PD heading toward another victory The silent majority of Albanians is waking up. They have consistently been pro-democracy, pro-PD. The winter of communist terrorism succeeded in driving pro-democratic voices away. Even by threatening people with Kalashnikovs in their hands, it had taken it upon itself to represent public opinion in many cities in the south of the country, brought to a standstill by thieves, smugglers, mafiosi of various stripes, and common criminals who kill for money. The PS kept these fires burning at any cost. After unprecedented blows in the modern history of the democratic world, the PS is moving. The awakening in the South looks like a popular liberation. People are defying communist terror, overcoming their grief for those killed by the communist mafia, and coming closer to the PD. They are returning to normal life, businesses, daily work, art, sport, even the ordinary promenades of Albanians along their own boulevards. The urban song festival was held in Elbasan, the Republic Cup final took place in Tirana, and Sundays once again brought together children and other holidaymakers. Only a group of bandits in Vlora and Tepelena, and the small leadership of the PS, are trying to terrorize the Albanian people once again. A group of rebels who hide away day after day is trying to speak in their name. Those who thought they had taken the PD out of the game in the south of the country were mistaken. This time, the communists reminded Albanians only of what could happen if they came to power again. The blood-soaked rule of the PS in the hands of a few criminals such as Zani, Shtyti, Malaj, etc., who jointly lead its committees in the South, is the electoral program this party has announced for the June elections and the reality it offers Albanians. The people in these areas have completely distanced themselves from these gangs, as well as from the PS that created and leads them. A people cannot be crushed by terror. It only awakens its conscience, its conscience. That is why the democratic people of the South await the PD’s move, their hatred. The popular democratic party of the South awaits the PD’s move as a hope of escaping the terror and fear of communist groups, as a force that will restore stability to the country. By now, all democratic Albanians are convinced that only the PD can make up for the time they lost to the communists’ violent operations. The model of the socialists’ return and defeat in Bulgaria is a vivid example for Albanians. Meanwhile, the model of the committees and gangs of Albanian communists is outdated in democratic Europe, of which Albania was also a part. But for Albanian civilization too, the PD has restored Albanians’ faith in freedom and democracy. These days, open meetings with its members and supporters are being held in hundreds of PD sections. Albanians from South to North are supporting the party of peace and profound democratic progress. The PD is heading toward another great victory.

President Berisha received the Ad Hoc Committee of the Chairpersons of the Political Groups and the Rapporteur of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Europe considers Albania part of itself, President Berisha declares; it has invested and is investing in Albania’s stability, the consolidation of democracy, development, and prosperity. The PS’s alliance with the rebel committees serves to strengthen the fundamentalist wing of this party, blocks a political solution, and worsens the country’s economic situation. Making the fate of the agreement and the country’s stability conditional on dialogue over the electoral law—which is not included in this agreement—is simply a pretext to conceal this fact. Why, now that the former opposition is in power and has the complete documentation on the pyramid schemes, and their leaders are free, does it refuse to make clear to people what has happened to their money? At this meeting, President Berisha once again confirmed that he was determined to set the election date as soon as possible. But, he said, I ask you, Mr. Shider, as a prominent representative of the European left, to insist that the PS denounce its alliance with these committees, an alliance that is strengthening the fundamentalist wing of this party, blocking a political solution, and worsening the country’s economic situation. The members of the Ad Hoc Committee assured President Berisha of the Council of Europe’s full support and willingness to help Albania in every way possible to overcome its difficult situation. They expressed their understanding that the Council of Europe should play the leading role in monitoring the elections, in close cooperation with the OSCE and the other national institutions. Albanians, who today are very grateful to Europe, are more aware than ever that cooperation with the Council of Europe, the adoption of European standards, and comprehensive economic and political cooperation with European institutions are vital to their present and future. Over these five years, Europe has shown Albania extraordinary solidarity. Considering Albania part of itself, it has invested and is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the stability, consolidation of democracy, development, and prosperity of Albania. Europe has respected and continues to respect Albania’s legitimate institutions, in whose establishment it has made a major contribution. On this occasion, President Berisha expressed confidence in the complete success of Mission “ALBA” and told the delegation that Albanians had welcomed the mission in a friendly manner. “We,” President Berisha stressed, “identified a political solution together with Europe as the best way to overcome the consequences of the failed armed rebellion, which in fact used the collapse of the pyramid schemes as its pretext, while its underlying cause was the Albanian ex-communists’ refusal to accept losing power through free elections. Any attempt to violate the Agreement of 9 March undermines our joint efforts to lead Albania out of the crisis. conditional on dialogue over the electoral law, which is not included in this agreement, is simply a pretext used to divert attention from the major obstacle to holding elections: the rebel committees and gangs, or the armed wing of the PS, recently supported not only by the PS leadership but also by the PS’s political wing in the Government. It is not by supporting and keeping these committees alive, but by denouncing their illegal activities and acts of terror against the innocent population, that the electoral process can be set in motion. Elections in Albania will be held not by issuing ultimatums to adopt the proportional electoral system, which is just as democratic as the majoritarian system, but by making a sincere effort to fulfil the prerequisites for elections—in other words, by rigorously implementing the Agreement of 9 March.” President Berisha stressed that transparency regarding the pyramid schemes is extremely important for the country’s stability. “I have repeatedly asked the Minister of Finance to commit to ensuring this transparency. For purely political reasons, the former opposition forces have told people that the Government took their money and that the foundations’ leaders are being held in prison over the fate of soon as possible. But, he said, the fate of their money. On Sunday, President Berisha received a phone call from Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi; according to spokesperson aza, they discussed first the issue of elections, and second, the Italian Prime Minister expressed to President Berisha the Italian Government’s concern about the increase in the flow of illegal migration from Albania to Italy in recent days. Regarding the requests, President Berisha said he believed that elections could and should be held within the timeframe set by the Agreement of 9 March, and that there was only one major obstacle to holding them at the scheduled time: the armed rebel committees in several districts in the south of the country. Their support today comes not from the people they are terrorizing, but from the PS leadership and the alliance the Socialist Party signed with these committees on 28 March, as well as from the PS’s political wing in the Government. It is essential to condemn this alliance and for all political forces to authorize the Government to restore constitutional and public order in these districts, where the rebel committees do not allow the free movement of people, non-left-wing newspapers, or parties opposed to the PS. Regarding the flow of migrants, President Berisha assured Prime Minister Prodi that Albania was determined, within its currently limited capabilities, to stop all forms of trafficking; however, the start of seasonal migration and Italy’s acceptance of Albanian seasonal workers would have a very positive impact and provide great assistance. Prime Minister Prodi fully agreed that elections must be held within the scheduled timeframe, which, he “emphasized,” would enable Albania to receive broad and comprehensive international assistance and cooperation. He also said he would seriously consider the possibility of organized seasonal employment for Albanians in Italy. ... cooperation with the OSCE and the other national institutions.

Albanians, who today are very grateful to Europe, are more aware than ever that cooperation with the Council of Europe, the adoption of European standards, and cooperation

Albania is determined, within its currently limited capabilities, to stop all forms of trafficking, but the start of seasonal migration and Italy’s acceptance of Albanian seasonal workers would have a very positive impact and provide great assistance. Telephone conversation: Berisha–Prodi of organized seasonal employment for Albanians in Italy.

Even at yesterday’s meeting with the delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Prime Minister Fino refused to put forward [sic] his opinion that the rebel committees and their criminal leaders were honest and valuable intellectuals. Naturally, Fino’s insistence on these opinions and positions, which are both inaccurate and provocative and put him at risk, is not a result of the committees alone. The absurdity and paradox lie in the fact that, while he presents himself as a proponent of moving the elections forward to the end of June (which would mean the end of his premiership), he also becomes a permanent advocate for criminal gangs, which are in reality the main obstacle to holding these elections. It appears, then, that by supporting the extension of the period of deadlock in this culture of criminality, Fino follows a course of resentment and indebtedness toward the rebel committees, which openly and increasingly encourage the rebel committees, which openly and increasingly encourage criminality, for the purpose of this desire. M.XH

From yesterday’s Shehu–Nano meeting Yesterday’s meeting between the chairman of the PD, Mr. Tritan Shehu, and the chairman of the PS, Fatos Nano, lasted around two hours. Both sides reiterated their familiar positions on the electoral law and the armed committees. After the meeting, Mr. Tritan Shehu said that the main issue discussed had been the dangerous presence of the Armed Committees in several areas of Albania during the election campaign. The PS, he said, must clearly distance itself from these committees. “If the PS representatives…” Mr. Shehu said that this party could not [unclear in source: “shprehdanë kundërshtet e armatosur”] and must distance itself from these illegal committees, that is, make a political statement in favor of the necessity of disbanding them. “We are not asking,” Mr. Shehu continued, “for Albania to…” [repeated and garbled passage in source] a political force to go and take weapons away from armed people, because that is not its job. The PS’s job is to make it possible for these armed committees to be deprived of their political cover. If this is done, these committees will soon disband, as has in fact happened in places where they have found no political support. The PD chairman said that there were issues in the electoral law that could be discussed and that improvements could be made to the existing law. The PD, its chairman said, did not want government crises and condemned all actions or statements that envisaged blocking Albania. Meanwhile, the PS chairman, Mr. Nano, said that the rebel armed committees had no connection with the PS and that they could not be disbanded by it.

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