The European Commission calls for a partial repeat of the elections

Statement by President of the Republic Sali Berisha

Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu met with the chairman of PDX

Three days after the much-discussed agreement with Mr. Max van der Stoel was brought into the media spotlight, the Socialist Opposition and its satellites still have not managed to understand its true meaning. They continue counting the days remaining until 23 June, in order to highlight the effect of this agreement on the electoral process. The most visible and most significant has been the confusion and bewilderment this agreement has created in the opposition camp. If the discussion in Albanian circles about the scale of the European Commission's position regarding violations of standards in Albania after the first round of voting continues to be driven by the press and opinions, in Brussels the situation is completely different. According to information from reliable sources, senior representatives of European institutions consider the assessments made by their observers in Albania to be manipulated and exaggerated. According to these sources, the Albanian government has warned the institutions of the European Community that all the facts denounced by the Opposition are subject to verification and that Albania will allow any kind of objective inspection by international bodies. This has caused a certain hesitation in several European chancelleries, which are now waiting for the final report and no longer the preliminary wording of the first days. In this context, it is no coincidence that in Brussels the idea of a broad repeat of the elections is increasingly fading. On the contrary, the view is gaining ground that, if reruns are held, they may affect only limited areas clearly defined by the facts. That is precisely why the Opposition is no longer managing to mobilize the same enthusiasm among its Western sponsors. If until yesterday the Socialist leaders presented the agreement as their definitive victory, today they appear restrained and reserved in public statements. On the other hand, the parliamentary majority and its structures have interpreted the development as a success of their steadfast refusal to accept any political diktat over the election result. In diplomatic circles in Brussels, there is interest in the fact that the European Commission has not assumed any ultimatum-like language toward Tirana. This means that the pressure exerted on Albania has a limit and is conditioned by the credibility of the evidence presented. For this reason, the Opposition has been restrained and is trying to reformulate its tactics in the face of a reality less favorable than expected. continued on page 7

The European Commission seeks to confirm and propose an agreement with the Albanian government. The European Commission does not consider a broad revote necessary and considers some of the opposition's demands irresponsible. According to diplomatic sources, the latest positions in Brussels are more balanced than they were presented in the Albanian press in the first days after the elections. EC officials assess that institutional stability in Albania cannot be called into question by hasty political rhetoric and that any reassessment of the process must be based on concrete facts and not on propaganda pressure. Page 3

Senator Folon and Maringçi criticize several Italian newspapers CDU denounces the “conspiracy of silence” Page 3

Preliminary report of the observer mission of the parliamentary group of pan-European parties in Albania, 26 May 1996 Page 3

Interview with Mr. Fridmand Xhufi, secretary for public relations of PP Interview with Mr. Fridmand Xhufi, secretary for public relations of PP An Albania without Enverists is a winning Albania Page 3

Shedding light on the recent actions of the chairman of PAD and "Mbiçmimi" and the banal face of the support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the EC by the Albanian socialists for other European personalities. What was Ceka looking for in Brussels? Shedding light on the recent actions of the chairman of PAD and “Mbiçmimi” and the banal face of the support of the Parliamentary Assembly of the EC by the Albanian socialists for other European personalities. Page 3

A sermon to the masons for political changes. The two supports of social democracy have been dragged out in Albania and the dictator comes to elections? Page 3

Interview and statements after the elections that I informed that enough “stopping” of Europe and the United States and that they would not come out of the hunger strike without free elections but...[?] Ionën ndryshe Page 3