Third round of voting: PD wins in all 17 constituencies

Albania has brought the electoral marathon to a close. On Sunday, 65 percent of voters went to the polls In the third round, PD’s rivals lose in every constituency Albania has brought the electoral marathon to a close. On Sunday, 65 percent of voters went to the polls Third round of voting: PD wins in all 17 constituencies In the third round, PD’s rivals lose in every constituency The Democratic Party celebrated its triumph in all 17 constituencies that voted on Sunday. “We won nearly 87 percent in them,” Tritan Shehu declared yesterday at the end of the electoral battle. Held within 20 days, the third elections brought down the curtain on an electoral marathon marked by tension, boycotts, runoffs and repeat voting. The excessively prolonged electoral cycle, the heat, European football, and the indifference of part of the electorate turned the third round into more of a preliminary game than a genuine contest at the ballot box. Disappointment and pessimism among Albania’s right-wing parties. “We were left weak; we expected more from the PD’s loyalty.” These were the comments coming from the offices of the right-wing leaders just moments after the Democratic triumph was made official. “We will give you serious consideration in the local elections,” PD replied, opening the first avenues for cooperation with them in a multicolored government and in local administrations with a right-wing majority. On page 3

The big Russian surprise: now the vote is called Ljebed

REPORT FROM MOSCOW On Sunday, nearly 65 percent of the 106 million voters in the world’s largest country went to the polls. Yeltsin’s optimism appears to need another test. Sunday’s electoral surprise has just one name: Ljebed. A former general, commander of troops in Afghanistan and a very popular figure, Ljebed won 15 percent of the Russian electorate. He is now the key to the election. On page 2

The duel between Shehi and Çupi

Controversy Sharp polemics between journalist Çupi and Deputy Prime Minister Shehi following a conflict at a venue in Tirana on Saturday. The two give different accounts. Shehi On page 3

Poli posts an envelope to Strasbourg

OPPOSITION Just 24 hours after the conclusion of the third round of elections in Albania, “Poli i Qendrës”—made up of PAD and PSD—has submitted a request to Leni Fisher, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, for an urgent meeting. At the same time, they have

Agolli once again among readers

Culture The “Çabej” publishing house is releasing “Kalorësi i zakuriq,” written by the well-known author. It is the story of a veterinarian during the dictatorship who dared to tell the truth about the “successes” of the socialist village. On page 11

To Strasbourg

third round of elections in Albania, the “Pole of the Centre”—comprising PAD and PSD—has sent the same time, they have expressed their wish for a group of Council of Europe reporters to be sent to Albania to verify the political situation in the country. While the PD has declared victory in a further 17 electoral districts, the leaders of the “Pole,” Gjinushi and Ceka, have sharply accused President Berisha and his party of being unwilling to engage in dialogue with the opposition parties. According to the leaders of the “Pole,” the elections of June 16 “were the final act in the electoral farce staged on May 26.” On page 3

Democracy, a “ball with no destination”?

After the elections TIRANA. — “We are democrats; the Albanian people have been deprived of democracy; our opponents must not be trusted, they have dictatorial tendencies.” The election campaign appears to have officially ended with the final round of voting. The parties, winners and losers alike, have rushed to take up the “torch of democracy,” to show that they deserved victory—the one side—or that they deserved it more, the other side. Democracy has thus become almost like a football being kicked away by some impatient player, with no destination. Ordinary people look from one side to the other, not knowing whom to trust and whom not to. It seems, especially in light of recent events, but also those before them, that a kind of conceptual confusion has begun among us about the desired meaning of democracy. Does democracy belong to the parties, or is it a system distinguishable by its inclusiveness, accepted as a universal principle without exception? But in fact, it cannot be established if one side does not respect the other. To make this clearer, if one considers the differences among all the parties that had prepared to oppose one another, then it would be difficult...

Germany, a team worthy of the title

EURO ’96 / Italy in a playoff for qualification Germany had looked formidable. In matches like these, they rarely make mistakes. Virtually already qualified, Vogts’s men have shown: “Beware, we will do everything possible to eliminate you.” But they had done everything they could; they do not want to give up. Sachel: “We are not afraid of Germany.” No one had imagined a match like this being played at Manchester’s “Old Trafford,” after Saturday’s bomb. But sport has defied fear. The game and entertainment have overcome violence and terrorism. Today Croatia has moved up. In a difficult match, with most of its… no one put on a real show. Today the final act of the first stage of EURO ’96 begins. At 17:30, live on KAJDE: France - Bulgaria; and at 20:30, also live on RAI-DUE: Holland - Scotland. Recorded broadcasts will be shown at 23:00 on RAIUNO: Spain - Romania, and at 1:15 on RAIUNO: Scotland - Switzerland. The German celebrations after the triumph over the Russians

HER

Bridge collapses on the banks of the Gjanica On page 9

TIRANA

Death sentence for the money changer’s killer On page 9

SARANDA

Prison for the drug-plant traffickers On page 9

The Right is disappointed: “How did they do this to us again?”

Selfo: “A big appetite” The minor players in politics react after the third round of elections, in which they failed to win in any district. The PD responds with a reassuring message. We will think of you in the local elections. On page 3

Berat, bombs explode, spouses die

BERAT - Two bombs exploded one after the other in a village in Berat. They claimed the lives of the Selenica spouses and seriously injured the victim’s mother. The two young people had quarrelled constantly, and on Sunday evening had threatened both women with the bombs he kept hidden in the yard. He removed the safety pin from one bomb and, during the struggle with his wife—who asked him to take it from his hand—the bombs exploded and caused the tragedy. The spouses died at the scene, unable even to reach the hospital, while the seriously injured woman has now passed the danger to her life. The police are investigating the type of explosive; it is thought to have been manufactured in Polican.

Today: Gazeta TV

On page 3

FER Collapses

Selfo: “Big appetite” The Right of the elections:

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