamental P. 2

Chairman of the European Young Conservatives Andrew Rosindell: “Do everything possible to keep the socialists out of power” P. 3

On 31 January 1996, Mr. Sabri Godo received Baron Gerhard van Pallaudt, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and held a long conversation with him about the PR and current politics in Albania. Meeting between Mr. Sabri Godo and the ambassador of the Netherlands, Baron Gerhard van Pallaudt On 31 January 1996, Mr. Sabri Godo received Baron Gerhard van Pallaudt, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and held 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 the Netherlands is providing aid to Albania and would 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 the Netherlands, the ambassador said it is based on political pluralism and coalition government. Mr. Godo said that there is complete agreement on this point and that the Netherlands’ 300-year democratic experience, as one of the most advanced countries in the world, should be carefully valued. The Kosovo issue was also discussed. Mr. Godo said it would be a mistake to think that the present year was handing the Balkans over by granting Kosovo cultural autonomy under Serbian occupation. The ambassador said that Europe is observing the Kosovo issue carefully and that once the Bosnian issue is resolved, Kosovo will receive priority. The ambassador promised that he would continue meetings with the PR in March and that he would look into the possibility of establishing direct PR contacts with political forces in the Netherlands. Both sides noted with satisfaction that the meeting was useful and candid. The meeting was attended by the PR deputy chairman, Fatmir Mediu, and the Secretary General, Çerçiz Mingomata.

Confronted with the accomplished fact that Parliament had approved the electoral law, it seemed that the 13 parties, which for four months under the initiative of the PR had tried to keep unchanged the essence of the previous law, had no choice but to assess the outcome of the “table,” as the press has repeatedly called it. The 13 parties face the challenge of the PD Confronted with the accomplished fact that Parliament had approved the electoral law, it seemed that the 13 parties, which for four months under the initiative of the PR had tried to keep unchanged the essence of the previous law, had no choice but to assess the outcome of the “table,” as the press has repeatedly called it. However, it is not so easy to determine at a glance, even analytically, the direction in which this balance tilts. Not only because the complexity of the problems that had been progressively foreshadowed over the period during which this issue was in focus emerged in its full breadth, but also because many actors, especially the big parties, tried to experiment within the framework of discussion on the electoral law—creating alliances, or mutual front or bilateral coordination, up to the limits of coalitions, even temporary political and electoral ones. Nevertheless, from Mr. Godo, who as usual in his role as initiator of the table opened yesterday’s discussions, to the often heated exchanges among the Republican representatives present, every analysis began with exactly this question: “Can this table be considered successful or not?” The fact that, in the end, it managed to bring all parties together several times at a common table of discussions cannot but be called a success. Just as it cannot be called a failure that the final statement of the 12 parties partly influenced the modification—if it can truly be called that—which the PD made to its draft. But to claim that this table managed to impose its demands on the PD, when its disregard reached the limits of absurdity with the improper act of filing its draft law away in Mr. Arbnori’s drawers, as well as with the complete destruction of the essence of the law, which, more and nothing less, lay precisely in the balance between its majority and proportional components, would mean deceiving oneself with an empty spoon. However, it is now known that the signature Berisha gave yesterday, in lightning fashion, to the law strangely approved by Parliament, constitutes the final act of the PD’s stubbornness and of the netorizeurave. Even the official request from yesterday’s table to seek an audience with the President of the Republic (a request refused only by Shehu and Brojka) was not accepted by the Presidential staff on the grounds of Saturday’s “harshness,” although on that same Saturday the President did not hesitate to interrupt his own rest in order to hurry and sign the law in question. The request filed for Monday may share the fate of the opposition’s draft law. However, the chances are that even a possible meeting with the President can offer nothing more than demagogic courtesy at the table. So all parties are forced to accept the challenge of the PD by entering the elections under the conditions imposed on them by the democratic power. And perhaps the words Mr. Godo said yesterday at the end of the meeting—that faced with the President’s alternative of signing the law, “then this table has no reason to continue, since nothing depends on it anymore”—are also the epilogue of this table, which may well remain long in the history of Albanian politics. Genci Çobani

“All procedures were carried out properly.” Shehu: “The voting procedures were in order” “All procedures were carried out properly.” Tritan Shehu arrived yesterday after the 14-party meeting, at Arbnori’s chairmanship, and responded to the accusations raised during the meeting, especially by MP Abdiu. “The observations of the Legal Committee were presented by Arbnori,” said Shehu, “and the results were also given on the electronic board. But the socialists’ irritation led to the swift adoption of the law.” During the meeting, Lakalula complained that he was not given the floor in the Assembly session, Abdiu said that many procedures had been violated, etc. The latter even cited constitutional violations in the adopted law. “By following the necessary legal avenues to address these violations,” said the left-wing deputy after the meeting, explaining how he thought the path of the electoral law would proceed, he continued: “Objections will be presented to the President, who has the right to sign the law within 15 days of the day of approval, or 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 a meeting with the President unnecessary,” Shehu said meanwhile. “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. The only copy was with Shehu, who did not want to give it to the socialist deputy chairman. Dokle called Shehu a “schemer,” while Godo said that it is “perhaps for the best” that the MPs do not know the law they approved. A. Simoni

Due to the relocation of the Republican Party’s headquarters, all interested parties are informed that, for the time being, contact can be made at the telephone numbers 231-81, 292-03, 420-86 and You can also contact the editorial office of the newspaper "Republika" at telephone number 321-12, at the address: Rruga "Ferit Xhajko", 63/2, near the Medrese, Tirana.