The Central Election Commission presented the results of the first round of the local government elections Since 20 October, the PD has been running local government in 37 municipalities and 193 communes, not counting the runoff that will be won by the democrats. Many centres that were once considered political strongholds of the left have, on 20 October, tried to break away from the socialist model of local governance. Some of them have achieved this already in the first round, but it is expected that in the second round this move into right-wing politics will be fully realized. NUMBER OF SEATS FOR MAYORS OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNES BY PARTY MUNICIPALITY COMMUNE PD 37 193 PS 4 12 PBDNJ 0 6 PDK 0 1 K.PAVARUR 1 0 TOTALS FOR MUNICIPALITIES PD 37 PS 4 K.PAVARUR 1 TOTAL 42 TOTALS FOR COMMUNES PD 193 PS 12 PBDNJ 6 PDK 1 TOTAL 212 PERCENTAGES OF VOTES AND NUMBER OF SEATS WON IN THE ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF DISTRICT COUNCILS SUBJECT % OF VOTES SEATS Independent candidate 0.0250% P. KON. 0.0714% PA 0.5779% PP90 0.0990% PBD 0.3394% PBDK 0.0918% PBDNJ 2.3360% 3 PBK 2.3989% 2 PBSD 1.0209% 1 PD 52.4990% 48 PDD 0.2446% PDK 0.8954% PID 0.0194% PLL 0.5605% PLL+PBK 0.5286% PLP 0.3502% PPP 0.0069% PR 3.4966% 3 PRD 0.0164% PS 31.1933% 32 PSD+PAD 3.0976% 3 PUK 0.1311% TOTAL 100.0000% 97 In the local government elections, the Democratic Party has recorded one of its deepest victories. Since 20 October, the PD has been running local government in 37 municipalities, not counting those that are in runoff and that will certainly be won by the democrats. Here it can be said that in the first round of voting 88 percent of the country's municipalities, creating a very large distance from the PS, which has reached only 10 percent. The Democratic Party has also won in the first round in 193 communes, or 91 percent of the total, not counting the runoff, leaving the PS with only 12 communes. This not insignificant success of the PD’s victory and its alternative has led, with the outspoken objections presented by 21 municipal councils and 11 districts as well as the Albanian deputies, to the majority proposed by 52.1 political entities, with Albanian voters choosing the local winner in these valuable cases. The Democratic Party has won 488 seats in the district councils, or 52.5 percent of the total, always referring to the first round of voting. District supporters come from a broad competition where, in addition to the democrats and socialists, the Republican Party has won 37 seats, PBDNJ 30 seats, the Party of the National Front 25 seats, Poli 0, 38 seats, etc. Compared with the local elections of 1992, the Democratic Party has a great advantage. If then its advance was seen mostly in large urban centres, now the effectiveness of the democrats’ leadership has extended to the villages as well, as confirmed by the large number of communes in which the PD has won. It is considered that the rural policy pursued by the PD is a successful policy in the countryside and has already produced its results. Meanwhile, the electoral strength of the PD is also reflected in the high percentage it has won in various municipalities. Many centres that were once considered political strongholds of the left have, on 20 October, tried to break away from the socialist model of local governance. Some of them have achieved this already in the first round, but it is expected that in the second round this move into true politics will be fully realized. There are no longer only socialists in power in Gramsh and Skrapar, there are not only [?.] On the contrary, there is a decline in the electorate of these districts in order to move outside the socialist mold. Proof of this is the runoff in the majority of the communes of these districts. Certainly, this time too the Democratic Party has won the capital city, even with a higher result than in '92. This is significant for the politics of a party or, as they say otherwise, it is the measure of the moderation of the politics represented by the political formation. The local government elections also verified a dynamic in Albania’s political development. Thus, while the Democratic Party is larger than in '92, some small left-wing parties have disappeared from participation in local centres, including PUK, or have been minimized, as in the case of the Agrarian Party. Meanwhile, there has been the affirmation on a broader terrain of parties from the right-wing spectrum such as the Party of the National Front; the Republican Party and Legaliteti are in a stronger position. SAMI NEZ

The President of the European Christian Democratic Union, Mr. Wim van Velzen, congratulates the Democratic Party on its excellent victory in the 20 October elections, wishing for Albania’s swift entry into the European family with full rights. Your victory on 20 October was the successful continuation of your political and economic line, of your tireless efforts toward development and prosperity, toward the blue horizons of democracy, says the congratulatory message from the President of the CDU

The PD is the main contender in 22 municipalities and 88 communes The Democratic Party’s maximum commitment to win every vote, every municipality and every commune will be very easy to fulfill, while the Socialist Party is seriously facing the problems of its continued existence on the political scene PAGE 3

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Pogradec and Korça - blue like all of Albania PAGE 2