Statement by the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha “I welcome the opening of the United States of America Information Office in Prishtina as evidence of the direct interest of the American administration and President Clinton in resolving the Kosovo problem, which remains essential to long-term stability in our region.”

Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu received the chairman of the PDK Yesterday afternoon, the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu, received at the party headquarters the chairman of the Christian Democratic Party, Mr. Zef Bushati, who congratulated Mr. Shehu on the Democratic Party’s victory in the May 26 elections. Both sides expressed the need for better cooperation to expand democracy and continue reforms, with a view to strengthening the rule of law on the basis of fundamental democratic principles, as two forces belonging to the European Christian Democratic Union. The talks also discussed the possibility of cooperation in those areas where the elections will be repeated. The meeting was warm and friendly.

The European Commission calls for a partial rerun of the elections

Three people from Albania, not counting Kalakulla, were in Brussels yesterday. They went there solely to complain. With the zeal of professional complainers, they tried to convince Europe that Albania does better under communism than with a market economy, and that elections in Albania were free only five years ago, certainly not this year. First in line was Servet Pellumbi, a former informer for the State Security Service, verified as such by the Commission for the Verification of Political Figures and barred from entering Parliament. Second was Neritan Ceka, one of the principal architects of the Red Front’s withdrawal from the elections, a collaborator of Ramiz Alia in 1990 and 1991, and one of those who has tried hardest to compromise the democratic values of Albanians with communist anti-values; he was expelled from the Democratic Party precisely for this reason. Skënder Gjinushi, brought into politics by Ramiz Alia and used by him from 1988 until now. The Albanian press has drawn the graph of his political movement several times, showing that it begins in the inner offices of former communist president Alia and ends up back with him, thus underscoring the continuity of his total service to him. The third person who went in his own name, since he has no party, was Petrit Kalakulla. In any case, the latter found grounds to complain about the votes the Socialists did not get, while a contingent that considers itself right-wing was also needed before Europe. He considers himself right-wing before Europe. All four could go to Europe only to complain. They cannot make this trip for something like, say, highlighting Albania’s progress, encouraging further agreements between Europe and Albania, or at least going for no reason at all—which would have been more normal for all four of them. There has never been such a negative selection of Albanians—not only from the governing side but also from the opposition—even when Alia traveled abroad. Albania feels relieved in Tirana today, but is being misrepresented in Brussels. The quartet has been defeated in Tirana by the Albanians, and the resentment visible on their faces cannot be a reason to burden Albania with even a little of their misery. Brussels is no place where communists and people implicated in crimes are forgiven. Not even the partyless chairman Kalakulla can save the delegation from this. The Democratic Party’s victory in the May 26 elections is not diminished by the stalling tactics of these naive leaders of the country. If democratic processes have not affected Neritan or Pellumbi, Gjinushi or Kalakulla, they are not to blame when they have borne fruit among more than 3 million Albanians. The four people mentioned above cannot exploit other people’s victory in order to make accusations. Victory is a reason to acknowledge it, not to celebrate themselves with that victory and steal it. The Socialist storytellers roaming Tirana’s squares are far too few to move Brussels’s conscience even slightly, and just as incapable of creating distance between Europe and Albania. Likewise, three days of hunger strike in a restaurant are too little to bridge the distance between Albania and Zhuganonin to the point where Pellumbi, Ceka, Gjinushi, and the one regularly at his right, Kalakulla, stand. Their attempt to use Brussels to attack Albanian democracy is a compromise they are trying to pin on Europe as well. Clearly, this cannot be achieved in Brussels. Europe’s position is in line with that of the Albanian government and the Democratic Party: elections should be held only in those areas where serious violations are identified. This was made clear to the delegation of Ramizists from Tirana as well.

The European Commission on Wednesday called for elections to be repeated in Albania in the electoral districts where serious irregularities are identified in the final report of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a spokesperson said. The European Commission will rely on the OSCE’s conclusions and on developments in the situation to propose talks on a new agreement with Albania, he added. This position was communicated to the delegation of Albanian opposition officials, who were received in Brussels on Wednesday by European Commissioner Kristos Papucis. The European Commission expressed regret over the serious incidents that occurred after these elections. The latter ended with a comfortable victory for the Democratic Party, in power since 1992, following the fall of communist rule. Papucis recommended that President Sali Berisha and the government begin a dialogue with the opposition, while emphasizing that the opposition party must demonstrate responsibility and resume dialogue.

Preliminary report of the British human rights group’s observer mission on the parliamentary elections in Albania, May 26, 1996 Page 3

Senators Foloni and Marinaci criticize several Italian press outlets After the stir in the international and Italian press, why has nobody dealt with Albania, while ... was taking place ... After the stir in the international and Italian press, why has nobody dealt with Albania, while ... was taking place in Albania, on the basis of which he received confirmation that the elections had been held in a calm atmosphere. Even “the Italian ambassador in Tirana, Paolo Foresti, did not hide his surprise,” Marinaci said, “at the way the Italian press reported on the elections in Albania.” “There were some irregularities,” he added, “but, paradoxically, this shows that there were free elections, when compared with the elections that were always perfect and invariably orderly under Hoxha.” In the interpellation with the Foreign Minister, the CDU criticizes the position of ... This question was raised by Guido Foloni, Senate group leader, and Senator Nikandro Marinaci, both representatives of the CDU, who held a press conference on Monday attended by Albert Brojka of the Albanian Democratic Party and Albania’s ambassador to Italy, Pandeli Pasko. Marinaci, who together with Butilione signed ... “There were some irregularities,” he added, “but this showed, paradoxically, that there had been free elections, the CDU criticized the position of the TG1 correspondent because “he did not report the events as the public service should have done.”

Kalakulla: “These Socialists must be filthy. Why didn’t they give up my area for me?” Just one day before the elections, Petrit Kalakulla was sitting in a club in his electoral district, in the presence of several politicians from Poliq Q [?], where right-wing extremists usually gathered. Kalakulla said: These Socialists must be filthy. Why didn’t they give up my area for me? So he was not saying that he would wipe out all the Communists; this man, paraded as a “right-wing extremist,” was asking the PS to leave his area to him. This man, paraded as a “right-wing extremist,” wanted to join the delegation that ... his family’s votes at the protest over “they stole the votes.” He invites him to K... [?] to Brussels to protest that “they stole the votes.”

Interview with Mr. Ferdinand Xhaferri, PD secretary for public relations Page 3

Ceka is the one who called Europe a “witch” and insulted the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and many other European figures with vulgar words. Ramiz Alia’s man, Neritan Ceka, has set off for Brussels to complain to Europe about the “injustices” done to his party. Neritan Ceka is the man who, throughout the election campaign, of Europe, as well as all the European figures who realistically pointed out Albania’s achievements, using vulgar words. Ceka was the man who, immediately after the elections, called Europe a “witch.” So what was Neritan Ceka looking for in Europe? What did he want from the “witch” Europe? Why did he go to complain to the President of PAD at the “witch’s” door? In particular, he and the spies who accompanied him received from Europe the answer they deserved. Not from the Communists who issued the invitations, but from those figures who truly represent Europe. When he returns to Tirana, Ceka will have nothing left to do but increase the dose of his insults against Europe (though this time in private). E.P.

American lawmaker Dejvid Fanderberg on Albania and the situation in the Balkans Americans find it difficult to understand the Communists’ return to power Albania’s development has astonished me In a conversation with journalists from the Voice of America’s Southern Europe section, Mr. Fanderberg spoke about issues of interest to the Balkan region. As regards Albania, Mr. Fanderberg said that progress toward establishing democratic institutions had been faster and more consistent than in the other countries of the region. I have been astonished by developments in Albania, which has been considered the most backward and primitive country among the Balkan states; in many respects, it has achieved better results than some other countries in the region. Speaking, among other things, about democratic processes in the countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe, lawmaker Dejvid Fanderberg said that Americans generally are not very well informed about international mindsets. They expect changes in different countries—for example, democratic changes in Eastern Europe, he stressed—to happen immediately. In the United States, the prevailing impression is that with the collapse of Communism, democracy will be established within 24 hours, Mr. Fanderberg said, and when such reversals occur, such as the Communists returning to power within a short time in Eastern European countries, Americans find it difficult to explain this phenomenon. Democracy is an evolutionary process, he said, and strengthening it will take some time. In my opinion, Mr. Fanderberg said, besides historical factors, serious obstacles to democratic processes in the countries of the Balkan region include widespread corruption, bribery and the black market. He said that we have accepted the candidacy for leadership positions of a former senior Communist leader responsible for the murder of a large number of people in his country, something we have not accepted for Nazi leaders. This position is not at all objective, he concluded, especially since the former Communist leaders have expressed no remorse for their crimes. Dejvid Fanderberg is a member of the Helsinki Commission and the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. He has also served as the United States ambassador to Romania. For a period of 25 years, he has shown a particular interest in Balkan affairs. The subject of his postgraduate dissertation was Albania.

-The PS leaders declared after the elections that they did not recognize any position taken by Europe or the United States and that they would not end the hunger strike until new elections were held, but... they spoke differently Page 3