The political solution of President Berisha is praised Yesterday afternoon President Berisha received the delegation of the three political organizations of Europe, the European Democratic Union, the European Christian Democratic Union and the European People's Parties, led by Mr. Jose Maria Robles Fraga, Vice President of the European Christian Democratic Union, and Mr. Alexis Wintoni, executive secretary of the EDU. The cooperation and assistance of the EDU is of great importance not only for the Democratic Party, but also for Albania in general during the difficult days the country is going through. Albania experienced the armed rebellion that failed, organized by the fundamentalist wing of the PS in the center and in the districts in combination with mafia traffickers and ordinary criminals. This rebellion destroyed the public institutions elected by free vote, installed a system of violence and repression, and is still frightening today, President Berisha emphasized, not because it was saved by force, but first and foremost because it found no support and was very quickly and definitively neutralized by the law enforcement bodies. The armed rebellion failed because, through a political solution or by force, built on the principles of democratic values and in defense and shared division with your parties and countries as well as with the other countries of the European Union, we marked the possibility of civil conflict and made all attempts at vertical confrontation fail. The rebellion failed because the National Political Platform was assessed by both Albanians and the European Union as the safest solution for salvation and by the European Union. In the highly successful assessment of the envoy on mission of the Country of Venice and not in the service of the European Union, President Berisha accepted the political solution of the determination to resolve the crisis firmly, avoiding conflict and in the shortest possible time, and a complete sense of their downfall. He stressed that the main obstacles currently remain in the reforms for the conduct of elections and in the demands of Mr. Marosi of the PS in some cities in the south. The delegation particularly praised the political solution under President Berisha's order. They stressed that they have come and gone in solidarity and to contribute their part to help Albania overcome its difficulties and that the European Democratic Union will soon invest in guaranteeing the membership of democracy in Albania in international organizations.

Berisha calls for independent international oversight of pyramid schemes On Friday, President Berisha met with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Albania. At this meeting the President asked the representatives of these institutions once again for the commitment of the World Bank and the IMF to the full transparency of the pyramid companies. The President stressed that in the March 9 Agreement it was agreed that a pluralist commission would be created for this purpose and emphasized that the full clarification of the movement of the pyramid companies is of great importance for the stability of the country. He believes that not only the rentier companies that have not gone bankrupt should be subject to full transparency, but also, necessarily, those that have gone bankrupt, so that the citizens who lost money in them know where their money went. Likewise, he requested the companies Gjallica, Populli, Xhaferri, Sudja, since their bankruptcy was manipulated for political purposes and is unacceptable, because one should not make politics out of people’s losses, but rather transparency and accountability. I am of the opinion - the President emphasized - that alongside the control to be carried out by the Ministry of Finance, through an inspector, all the companies should also be subject to independent international control. I would highly appreciate from your side the speeding up of the procedures that will deal with the control of the rentier companies. The representatives of the two institutions committed themselves to conveying this very important message to their leaders in Washington, and that for the World Bank and the IMF, transparency of the rentier companies is of great importance.

These days there is much talk and debate about the nature Albanian electoral law should have in the conditions when the majoritarian parliament is seeking to detach itself from itself. We are trying to see the hidden aim of the majority, which through a typical communist-style political neocolonialism toward electoral systems recommended by the exclusionary forecast and the partial representation applied in countries with centuries-old democracies has served neither the country nor democracy, and less developed ones at that. In fact, the systemic application of such an electoral system has been one of the factors indicating division and deviation and the concentration of democracy in countries. Perhaps this conclusion did not hold that such an electoral system should also be applied in Albania, because all political parties publicly declare that they are for the rapid progress of the country. All the more so in the conditions Albania is going through, such a law is not merely necessary, but indispensable, because it makes it possible to overcome the spread of the crisis and establish long-term stability. All Albanians desire stability and even more want the rapid return from this grave situation. But meanwhile the left-wing parties, the PS together with some minorities, are demanding that a purely proportional electoral law be applied. They defend the claim that they will ensure political representation on 19 March if a proportional electoral law is not enough, presenting themselves as the first sign of a Stalinist boycott state that they have already extended into political conduct and action. In what absurd mechanism, in fact, this constitutes a significant moment and one that, on the issue, has been supported in Albania in recent months. The insistence on legally enshrining the country’s lack of political responsibility after the elections and the possibility of potential destabilizing representation shows only that these Albanian contradictions testify to the project of seizing power by force, but they have done nothing to curb the destabilizing factors. The organizers and inspirers of the Leninist movement for the seizure of power by force also seek to cover, if only partially, even with a fig leaf, their slavish deed, by holding elections under a law that definitively enshrines the country’s political irresponsibility. The party and peace that the prime minister has supported by some outdated forces are expressed in the declaration of overthrow, for breaking the 9 March agreement; the PS and some groups that have moved personally and call themselves parties and have stood behind its side are insisting on the proportional electoral system, because they are afraid to face the Albanian electorate, they have no acceptable risk for the people and above all they lack concrete and viable alternatives. For users of political manipulation, the PS will not cross the 15 percent threshold. Meanwhile the mechanism, as well as today’s idea of the communists, aims in the spirit of socio-political “KO”-s from movements of unrest and terror. In Albania political stability is indeed, and will be, the stability of the country and overall stability of a perspective, above all, will be indispensable for the history of Albania. According to the influencing factors today, we also think further and recognize the experience of other countries. In insisting on a proportional law, they aim for the future Albanian parliament to also have a place for those who are not mature enough to govern the country. Albania is a free country, with hundreds and above all many responsibilities, which has set a correct course for democracy and political stability. The Democratic Party has been guided by the spirit of conducting the coming elections in the fairest possible way, as has been the aspiration of Albanians. For this purpose, all political forces must be united with Albania and the Albanian electorate.

During the two days of its visit to Tirana, the EDU delegation held several meetings at the headquarters of the Democratic Party. It was received by the chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Tritan Shehu, the Secretary General Genc Pollo and other senior officials. The EDU delegation, led by Hose Maria Robles Frega, at this meeting expressed its interest in the political situation in the country as well as in the pre-election process. On behalf of the EDU, the members of the delegation expressed their full support for the Democratic Party. They praised the political course of 9 March as a very positive step and asked that this important pact not be violated by anyone. Otherwise - Fraga said - by breaking this consensus, the consensus of aid that the European countries are sending to Albania would also be broken. In response to the interest of the EDU delegation, Mr. Tritan Shehu gave a broad overview of the current crisis and the crisis elements in the country. He thanked the EDU, the other European political parties and the governments of those countries for the help they have given Albania in such a difficult situation. The chairman of the PD, Mr. Shehu, said that the political parties cannot carry out their political electoral action across the entire territory because of the illegal activity of these committees. The opposition did not play its role, but at the moment the crisis erupted, it placed itself at the head of the protests, encouraging violent groups. The President, Parliament and government avoided violent confrontation as the only current solution. From the outset, the Democratic Party stood for a political solution and not for a violent solution. Pre-election constitutional concessions were made 20? Tritan Shehu expressed the full commitment of the PD to a fair electoral campaign and under equal conditions. As for the electoral law, Mr. Shehu said that the PD has expressed support for the majoritarian law because in this law it sees the possibility of creating stable governance and, on the other hand, the electorate has the possibility of contact with the deputy. The head of the delegation, Mr. Frega, said that at this moment to express full support for us, which wins all the democratic parties on the side of the EDU and does not encourage a positive step and a victory in the forthcoming elections. You should know that Albania is not alone, therefore we are here, committed to helping you overcome this crisis and with it. The Democratic Party has always had our support and we have also expressed this in several declarations or resolutions adopted by the EDU. Which is interested in your success. That means that the path of dialogue you have begun must not be interrupted and that you must conduct a good election campaign even though the situation is not so favorable. We are concerned about the constitution under which the next elections will be held, which will be monitored as never before. We think their role is very important and in this area we will give our contribution to help the PDSH. Mr. Genc Pollo told the EDU representatives that their message is very supportive, not only for the Democratic Party, but also for the fate of democracy in Albania itself. We, he said, have always valued the role and assistance given to us by the EDU, therefore your message today is an encouragement to the efforts of democratic Albanians in Albania and to developments in the country. Alexis Wintoni also said that everyone is against committees in any form of armed committees and stressed that respecting local government should be allowed. The local elections, he said, were fair, so this power must be respected.

In a special session of the Assembly of the Council of Europe on Thursday, the situation in Albania was debated and a special interest was expressed in the situation created in Albania. In this session there were discussions by different political groups that expressed support for democracy in Albania, for Albania. The chairperson, said Mr. Pollo, secretary general of the PD and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is the resolution that was approved, which had four main issues. The stance of the Assembly of the Council of Europe toward the rebel committees was stated clearly. They are called, in democratic language, illegitimate groups and condemn the use of arms, and their replacement by elected local government bodies is considered a condition for holding free and fair elections. Another point is the support given to Albania to continue with the constitutional process and the continuation of the spirit of cooperation with the parties achieved through the agreement of 9 March. “So it is an approval - said Pollo - a major political agreement to take this initiative that the President of the Republic proposed, which the PS opposed.” The Assembly of the Council of Europe will play a central role in the conduct of the elections. The resolution also contains a clear rejection of any attempt to seize legitimate power through armed violence. Everyone is discussing and supporting Albania and its constitutional institutions, the President of the Republic and the Government. Unlike the amateurs of the coup committees [?], used in a very harsh language, all the others concluded that Albania must be supported. The members of the Albanian delegation, Mr. Spaho. And Mr. Pollo discussed, each making his own analysis, but were of the opinion that the spirit of cooperation and agreement must prevail by adhering to the 9 March agreement. The rapporteur of the Council of Europe also had the same opinion in the Council of Europe, said Pollo, giving once again to be understood and to guide Albania and to encourage all international institutions that can help you in the development of democracy. However, concluded Pollo, the main work will be done by the Albanians and the fate of the country is in their free will. V.ELBASANI

EDU: Those who are for democracy should distance themselves from the “committees” The delegation of the European Democratic Union declared yesterday at the end of its two-day visit to Tirana that “we will continue to support PD in every direction, including in the various international institutions, and calls on all political forces to distance themselves from the so-called committees”. The chairman of the PD, Tritan Shehu, once again considered the visit of the EDU delegation to Albania very important, reaffirming that the pre-planned military coup failed. Although failure was accompanied by huge human and moral material losses. - What are the aims of your visit to Albania? - We are here to help the PD and to discuss the program with which it will present itself in the new elections. We also assure the PD of support in all international institutions. - How do you assess the activities CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

KLAUS KINKEL, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Your visit is very important; we will use it to clearly express our concern about the situation you are going through and our full readiness to help you. Germany has, for years, been the main support for democratic processes in Albania, so the Albanian people must be convinced that Germany stands by Albania in this difficult moment as well, even though it has not sent troops to the multinational force. The German presence will mainly be in the stabilization of order, with assistance and logistics, in emergency aid and in long-term economic projects. We will not leave you alone.” RITA SYMUTH, President of the German Parliament: “The German Parliament has closely followed the situation in Albania; Germany will unquestionably give its assistance and contribution to see Albania as soon as possible with consolidated state structures and with an advanced democratic fund. Prof. KARL HANS HORNHUS, Chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee: “Albania occupies an important place in Germany’s foreign policy.”

On the occasion of Easter, the Democratic Party wishes all Albanian Orthodox believers peace and prosperity! May the Resurrection of Christ, as a sign of the unceasing triumph of life, virtue and human sacrifice, serve us Albanians as an act of spiritual and national renewal after the shocking events we experienced recently. May this day help us return with hope and faith to our path toward national and human reconciliation. We wish for better days for the Homeland, the nation and democracy, and for peace in every Albanian family. The “RD” newspaper greets all Orthodox believers for the Easter holiday