The campaign is fueling the gangs’ aggression in the South Three days of fighting in Tepelenë, two dead and many wounded. Latifi, Zani’s close aide, is killed... ON PAGE 2

The Prime Minister threatened by his left-wing allies The masters of intrigue are terrorizing Albanians. While Gjinushi used obscene language and threats against Fino, Ceka... ON PAGE 4

Usurer Malaj extends his cynicism from the IMF to the Albanians Malaj deceived people when he urged them to put their money into the pyramid schemes; he deceived them when he said the PS would return their money in full ON PAGE 5

The Committees—the scarecrow of the rebellion [?]. Intensive and sincere dialogue with the people. The DP’s priority: consolidating the institutions. A sure victory with reliable allies. Berisha launches the campaign in Kurbin, Shijak and the Tirana district

. The Albanian left put off for yet another day its face-off with the Albanian electorate, while the Democrats are already at the height of their campaign for a sure victory. The Socialists brought their small satellites, PAD and PSD, onto the scene yesterday to keep their meeting with the parties together, putting forward new demands for changes to the unchangeable electoral law, which Parliament approved last week. But what is distinctive about the social-democrats’ proposals is that the law they are asking for is very different from the laws the left itself has demanded so far, just as it is different from the draft presented by the Government of National Reconciliation. This seems to be the reason Nano evaded journalists, leaving the Prime Minister’s Office through the back door, while the guileless Majko told them, “Vlora is burning, and we are combing our hair.” Yesterday’s proposals by the Albanian left to put off the days of their regular campaign, as they did in the October 20 elections, follow several bewildered gestures in recent days by those trying through these means to hold Albania’s June elections hostage. A day earlier, the Socialists and their allies drew up an ultimatum-like declaration, which was easy enough to interpret: the June elections should not be held. The declaration also included, in a speculative manner, several parties that had not signed it at all; a day later, the left’s position changed [?] in direc-tion, but not in its irresponsible way of handling the electoral process politically. The indecision of the disoriented Socialists—“should we enter the elections or not?”—is fully reflected in Nano’s dilemma: “Should I go or should I not go to Vorë?” The Socialist leader is caught in a bind after the forceful demand of the disillusioned people of the Committees, who insist that he join the rebellion’s uprising. In recent days, the PS leader has called all his friends, even those he had not thought much of until yesterday, to ask their opinion on whether or not he should go to Vorë to embrace Albert Shyti and Hysen Koçinë, two of his party’s loyal “generals” who are waiting for him there. Nano has never been in greater difficulty than today, because if he does not go, he fears he will “anger” the Committees and they will put forward independent candidates; but if he goes to Vorë, he fully identifies himself and his party with the people who have taken up arms to “liberate” Tirana and all of Albania. It was no coincidence that Tepelenë mayor Gjolekë Malaj warned that he would run as an independent deputy, demanding a different law, perhaps the one put forward by the party of his comrades-in-arms Abdon Imami and the friend of Rivan Peshkëpia. Nano’s dilemma and his efforts to come up with answers to the questions raised these days are, in fact, the clearest expression of the crisis among the Socialists and other left-wing groups. Their regrouping and mutual demands [?], which are bewildering even Prime Minister Fino, who is dutifully enduring the insults from Gjinushi and Ceka, are becoming more evident precisely as the Democrats explain to the electorate the superiority of their actions and political plans. In speeches in Kavajë, Laç, Shijak and the villages of the Tirana district, the President is clarifying the path to the Democratic Party’s victory, reminding Albanians who were the authors and protagonists of what set Albania ablaze. Berisha is igniting the DP campaign throughout Albania, while Nano has been overwhelmed [?] merely trying to get to Vorë and meet with the Committees. The action they may welcome with open arms.

President Berisha in Prezë “The pyramid schemes were not tolerated for political purposes,” President Berisha said at a meeting yesterday with residents of Prezë. “For this reason,” he continued, “we appointed the Finance Minister from the former opposition so that he would provide the transparency people were asking for and explain to them where the Albanians’ money had gone.” But, Berisha said, their unwillingness and failure to commit to providing transparency about the pyramid schemes does not mean that “the former opposition is doing this to help the DP, but because it has nothing to say to Albanians, having deceived them at rallies by accusing the government, and now it has nothing to say.” The opposition, which now heads the Ministry of Finance, has all the documents and oversight mechanisms and is able to provide the transparency requested. Nevertheless, the President stressed that he would demand transparency about the pyramid schemes. At the meeting, President Berisha also stressed that after the DP’s victory, it would commit to an emergency program to heal the wounds of the rebellion, and then continue with its electoral program, which Albanians voted for overwhelmingly in May 1996. The President stressed that after victory, the DP would give the opposition all the mechanisms for oversight of the administration and other activities, thereby bringing it into the process of developing Albanian democracy and, in order to—The other activities, thus inviting it to take part in the development of Albanian democracy and to ensure broader support and greater public confidence in the work of the government, past and future. “Democracy,” Berisha said, “is participation, and we would also like the opposition to participate, even though it is trying to exclude itself. We,” the President said, “will never stop our efforts to include the opposition in democracy, because democracy is participation, tolerance, and understanding.” Turning to the electoral campaign for the June 29 elections, Berisha invited not only the residents of Prezë but all Albanians “to take part in a calm, dignified and civilized electoral campaign, and later, in favor of the PD, in favor of democracy and against rebellion, to demonstrate our commitment to democracy, to Europe.” SH. P.

Sharp divisions in the National Front Council The BK branch in Tirana and its MPs oppose the alliance proposed by the left-wing coalition The Ballists who still do not want to accept old man Ermenji’s physical-political agreement also agreed to vote for the instructions of the former Albanian communists for the National Front Party. According to people familiar with them, Aleko Gjergjgo was told that the National Front’s National Council had decided on a coalition with the PR, the Democratic Right Party, and the parties of former ministers who had not been expelled from the DP. This was the outcome of a meeting abandoned and rejected by the most important part of the National Front. According to observers, three National Front MPs, Hysen Selfo and Dukë Muca, were in the hall before leaving demonstratively, while the leadership of his party, including its chairman, had been against the alliance proposed by old man Ermenji. National Front MP Dukë Muca, after leaving the hall, told RD that “a nationalist party should not vote for a proportional law, which, especially in the south, damages national interests,” and that a victory in a particular local context, as in the case of Shkodër, should not be generalized. The sharp problems in the Ballists’ party began when the man regarded as an anti-communist started his political speech with the socialists and other leftists in Albanian politics. His meeting with Nano, Dokle, and Gjinushi caused fierce controversy within the party, and the irritation of National Front members almost caused a serious incident at the central headquarters in Tirana. Meanwhile, Aleko Gjergji’s statement that the National Front could form a post-election alliance with the DP is of value only to the senile old man Abaz Ermenji. The Democrats have chosen their alliances loyally and have left their options open with regard to the other factors in Albanian politics. According to the best-informed people in the National Front Party, chairman Ermenji has completely changed his position, adopting a silence that sounds as suspicious as it does mad. If former anti-communist Ermenji has forgotten that Skënder Gjinushi’s father was on the other side of the trenches, ordinary Ballists certainly cannot accept the communist’s victory.

A statement by the “Union for Democracy” says that during the main news broadcast at 20:00 on 17 May 1997, a statement was read in the name of several political parties headed by the Socialist Party, setting out a number of ultimatum-like demands concerning the election campaign. The deception involved in making this statement public in the name of the Prime Minister of the Government of National Reconciliation, by some parties from the roundtable and outside it, is the work of irresponsible, careerist provocateurs. The parties of the “Union for Democracy” condemn this statement as a provocative act on the eve of the election campaign, intended to artificially heighten tensions. For the sake of truth, the parties of the “Union for Democracy” had no prior knowledge of the statement. Its authors, through the demands they put forward, show that they have not read the law, let alone interpreted it. Having familiarized ourselves with the statement, we are addressing their demands with reference to the approved Electoral Law. 1. The Central Electoral Commission will be established by the Prime Minister, on the proposal of the political parties participating in the government, and submitted to the President of the Republic for signature. 2. The guarantee that electoral commissions will oversee the voter lists is provided by Article 38, point ç, and Article 92 of the law. 3. The method of identifying voters is determined by Article 65 of the law and the CEC. 4. The status of participation of foreign observers is determined by the CEC. 5. Under the law, once the election campaign begins, the CEC monitors the activities of political parties on TV. 6. The President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the parliamentary parties have requested—and this has now been confirmed—the participation of international institutions in the electoral process. We reaffirm our position in favor of the broadest and most comprehensive observation by these institutions. The parties that are part of the “Union for Democracy” have requested a meeting with all political forces to establish a social pact for a fair election campaign and a just, free, and equal electoral process. We declare that, being determined to implement the law, we are ready to discuss matters with the political forces in order to help the Government of National Reconciliation and the Election Commission issue secondary legislation and prepare the infrastructure needed for the benefit of the election campaign. For this reason, we say that it is essential to establish the CEC with the participation of all political forces, on the basis of the proportions already agreed.” 1. Legality Movement Party 2. Christian Democratic Party 3. Social Democratic Union Party 4. Democratic Union Party 5. Democratic Party

German Foreign Ministry forced to disclose the phone conversation ON PAGE 3

Çiller declares: During her regular press conference, held in recent days, Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Tansu Çiller, said that general elections in Albania would be held toward the end of June. “I declare once again that Turkey will not allow any state to interfere in Albania’s internal affairs. We will continue to support democracy in Albania,” Çiller said.