Congratulations pour in for DP leader Tritan Shehu Democratic Party chairman Prof. Dr. Tritan Shehu received several messages of congratulations yesterday on the DP’s sweeping victory in the October 20 local elections. Pierre Lelouche, French parliamentarian and adviser to President Chirac, writes, among other things: “I am aware of the importance this victory holds for Albania and the Albanian people, and I want to assure you, Mr. Chairman, that you will have my full support for your party’s policy, which is leading your country along the path of development, in keeping with the will of the Albanian people.” Mr. Alois Mock, Chairman of the European Democratic Union, and Alexis Wintoniak, Executive Secretary of the Union, also sent warm congratulations on the Democratic Party’s profound and impressive victory, as they describe it in their message. Ms. Maria Rauch-Kallat, Secretary General of the Austrian People’s Party, and Dr. Walter Schwimmer, Chairman of the Democratic Parliamentary Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, joined in these congratulations. Messages of congratulations continue to arrive for the Democratic Party from all the parties of the center-right spectrum, its fellow members in the Christian Democratic Union and the European Democratic Union.

The Democratic Party’s victory in the October 20 elections is, at the same time, a responsibility commensurate with the scale of that victory. The Democratic Party is now responsible for taking charge of around 90 percent of local government. It is essential to bear in mind the great achievement of October 20 so that the new local government, which represents the electoral parameters the party employed in its campaign, can be exacting in further expanding the success of reforms in Albania. If the victory is the Democratic Party’s merit, its consequences are national. In this sense, the conduct of the new local authorities serves the national interest. This is all the more evident given that the campaign’s main slogan, “Let us win together: prosperity, security, better governance,” was not confined to party boundaries but embraced interests of national magnitude. This means that everyone has a share in the October 20 victory, including those who voted against the DP. What matters is that Albanians’ attitude toward the future is responsible and progressive. Four years ago, the issue was making a start; now it is a matter of continuing further. The experience gained is a foundation on which to assess the quality of the new local government. It is precisely here that the DP’s bodies must focus their attention, presenting their leadership alternatives both in politics and in the technical processes of reform. If the victory was sweeping, the Democratic Party also has a wider field of operation. It must justify the good votes of thousands of Albanians in a flawless manner. The greater the victory, the greater the attention it attracts. Thus, the scope for tolerance is smaller. Under no circumstances should there be an opportunity for anyone to think that victory in a democracy benefits only the victor. If the Democratic Party won, that means the will for democratic processes in Albania won; the opportunity to choose and the freedom to choose won, and Albania won as well. Identifying a party’s victory with a national victory is entirely justified if we bear in mind that the DP’s main competition was the electoral contest. But the victory is not something that lasts forever. In a country like ours, where democracy is a process and other elements of prosperity are still being built, victory must be handled with great care and respect. People have dreamed of new local government from the DP, while also expecting the maximum improvement in their daily lives. The point at which people’s interests converge with the government’s objectives is an experience already gained over the past four years. Now what is required is further improvement in the quality of governance and oversight of the victory. This means that everything must proceed through positive outcomes, both from the 26 months and from October 20, and that no one should feel economically left behind. It must be understood that the alternatives offered by the socialists and other left-wing parties were nonexistent: they were alternatives rooted in past passions and reminiscences, whereas the Democrats’ alternatives reflected the modernization of Albanian life and its preparation for the next century.

Message from President Berisha to Chancellor Kohl President of the Republic Sali Berisha has sent a message to Chancellor Kohl, who has served longer in this post than any other chancellor in modern German history. It says: [text continues, partly cut off at the bottom edge] The Albanians, who regard the German nation as their great and natural friend and you personally as their friend and foremost supporter in their efforts for freedom, democracy, and integration, join me on this day in sending our warmest greetings to you and to the friendly German nation. ...of unity and integration on our continent. The Germans and their friends appreciate, and will increasingly appreciate, your sublime achievement: the peaceful unification of Germany. ...have known two great unifiers, Chancellor Bismarck and you, Chancellor Kohl. In the second half of the last century, the great man of the German nation, Bismarck, united the German lands, while... The to Chancellor Kohl, as the chancellor who has held this office for the longest time in modern German history. It reads: Today is a special occasion for you and for the great German nation. Today you mark the longest tenure as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, but I would also say the most successful. Throughout their history, Germany and the German nation Kohl. In the second half of the previous century, the great German statesman Bismarck united the German lands, while in the second half of this century, another great statesman of this nation reunited the divided German lands. But the difference from Bismarck is that, in your great mission, you used peace instead of blood and integration instead of iron; therefore, you are not only the Chancellor of German reunification, but the Chancellor of peace, unity, and integration on our continent. sublime achievement: the peaceful reunification of Germany. The Albanians, who have in the German nation a great and natural friend, and in your person their principal friend and you and to the friendly German nation. President of the Republic Sali Berisha and Chancellor Kohl.

PAGE 3 Several draft laws approved

Meetings of the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Arbnori - Rozhen PAGE 3 Meetings of the Chairman of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly Arbnori - Rozhen Mutual appreciation of positive developments between the parliaments PAGE 3

The man wounded in Fan, Mirdita, says on TV that the quarrel was for personal reasons; “Zeri i Popullit” presents it as a political attack PAGE 3

The left's strategy to justify its defeat has failed The insistence of left-wing leaders on using the same methods and means to discredit in every possible way the exemplary fairness of the local elections does nothing but automatically undermine the claims made by this extremist opposition about how the parliamentary elections were conducted around five months ago PAGE 3

Interview given by Bujar Bukoshi to BBC radio PAGE 2

“The elections organized by Belgrade do not interest us at all; they are not ours. The Albanians of Kosovo held their own elections in 1992,” declares Ibrahim Rugova, chairman of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the main party of the Albanian opposition PAGE 2

Brojka promises: The kiosks will not be demolished to make way for planting trees and green grass, since they are the only investment made by the families; if they cannot withstand the market economy, they will collapse on their own. However, the new urban development plan, drawn up through a three-way collaboration between the Institute of Urban Planning, the Ministry of Tourism and Territorial Planning, and the Municipality of Tirana, provides for cultivated green spaces to be created among the new buildings, and for this greening to be mandatory, declared the newly elected Mayor of Tirana, Albert Brojka. PAGE 3

Bulgaria — Reform wing members speak PAGE 3

Ceka’s latest turnabout PAGE 3