President Berisha received Senator Marinaci of Italy’s Christian Democratic Union, the party of Butiglione. Senator Marinaci congratulated President Berisha on behalf of his party and the Italian government for the Democratic Party’s marked victory. “In the streets of Tirana,” he said, “I saw only calm people, very happy and immensely delighted by their victory.” President Berisha stressed that Albanians, as one of the oldest nations of the West, voted for their place in Europe—a place they are determined to consolidate through the development of democracy and the market economy. They also voted for their friends who supported and helped them on the road to democracy over these four years. The values of democracy and its principles, President Berisha said, constitute the most important internal factor for Albanians, who made their choice with their free vote on 22 March 1992 and continued with the same determination on 26 May 1996. Senator Marinaci pointed out that, from the way the Socialist Party acted, it became clear to everyone that everything had been premeditated and prepared in advance. He expressed to President Berisha his party’s support and its willingness to cooperate.

Elections in the second round are being held today in nine electoral districts of the Republic

Today the second-round elections are being held in nine electoral districts of the country, while in four other districts, according to the Central Election Commission, they will be held later (by decree of the President of the Republic, Mr. S. Berisha), because of irregularities identified in the first round. Today, the Democratic Party’s candidates are competing in district 20, Mirditë; district 68, Elbasan; district 71, Librazhd; district 76, Lushnjë; district 97, Korçë; district 99, Pogradec; district 108, Vlorë; district 110, Prrenjas; and district 111, Gjirokastër. Although the candidates of the red front have received a strict order from their Marxist headquarters not to take part in today’s second round, candidates from the Democratic Party, PR, PBSD, PDK, PLL, PBK, and PBDNJ are competing. The Democratic Party is confident of winning again today, because it achieved an absolute victory in the first round, securing a majority for itself in the next parliament. On 26 May, Albanians voted overwhelmingly for the Democratic Party and against the red front, providing a great demonstration of progress before a historic test: making a dignified break with the past and knocking resoundingly on Europe’s door. Today, too, the Albanian electorate will entrust its vote to the Democratic Party’s candidates. They see in the Democratic Party and President Berisha a serious and assured opportunity for the country’s development and its economic and political integration into Europe as an equal partner. By withdrawing its candidates in this round as well, the red front showed the deep crisis of its headquarters, its irresponsibility toward the left-wing electorate and, as the press has said, its complete betrayal of those ordinary people who may have trusted it until 26 May. With this gesture, the red front showed rare immaturity and a complete lack of political ethics. They ignored not only their electorate but also the calls of the EU, Europe, the United States, and the world’s democratic institutions that observed the elections in Albania, urging them to take part in the second round and establish dialogue, understanding, and consensus in the interests of the country’s prestige and the progress of democratic processes. In this way, the socialist-communist leadership is trying every means to avoid being held accountable before its electorate, with the sole aim of keeping its party posts; meanwhile, it has responded with irritation and vulgar insults to Europe’s repeated calls to recognize the people’s vote. Their actions show that they deserve the “punishment” delivered by the people’s free vote, while their subsequent conduct further increases the scale of the Democratic Party’s victory. The Democratic Party will win today’s contest as well. The baptism of democracy has cost a great deal, but everyone is staying the course to the very end. The Democratic Party believes the race for freedom is open, and therefore serves the people’s vote every minute and every hour. The people are the same ones who hold in their hands the power to put the affairs of this democratic world in order. Therefore, we must all obey them calmly and patiently. The Democratic Party is determined to serve their lives, their future, and their dignity, always honoring the contract signed with the Albanians on 26 May 1996. It is the contract of the century for Albania and the Albanians, and that is why the Democratic Party seeks the broadest possible vote of confidence today and every time. So that every Albanian may put their signature on Albania’s future in the 2000s. This is possible by voting today for every Democratic Party candidate.

Statement by the United States on the Parliamentary elections in Albania Yesterday, the U.S. State Department, in a statement, recommended that the Albanian government repeat the elections in those districts where violations of electoral procedures or the election law are deemed to have occurred. The State Department believes the government can do this by taking into account the observations of OSCE and EU observers. The statement notes that emphasis was placed on manipulation in the counting of votes, as well as the presence of police forces at several polling stations, which may have influenced the vote. The statement goes on to say that the withdrawal of most opposition candidates and their members from the election commissions made it impossible to assess objectively the problems subsequently observed during the vote count, and contributed to the lack of integrity in the districts where voting should be repeated. The Albanian government should also carefully consider the recommendations of the delegations’ observers for improving the electoral process, and ensure that the irregularities observed in these elections are not repeated. We call on all parties to avoid provocation and not to use violence. We will continue to closely follow further developments and work with the Albanian government and all political parties to strengthen democratic institutions in Albania, the State Department statement on the first round of elections in Albania concludes. The elections should be repeated in those areas that may have affected wholesale election commissions made it impossible to assess in a timely manner the problems of integrity in the vote count. The statement also holds those opposition parties that boycotted the elections responsible. Finally, the State Department calls on the Albanian government and all political parties to seek assistance from the international community in investigating the irregularities and to identify the areas where elections should be repeated because violations of election

President Berisha received the delegation of France’s Union for the Republic President Berisha received a delegation of France’s Union for the Republic, led by Christine Branshu, secretary-general of the party’s group in the National Assembly. President Berisha expressed his gratitude for the ongoing support shown to the Democratic Party from its beginnings by the Union for the Republic, the party of President Shirak and Prime Minister Zhype. President Berisha emphasized that the Socialist Party’s immediate and unprecedented withdrawal from the elections, three hours before the ballot boxes closed, even though two-thirds of the commissioners were present at every polling station, and Therefore, the Central Election Commission is checking the votes with the utmost seriousness, one by one, to identify them, and in every case the Commission’s procedures will be followed. President Berisha stressed that all necessary measures had been taken to ensure that the second-round elections, too, would proceed normally. “You yourselves will be witnesses,” he said, “while the left-wing MPs, although I invited them to participate in the second-round elections, responded with a hunger strike.” Ms. Branshu congratulated President Berisha on Albania’s historic victory on the road to democracy. She stated that the Socialist Party’s position

The US State Department has commented on the possibility of repeating the elections in some areas where serious irregularities have been observed. What position will the Albanian government take regarding this proposal? Interview with Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi, given to the Voice of America radio service —The position the Central Election Commission will take regarding complaints from various political parties and, in general, regarding elections in different areas of Albania is to verify every irregularity. When an irregularity is such that it has compromised the election result and is contrary to the law, the elections will be repeated. In this respect, the Albanian government’s political position is in line with that of the EU. Page 2

The victory of May 26 also brings about the eradication of communism; it will remain the victory of the century for Albanians Interview with the Secretary General of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Besnik Gjongecaj Page 3

On 3 June 1996, the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Albania, Mr. Tritan Shehu, will hold a press conference at the Palace of Congresses together with the Secretary-General of the Union for the Republic party of French President Chirac, Ms. Christine Branchu, and Mr. Jean-Christoph Ozil. The press conference will take place at 09:00.

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Page 2 PUK parliamentary candidates respond to Berisha’s call