The President is “greeted” with gunfire on the way to Fier. Fino asks the West for help. Proceedings against VEFA begin Page 3

Socialist Fino is running out of patience. The man known for his highly diplomatic quips about Albania’s Byzantine politics seems to have drawn yesterday the anti-Berisha ace he had hidden in his long prime ministerial jacket. “No more talks with the parties, but an appeal to the international community to resolve the crisis.” The opposition’s alarm, voiced by Fino, came just hours before the European Council’s ultimatum to Albania expired, calling for a compromise between the Opposition and the DP on the late-June elections. If the parties do not have an electoral law acceptable to all sides in hand today, the European Council has promised to suspend aid. Judging by developments in the offices of Albanian politics in recent days, the European threat does not seem to have been taken very seriously. By now accustomed to ultimatums, especially when they are not addressed to it alone, Berisha’s DP does not appear minded to move from the position handed to it by the opposition in the 9 March agreement. The DP and Berisha, without consulting any other party, after approving and decreeing the law together with the election date, declared yesterday through Genc Pollo that negotiations on the 115 electoral zones fixed in the law are over. The DP is therefore declaring openly and clearly that it has no intention of giving up the magic electoral map of 26 May. And the DP has shown in practice, at least once, that when votes are at stake it stops at nothing. The message from the government camp is clear: we are ready to give up anything except the 1996 voting scheme, which is also the key to Berisha’s claimed success. After a week of talks at the parties’ endless round tables, the DP has made the laughable “concession” that a parliamentary candidate may enter the election with not 400, but even 200 signatures. Meanwhile, Berisha has begun his election tour in his own style, but now in villages and without a tie. The opposition, meanwhile, has been badly outmaneuvered at the parties’ table; thanks to Berisha’s maneuvers, it seems to be playing without a ball and unable to do anything without Western support. Nevertheless, Berisha has also taken precautions in case the Europeans react against him. There is every chance that he may play the Islamization card. Turkish Foreign Minister Çiller’s statement that “Turkey will not allow any state to interfere in Albania’s internal affairs” means something. In any case, the DP has only one path left to choose: the East. The noose is tightening. Berisha’s last ally, the European Council, issued its threat at a moment he would not have wanted, while giving him until today to back down; for the opposition, a second 9 March is approaching. Nevertheless, it has not shown that it has learned from past mistakes.

Berisha at yesterday’s campaign stop in Fier Photo: REUTER

TIRANA — Europe can no longer wait. Today the ultimatum issued to Albanian politicians by its highest bodies expires, and just 24 hours before it was due to end, European political leaders threatened to withdraw the troops of the “Alba” mission and suspend aid. They also made sure to remind Albania that the hours remaining today are decisive for it. Yesterday evening, the alarm bells rang louder than ever when neighbouring countries such as Greece and Italy, as well as senior OSCE official Franc Vranicki, described Albania for the first time as a country that had been given its final chance to make good on its word. More than ever, Europe now seems to feel insulted by the time it has wasted in the labyrinths of Albania’s disoriented politics. From his headquarters in Athens, Greece’s Defence Minister, Axohatzopullos, launched a fierce attack on Albania’s number one, Berisha, as the main culprit responsible for sending the electoral process down a dead end. “President Berisha’s initiative with the electoral law seriously damaged the electoral process,” he declared, while not forgetting to take up the hardline policy transplanted to Albania by its very own number one (Continued on page 3)

The OSCE, Italy and Greece issue an ultimatum: Agreement today, or we withdraw troops and suspend aid. Vranicki’s envoy in Tirana today