As early as 7:00, thousands of people at the polls. Last night the parties were on alert Reportage from the fever in the two big camps, PD and PS "We will be better than in the last elections". Everyone hopes so Hundreds of observers and a colossal technical apparatus monitoring Special Elections '96 On pages 2 - 3 - 5

TIRANA - "All Albanians at the polls"—perhaps it sounds strange, but this is one of the few points that has united the political parties in an election campaign that has not been all that gentle. Without exception, all the parties, from the far right to the left, have urged voters—after expressing their own preferences, of course—not to stay away on the great voting day. A hand that crosses out a few lines, then a simple piece of paper that goes into a simple box, and there each person’s will is expressed. Someone may think, "Does it really matter whether I vote or not?" That would truly be so if the people who are playing these stakes, with steel nerves in these most important contests where our newspaper is read, were all to leave. But apparently not many do. Tired by the general electoral "aggression", or by the daily struggles of life, or others who, through the election campaign, have understood that voting for a party or an individual is both a truly important act and one that also protects one’s responsibility. The long line of Albanians who may feel in this position can go on endlessly. One thing matters. Today the great electoral race has been publicly announced; each person’s vote will significantly affect his future as well, and that is exactly what we want to emphasize. "Everyone to the polls." The parties have made this appeal for good reason. Let us believe them all together, at least on this point.

Clashes of the powerful The whole map of the big duels Shehi versus Imam, Prime Minister Meksi in Tirana against Reçi of PS, Azem Hajdari in Bulqizë clashes with Luan Rama TIRANA - The first two political battles in several of Albania’s electoral districts have now been determined, with the party figures who will face each other in the major electoral contest, aiming for victory in the district where they are running. But what seems to draw attention in this duel is the confrontation between the parties’ chosen candidates; there are the capital-city pairings with PD and PS, and then those in the provinces On page 2

PD and PS fight with the same arguments TIRANA - The opposition is on alert. Last night the leaders of PS, PD and PSD gathered urgently at "Hotel Tirana", where they requested a meeting with the foreign observers for the '96 elections. The reasons? "To make known our recent concerns and what has happened today everywhere with the manipulation of votes." Sixty minutes later, the PD leader Shehu would gather journalists at a post-midnight press conference and say: "The latest reports reaching us are about election manipulation by PS." What then? Shehu, meanwhile, said that some journalists were disappointed, while the Democratic members of the commissions have been subjected to pressures and threats from the socialists. The threat in the name of the commission in Durrës, in Korçë, Pashko was demanding in Tirana the chairman of the commission, as well as other cases, creating a psychology of destabilization and crime in a non-normal election atmosphere." The PD leader guaranteed that "today everything will be done to ensure election security and to prevent socialist attempts at manipulation." According to Shehu, the 27 percent result, which he says they will obtain, creates in the socialists the distress of defeat and leads them to prepare scenarios to pre-empt it. It seems that it was a version from the Central Electoral Commission that pushed the opposition to unite and gather at 22.00. "It has been decided that no more than 6 copies of the minutes for the final results will be distributed at the polling centers and these will be signed only by the Chair and the Secretary of the Center," explained Kariot Islami after 60 minutes of one-to-one talks with the foreign observers. "Everything, according to him, is being done to announce results arbitrarily, which would amount to a coup d’état." The situation created has become even more serious for the opposition, which has asked, without a settled result, to establish contact with the Government in order to unblock this situation. "The opposing result leaves nothing else but the people to defend their vote. And this will lead to an inevitable conflict, which the opposition does not want," Islami stated at another press conference. Pellumbi, Dokle, Gjinushi and Ceka. The opposition representative Ismaili has requested a review of the observations and violations made in many districts of the country regarding the elections. "The opposition members have been completely paralyzed in the Central Commission and their opinion is not taken into account. Our members in the polling centers are not recognized as such; they are not allowed the authorization, and they have even had their authorizations taken away from them; they are threatened and asked to present the results." Islami denounced that "names are being added to the voter lists and this reaches 1,800 for one district". Re. Xh.

The writer responds to the accusations The Verification Commission also reacts: "No evidence of guilt for the writer" INTERVIEW / The writer responds to the accusations Kadare: "I was not a Sigurimi spy" The Verification Commission also reacts: "No evidence of guilt for the writer" He took it with laughter, but also with great anger, the accusation made by Zylyftar Ramizi. Ismail Kadare, who until today and yesterday knew nothing about what had been published in the Albanian press, did not hesitate to react after the shocking news labeling him as a "collaborator of the Sigurimi". "It is the most shameless fabrication that can be made," he tells "Gazeta Shqiptare" immediately after we read Ramizi’s statements. On page 11 Ismail Kadare

GSM service starts operating TIRANA - The GSM telephone rang in Tirana yesterday. In a ceremony attended by President Berisha himself, the most sought-after mobile phone in the world was inaugurated. Although at first it will be used only in Tirana, soon it will be available from Korçë to Himara. So far the number of subscribers is 8,000 and is expected to reach 50,000. With this pioneering project by Overseas shqiptare, the needs of business and the people are expected to be met. For this work, 1,976 (?) Albanian and foreign employees. In the near future this service may also be introduced in the villages with internet. The devices are among the safest, with secure power supply, two separate lines, batteries lasting 14 hours, and there will also be electric units for 250 KV in construction and an automatic system. Berisha yesterday during the inauguration (photo H. Pustina)

BALLOT PAPER Voting begins at 07.00 and ends at 20.00. If after 20.00 there are still people waiting to vote, voting continues until all those present have finished. Military personnel are not allowed to appear at the polling station armed or accompanied. Only military personnel who are on duty may appear in uniform. The voter votes unaccompanied except in cases where he is required to prove his identity by presenting an identity card, military booklet and passport as identification support as a voter with the right to vote. The right-hand side of the ballot paper, where the vote for candidates for deputy is cast and elected directly in the district, is valid when the voter votes only for the name of the candidate for whom he is voting and crosses out all other candidates’ names. The right-hand side of the ballot paper, where the vote is cast for the electoral subject and, except for additional mandates, is valid when the voter leaves only the name of the subject for which he is voting. Ballot papers are invalid: ◊ When they do not meet the requirements of form, size, color, paper composition, content, stamping, signature, and belonging to the electoral district. ◊ When other names are added to the ballot paper. ◊ When the ballot paper is so damaged that what is expressed on it is no longer clearly understandable. ◊ When writings or marks are placed on the ballot paper that make it possible to identify the voter. ◊ The vote for the candidate for deputy is invalid when, in the left part of the ballot paper, more than one candidate has been left uncrossed out or all candidates have been crossed out. ◊ The vote for the electoral subject is invalid when, in the right part of the ballot paper, more than one subject has been left uncrossed out or all subjects have been crossed out.

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