Castenetto confirms the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s readiness to monitor the 20 October elections for local government in Albania. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tritan Shehu received the envoy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Mr. Gian Paolo Castenetto, and Ms. Frida Jamal PAGE 2

- The request to postpone the election date is unconstitutional. - The PS’s position can only be explained in the context of the deep crisis of confidence and the profound crisis of confidence in the leadership and representation that has engulfed this party. - The boycott: a new form of crime. Politicizing the article on boycotting the vote count is illogical, because it does not punish those who boycotted the vote count, but penalizes those who might consider committing this crime in the future. Interview given to TV by the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha -The request to postpone the election date is unconstitutional. -The PS’s position can only be explained in the context of the deep crisis of confidence and the profound crisis of confidence in the leadership and representation that has engulfed this party. -The boycott: a new form of crime. Politicizing the article on boycotting the vote count is illogical, because it does not punish those who boycotted the vote count, but penalizes those who might consider committing this crime in the future. First, I wish to welcome the recent changes to the electoral law made by Parliament. The Presidency had been asked by PS representatives to set the election date; its two former deputy chairmen … there can be no postponement of the election date, and I call on all political forces to present their candidates to the voters … local elections on 20 October. The campaign period was extended from 35 to 90 days, and under the constitutional laws it begins when the election date is decreed. Today it is true that, in the fierce struggle for power that has engulfed the PS, the two deputy chairmen who represented the PS have lost their positions, but the two new representatives of the PS, Islami and Ruka, raised no objection to the election date at the meeting I held with the political forces on 4 September, where we also agreed together on a series of issues. The crisis of representation and leadership in the PS is a longstanding one. Albanian democracy cannot pay its price; those directly responsible for this crisis must do so. Therefore, I can interpret the PS’s position in no other way than that has engulfed this party. But I must also emphasize that the local elections will be held on the appointed day. I call on all political forces to present voters with their best candidates for local government. Regarding the uproar by political forces over the article penalizing the boycott of the vote count, I understand the comments this article has prompted. However, at the last meeting we agreed that commissioners would have immunity, and this was fully guaranteed by the electoral law, with the appropriate provisions in the Penal Code in the event that this immunity is violated. At the meeting, we also agreed that the boycott or departure of commissioners from the vote count or the voting process would be punishable. Thus, politicizing this article is illogical, because it does not punish those who boycott this crime in the future. One might ask, then, why such an article? This is a new form of crime, never before known in Europe. The article is intended to punish a new crime, unknown in the history of elections in Europe and in international European elections. The boycott of the vote count, an uncivilized act, is entirely unknown to the criminal law of the civilized world; for this reason, it is not provided for in any of Europe’s penal codes, including our new Penal Code and the continent’s most recent codes. On the other hand, it preserves in the collective legal memory of Albanians the condemnation of this act of high treason against the free vote and its value. The uproar surrounding this article also shows that it has struck at other immoral schemes. The President has full confidence in all officials whose removal is being sought by the boycott front on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations. He assures these officials that they, and every Albanian official or citizen accused without evidence, will have his full support in upholding the principle of the presumption of innocence, without which a democratic society cannot function. Regarding the request to print the voting materials abroad, I regret that these gentlemen have still not understood or realized how much Albanians value their own products. I am sorry, but I must say that, since this request is not based on facts, it sounds more like haste or superstition, which is of no benefit to politics; and a fetish for foreign-made products does not add votes at all. First, I wish to welcome the recent amendments to the electoral law adopted by the Albanian Parliament, and to express my satisfaction that all the amendments on which consensus was reached at my most recent meeting with the political forces on September 6 have been approved. The electoral law under which the elections of July 26, 1992 were held proved to be a good law, and was not criticized by any political force or legal expert. Nevertheless, I believe that the recent amendments have better consolidated two of the most important principles of the electoral process: its integrity and full transparency. By harmonizing these two principles, the electoral process will improve and be further consolidated. I also take this opportunity to once again assure you of the Government’s full commitment to free and fair elections. The request to postpone the date of the elections is unconstitutional, because Albania’s constitutional law sets the maximum period for holding elections at three months after the mandate of the elected officials expires, and this is clear both to the experts and to the leaders of the political forces calling for a postponement. I must also emphasize that such a request is not serious, since October 20, according to all the documents in [incomplete in source]

Anti-Nano resolution at the Steering Committee of the PS in the capital Mejdani has instructed that divisive debates must be avoided until 20 October, considering the Ulqin Poçi coup denounced by Nano, Legisi, Brokaj and Islami a closed matter. Before the heated debates, following the intervention of Zela and Rama of ZP, Mejdani pleaded with them to tear each other apart after the elections. Yesterday, Socialists in the PS branch in the capital took concrete steps toward a revenge against Nano, foreshadowed at the congress. According to a petition signed by the majority of PS organizations in the capital, the leadership chaired by Poçi and Ulqini proposed an anti-Nano resolution to the Steering Committee, attacking Nano’s mountain of accusations against the Tirana Conference, which, together with the expulsion of Islami and Brokaj, openly opposed the motion and Nano’s messages. The draft resolution read before the SC calls on those elected to defend their authority, trampled upon by an ordinary jailbird and several escaped emigrants. The first resolution to openly attack Nano after the dominance he established in the PS calls on him and his servants to withdraw the insults and abuse he directed at the leaders and elected representatives of the Tirana Conference. PAGE 3

President Berisha received the chairman of the United Organization of Veterans Yesterday, the President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, received the chairman of the United Organization of Veterans, Mr. Ymer Dishnica, and the organization’s deputy chairmen, Messrs. Jozef Zegali, Skënder Malindi and Lavdosh Dule, and expressed to them his great respect and appreciation for all the veterans of Albania. The organization’s leadership assured President Berisha of its unwavering support for democracy and its consolidation in Albania. They, in turn, presented the President with several requests whose resolution is important so that veterans can play their role in today’s society. Having fully assured the veterans’ leadership that their legitimate requests would be met, the President also expressed his wish for the two veterans’ associations to unite in a single organization, while each veteran retained his own political views. Addressing those present at the meeting, the President said: “I call on you, as the largest group of veterans in Albania, with patience, tolerance and dialogue, to draw all veterans into your ranks; and, as you are living symbols of freedom, to make your contribution to building democracy.”

Participation in elections requires a party’s internal conditions to be much more stable than those currently prevailing under the leadership of the Socialist Party. What happened at the PS congress has spread down to the most ordinary Socialists. None of them can be sure that, when voting for the Socialist Party, they have truly voted for their own alternative. The transmission of distrust from the leadership to the grassroots has led to a reduction in PS membership and, consequently, to a decline in the credibility of this political force.

Active meeting of the Shkodër branch of the DP The chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, the deputy chairman of the DP, Ali Spahia, and others were present.

Today, the PAD Assembly

Malësi e Madhe. Achievements are a guarantee of victory

In Italy, the PDSH delegation meets Senator Mirko Tremaglia of the “Alleanza Nazionale” party As part of its visit to Italy, the delegation of the Albanian Democratic Party, made up of Mr. Ylli Vejsiu and Mr. Afrim Krasniqi, met on 12.09.1996 with Senator Mirko Tremaglia of the “Alleanza Nazionale” party, head of this party’s parliamentary group in the Italian Parliament and Director of the Party’s Foreign Relations.