Finsberg: If the opposition does not take its seats in parliament, it is denying democracy Boycott boomerang The advice of the Socialist Party parliamentary group that its deputies should not take up their mandates and should boycott parliament altogether is not in favor of democracy. If this party does not want parliamentary rotation, its decision will turn into a boomerang, leading politics into harmful and conflictual directions. It is worth noting that the Socialist Party has functionally become a party of destructive and confrontational opposition, following the path of slander and disinformation. Every day it continues to make false accusations against the government of the Democratic Party and the pluralist Parliament. There is no logical argument and no serious legal basis to lead it to the conclusion that the parliamentary elections of 26 May were manipulated and irregular. On the contrary, all domestic and international institutions acknowledge that, despite the natural shortcomings, the elections expressed the will of the majority of Albanian voters. Since the local elections of 20 October are approaching, the Socialist Party is trying to heighten the political climate and portray the country as being in a nonexistent crisis. This stance does not suggest the Socialist Party as a modern political alternative, but rather as a force that does not know how to respect the rules of the democratic game. There can be no democracy without an opposition in parliament. Its absence there creates an institutional vacuum and gives a negative example to the electorate. The opposition cannot seek to benefit from the democratic system while simultaneously refusing participation in its institutions. Buster Finsberg, a well-known British conservative figure and chairman of the international conservative organization KE-s, states that the parliamentary boycott is the wrong position. In an interview with the Albanian press, he declares that if the opposition does not take its seats in parliament, it is denying democracy itself. He emphasizes that the alternative is not the path of boycott, but active participation and political confrontation in representative institutions. Finsberg notes that in Albania the premises are being created for a normal institutional development and that the opposition should contribute to this process, not hinder it. According to him, every democratic society needs a serious opposition, but this opposition must act within the rules, not against them.

Statement by the government spokesperson from the Socialist Party, 2. The Central Election Commission was appointed well in advance, and measures were taken after consultations with representatives of the different parties, mainly the opposition. All their requests were taken into account already when drafting the regulations and procedures for the conduct of the elections. They were also asked to take part in the working groups preparing the polling stations. 1. The date of the local elections was set more than three months in advance, therefore a sufficient deadline for the representatives, in search

Socialists abandon the congress resolution and recommend the chairman At the first meeting of the Socialist parliamentary group after the elections, the topic of discussion appears to have been the organization after the poor result and the overall stance to be taken regarding the local elections. Below are the details of a reserved report that points to trends within this political force. The conclusion of the PS-SHIK confrontation and the agreement on the common anti-Berisha denominator within the opposition camp is marking a new phase of tension in relations among the socialist groupings. After marathon meetings of the leadership and the parliamentary group, the conviction has formed that part of the deputies are moving against the line declared by Chairman Nano. Deputies close to the anti-motionist group are calling for a new assessment after the 20 October elections regarding the defeat in the parliamentary elections and, as a result, for the party leadership to be reconsidered. In this context, the idea has been put forward that the resolution of the Extraordinary Congress should be revised. According to the information, several members of the group have requested a deep analysis of the electoral strategy, relations with allied parties, and the mistakes made during the campaign. This is being interpreted as a direct strike at Nano’s platform.

PRPD Congress, 23 September 1996

We refer to the publication in the newspaper “Koha Jonë”, dated 28.08.1996, in which an interview with the person Ilir Gjoni and the article titled “Berisha’s criminal gangs in the center of Tirana” were published. The authors of the article are referring to me with the pseudonym “the eagle”. According to them, I supposedly took over the leadership of a genuine criminal gang, with the help of President Berisha. It is true that in January 1995 the police authorities showed interest in my work, but they know very well that I have not been involved in any criminal activity. As long as I have not been informed of any court decision, no one has the right to accuse me of being part of a criminal organization. Those who publish such slanders bear full responsibility for them. I consider the decision of the Tirana District Court, which states that I am part of a criminal gang, to be unjust and politically motivated. The case is on appeal and I will pursue it to the end according to the law. I emphasize that I have no connection with the persons mentioned in the article and that the attempt to implicate me artificially is intended to discredit me on a personal and professional level. I call on all readers and the public opinion not to fall prey to these fabrications. I also inform the newspaper editorial staff that I will use all legal means available to seek a full retraction and compensation for the moral consequences.

President Berisha received Ambassador Ferrarri page 3

XHAFERRI: IRI: “Understanding on many issues” The 3-day IRI conference has ended. XHAFERRI: Consensus will be respected page 3

No attack on the representative of Gazetën Shqiptare The latest news, sent by phone after my departure, informs me that the report about the execution with an automatic weapon of the representative of the Athens newspaper “Gazeta Shqiptare”, sent to Corfu in the role of its field reporter, Mr. E. Konomi, is completely untrue. We clarify that on Wednesday evening, at 7:00 p.m., the Corfu police were notified of gunshots in the area of “Paleokastrica”, where Mr. Konomi was with a friend. They immediately went to the scene and established that the shots had been fired into the air by a drunk person. The commissioner’s office confirms that there was no attack on the Albanian journalist and that there are no injured or dead persons. Any other information is unfounded and sensationalist. The Corfu police are investigating the spread of the false news and ask the media to be cautious before publishing unconfirmed reports.

Masked Albanian iconography Page 3

Musliman Shqiptar on the event in the church of Voskopojë

Prishtina-Belgrade powers the talks P. 2

page 4