Yesterday, meeting of the PS Steering Committee
As of today, Fatos Nano is excluded from drafting the political report for the Socialist Party congress.
This was decided by the PS General Steering Committee at a long meeting that began at 10 in the morning and continued until 7 in the evening. The vice-chairman, Servet Pëllumbi, was elected to head the group drafting the report, as had previously been decided by the PS presidium. On the other hand, the Committee did not decide whether Nano would be allowed to deliver an individual report, thus delegating the right to decide this to the party presidium. Two days earlier, this presidium had decided not to allow the PS chairman to deliver an individual report, restricting him to a discussion, perhaps a longer one because he is in prison.
On the other hand, although one of the three [items?] on yesterday’s agenda was the report, it was decided that it would be discussed for one hour at the end of the meeting, which lasted about nine hours; of the meeting’s eight decisions, only one concerned the PS chairman. Thus Nano received another blow, now a broader one, since the Steering Committee approved the presidium’s work to date in preparing the next PS congress. It was precisely over this work that the PS presidium had its greatest disagreements with Nano. Meanwhile, it is not known what was discussed regarding the socialist “sinners” denounced by the prisoner in Bënça.
The only criticisms the SC directed at the party presidium, at least according to the Committee’s statement, concerned the leaders’ dealings with other parties. “The SC asks the presidium to better coordinate its political actions with those of the genuine opposition,” is [cut off at the end of the fragment].
The SC praised the presidium’s work in continuing bilateral and multilateral inter-party dialogue to resolve the political crisis. The SC also asked the presidium to insist that “inter-party dialogue produce concrete results within a clearly defined time frame.” And it leveled criticism at the PD: “The PD’s efforts to instrumentalize the dialogue, turning it into its demagogic farce for the political purposes of the day, must be stopped.”
The Steering Committee has once again brought parliamentary elections onto the agenda. “Dialogue on preparing free and fair elections for local government,” the SC decided, “should be considered only as one part of the political objectives for resolving the country’s overall political crisis. This crisis can be resolved only after [text continues beyond the frame].”
also [cut off?]... on yesterday’s agenda was a discussion of Nano’s message, this discussion did not last long. ... the party presidium, at least as stated in this Committee’s declaration, concern the leaders’ dealings with the one of the leaders’ decisions, referring especially to relations with the Center Pole. On the other hand ... declaration, concern the leaders’ dealings with the the Center Pole. On the other hand ... its holding “illegal.”
“Roundtable mania” undermines the idea of a party roundtable
When the two main parties are finding common ground, roundtables with those left behind are ridiculous
Dialogue—the party roundtables convened to solve the country’s various problems, especially the current ones, which are a consequence of the transition period—is the best and most effective means of overcoming deadlocks in different areas.
Aware of this, the Republican Party has not only supported this initiative to establish dialogue among the country’s political forces, but has more than once been an initiator of the dialogue process, rather than seeking to strengthen its position on the political scene or simply remind others that it is still alive.
Local government elections are certainly the main event of the coming political season; therefore, any initiative aimed at ensuring that these elections are successfully held, while eliminating the negative phenomena that damaged the image of those on 26 May, is welcome. For this reason, the RP also welcomed the president’s initiative to bring together at one table [text continues beyond the frame].
The Republican Party has not only supported initiatives for establishing once been an initiator of the dialogue process. The latest example was the roundtable organized on the Electoral Law, an initiative that received support from all the country’s political forces. But sometimes party roundtables, like other political initiatives, cannot escape the risk of being used to gain political capital, with the aim of ensuring free and fair elections for local government, — the SC decided — can be resolved only after free and fair parliamentary elections have been organized. ... which represent nearly 80 percent of the electorate. In this connection, the RP, while supporting the start ... for the elections, also welcomed the president’s initiative to bring together party representatives at a roundtable to discuss this issue, which the Socialists themselves also attended. Meanwhile, the issue of local elections is also being addressed extensively in the much-anticipated dialogue that has begun between our two main parties, the PD and PS, connection, the RP, while supporting the start. Continued on p. 2
Parliamentary commission on the violations of 26 May it
A temporary parliamentary commission will be established to investigate violations of the Electoral Law in the 26 May elections and allegations of violence against opposition politicians at post-election rallies.
The proposal to include this item on the agenda of parliamentary proceedings was made to the People’s Assembly yesterday by Chairman Arbnori, after a meeting of the presidium with the chairmen of the parliamentary groups. Regarding this matter, Ali Spahia, chairman of the Democratic Party parliamentary group, said that “a group of parliamentarians from the Council of Europe recommended that the newly elected Albanian Parliament investigate violations of the Electoral Law during the 26 May elections and the violence inflicted on opposition politicians at rallies organized by the opposition after the elections.” This refers to the 28 May rally, organized by the PS and other small opposition parties to protest the result of Sunday’s election; it was broken up by force by the police, who had deemed its holding “illegal.” Regarding the absence of the Socialists from this commission, from which they are absent, Mr Shehu said: “Our task is to establish the commission; whether or not they participate is up to them.” He expressed confidence that this temporary commission would serve, like all the other temporary commissions, to help improve “those areas where there were problems, so that they are not repeated in the local elections.” On Spahia’s proposal, following his consultation with representatives of the other parties participating in Parliament, the deputies approved the seven-member composition of the commission. Its members will be Jozefina Topalli, Genc Pollo, Shpëtim Mezinidhe Jarosllav Alla from the PD; Socialist deputy Sali Rexhepi; PBDNJ chairman Vasil Melo; and Balli Kombëtar deputy Dukë Muca. I. Z.
Cyrus Vance, mediator for Kosovo
Next week the American Congress will discuss a draft resolution calling on President Clinton to appoint a special envoy to mediate dialogue between the Albanian and Serbian sides to resolve the Kosovo issue, the Kosovo Information Center reports.
The draft resolution, proposed by Congressman Eliot Engell, who has just visited Prishtina, is expected to receive the full support of Congress. Once the resolution is adopted, it will be entirely up to President Clinton to appoint the diplomat who will mediate at the negotiating table between representatives of the two sides. It is said that such a mission could be assigned to Cyrus Vance.
Map of Kosovo and the region
The newspaper “REPUBLIKA,” “Sami Frashëri” Street, near “Petro Nini Luarasi” high school, Tirana, Account No. BTK 986/110 Tel/Fax 259 88
