PD main contender in 22 municipalities and 88 communes, second round of the local elections Free and peaceful elections Today there will be voting for the second round of the local government elections in more than 130 communes and municipalities. The elections of 20 October were praised by the Council of Europe, the Italian observers, the American observers, the two American institutes that supervised the elections, as well as several Western embassies that took part in monitoring the elections. Their designation as free and fair by these observers, who numbered more than 1,400, was an achievement of Albanian democracy, of the country’s democratic system, of the democratic government and of all Albanian political forces. They placed our country at an advanced democratic stage and also create confidence in European democratic institutions and likewise among ordinary Albanians in the right path that the democratic government is following to build democracy in Albania. It is important that the civilization and high democratic level demonstrated last Sunday be repeated today as well. It is necessary to avoid excesses and physical and political hostilities, while the commissions must strictly apply the electoral law for the local elections as well as all the relevant provisions of that law; people must go to vote with peace of mind, knowing that their vote is safe and beyond anyone’s reach. Voting centers themselves must be symbols of political tolerance and democratic communication through the vote, placing at their foundation respect for freedom and then for the party that will be chosen through the vote. Democracy must first of all function for us and only then for those who express interest in its degree and evaluation by Albanians. Nevertheless, their presence today is also important for the testimony they will give about the regularity of these elections in relation to what has been said about the elections of 26 May. Everyone should obey the law and keep in mind the powers that in a voting process are reflected in a result; the meaning of each person’s choice in the election is everyone’s concern. A calm and free vote is to the credit of the PD, which is leading the democratic processes in Albania; it is to the credit of the country and of all the political forces that tomorrow will compete with one another. Perhaps the most important thing for them to tell today’s voters in an election important for us is to vote for the Democratic Party, and not to join the other voters who managed to give the PD a landslide victory last Sunday. The creation of a fully democratic power throughout the country with this election is an opportunity for a historic conclusion through which the whole country will strengthen democracy. The Socialists are ultimately unable to justify the delay of the overthrows. This party is in degradation and collapse, in splits and decay. Votes for it are votes for defeat. Votes for the PD are votes for victory.

Moscow - Prime Minister Meksi at BEDZ Prime Minister Meksi held meetings with the President of Turkey Demirel, the Romanian Prime Minister Vakaroju, the Russian Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, the President of Ukraine Kuchma, the President of Georgia Shevernaze, the President of Azerbaijan Aliev, the Bulgarian President Zhelev, and the Greek Prime Minister Simitis. PAGE 2

Today the PD will win in Shkodër The causes of the unexpected success of the Unified Shkodran Right must be sought in the amplification carried out and in communist propaganda. But what is being prepared before our eyes constitutes a clear violation on the ground. The displacement of the PS as a third force is a fictitious game of losing ground in terms of support. Taking Shkodër into the hands of a formation with no guarantees, which does not state what it will do and what it will not do, which does not possess the technical element and the know-how of governance, is for the communists undoubtedly seen as a preparatory phase for them to take power themselves. This strategy is made clearer by the Socialists’ refusal to speak out on 27 October, and the secret cell-like pronouncement in favor of Balli. The electoral campaign of 20 October included a foreseen and "flesh" formation, the Unified Shkodran Right. Since that historical base, with no historical experience of bringing together opposing formations and no program and strategy, P.L.L. and P.B.K. cobbled together a unique electoral formation, with no defined program, no political clarity, but only with the resentment of failures and the dishonest. Throughout their campaign they tried to convey the 50-year personification, the historical contribution of the great patriots, the sufferings of ordinary people. And yet they never said a word against communism, never did their words include serious denunciations against the Red Front, never mentioned conservatism against ethnic Albania, but all their propaganda spirit was spent against the PD, against its alternative, its candidates, down to slander and low-level falsifications. The stinking caverns reeking of mothballs, the anti-chairmen hidden behind the dresses of the Mondays are begging and seeking the votes of those who were killed on 2 April 1991, speaking in the name of those who were killed on 2 April 1991, speaking about the events of those days when they never had the courage to take part, they were looking for the hole with the porridge that came out in front of them and hid. PAGE 3

The Secretary General of PDSH Besnik Gjongecaj meets with the electorate of Has and Bajram Curri PAGE 2

Main Austrian newspaper “Die Presse” -A credible victory for the democrats in the elections of 20 October -Albanian democrats and President Sali Berisha celebrate their victory in the local elections -A credible victory for the democrats in the elections of 20 October -Albanian democrats and President Sali Berisha celebrate their victory in the local elections PAGE 9

Feeble attempts to cast a shadow over the PD’s victory It is completely illogical to call the Socialists’ victory in the local elections of ’92 insignificant, when only 64 percent of the electorate voted, and not to consider much more significant the PD’s second victory in a few months, when around 75 percent of the electorate went to the polls. PAGE 3

Rebuttal by the spokesman of the People's Assembly In the newspaper “Republika” and in this series dated 26 October 1996, there is published a piece which, according to Selfo or as democracy was not properly understood, as well as T. Shehu, has involved Gj. Llabo, who accuses the former spokesman, and the printed material of L. T[?], spokesman of the People's Assembly and previously in his institution as a political p[?]. In this connection and in the interest of public opinion, the Presidency of the People's Assembly, A. Pjetër Arbnori, has issued this clarification: The spokesman of the People's Assembly had been linked to a certain group, and with such a spokesman of the advisers more [e]mër of theirs, during delegations in sessions where [it passed] along their path and with several [old][?] concepts. Other [people][?], written by [M.] Hufi [T.] [?], declare themselves Balli, is a slander from a degraded representation, and BK has never recognized it with [them]. Collaborationist elements that took part in T. Gjinushi. The spokesman has expressed no negative position whatsoever toward the candidate for mayor of Shkodër B. Borici. Two Mr. Llabo and the spokesman of Georg Llabo and the processor of [Gjergji][?] Llabo expressed in a telecommunication and expressed with a prejudicial letter in the process led by the presidency of P. T. Isidori. However, it should not be that there may be [such][?] and unfounded accusations that are requested to be opposed with the [help][?] of the prosecution and the electoral commissions. Disinformation does not serve democracy or the stability of the country.

Director Ypi refutes the newspaper “KU” The percentage of unrepaid loans over the past two years has been only 3.4%, while profit for the 8-month period reached 860 million lek, hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign-exchange reserves, tens of billions of lek in assets (active) with interest, etc. From the headline alone, in one of the economic articles of the newspaper “Koha jonë”, dated 25 October, journalists with a low level of culture and a tendency toward professionalism in a completely unfinished description, against the bank of Pandora, an assessment of the Albanian economy, on which for many, many years a destructive sneaky spirit had been operating, used abundantly to produce nothing. What do the financial document analyses say? They help us verify that term deposits and liquid accounts of B.K.T. (National Commercial Bank) have doubled, the percentage of unrepaid loans over the last two years has been only 3.4%, the uncovered unrepaid loans with provisions in total do not even reach the figure of 300 million lek, hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign-exchange reserves, tens of billions of lek in assets (active) with interest, etc. [?] economic [pieces] that set out the profit for the 8-month period reached the figure of 860 million lek, hundreds of millions in foreign-exchange reserves, as equivalents in lek granted as loans for 4 years, the latest information systems and with loans for [the][?] in the building, electronic payment systems with [payment cards][?] within the country, 2.0 computerized branches in 30 cities, billions invested in buildings, computers, equipment, vehicles, new instruments, payment of international standards, new banking and financial technology systems and interbank services for closing debits, it is stated in the rebuttal that the Director of the National Commercial Bank, Eduan Ypi, made to an article in the newspaper “KJ” concerning banks.

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