Albania opposition party boycotts parliament

By LLAZAR SEMINI
Associated Press

2009-09-08

Albania's Socialist opposition boycotted an inaugural session of parliament Monday, claiming conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha rigged his re-election victory in June 28 polls.

Berisha's Democratic Party and allies control 70 seats in the 140-member parliament, while the Socialists and their supporters have 66 seats. The leftist LSI party, with the four remaining seats, has agreed to join a coalition with Berisha's Democrats.

Berisha denies allegations of interfering in the vote counting process, but international monitors have cited irregularities before a final report from observers expected this month.

Albania, which joined NATO this year and is seeking EU membership, wants to improve its election record, which in the past has been marred by violence and irregularities.

The Socialists are demanding that parliament investigate the election fraud allegations, and pass legislation required for the process. Socialist leader Edi Rama said that would "secure the transparency of our claims about irregularities."

It was not immediately clear whether the Socialists would continue their boycott beyond Monday's opening session. The next session is Tuesday. Berisha is expected to announce his new 14-member Cabinet this week.

Terrorism in Greece

by Ioannis Michaletos

07 Sep 2009

Originally appeared in the World Security Network (1st of September 2009)

Recent news updates from leading Greek media citing commentary and exclusive information from high-level police and security circles indicate that arrests are underway regarding domestic terrorist groups that have managed over the past 5 years to launch impressive attacks against a variety of state, diplomatic and police targets.

According to the reports, there are indications that the Greek anti-terrorist unit and the Greek intelligence service have managed to acquire valuable information relating to the culprits of the attacks and several journalists have noted that arrests cannot be ruled out within the coming weeks.

The two most sought-after terrorist groups in Greece are the "Revolutionary Struggle" and the "Revolutionary Sect". The former appeared in late 2003 and has launched a series of attacks since then, the most important being the rocket attack against the US Embassy in Athens on January the 12th 2007.


The latter appeared in early 2009 and has attacked a TV station, public buildings and fatally wounded an anti-terrorist police Sergeant in June this year.
The present article will provide several notes and information regarding the attack against the American Embassy in Athens, streaming from news reports at that time and public commentary thereafter in the Greek and international media.

more see: http://www.analyst-network.com/article.php?art_id=3123

The HRUP decides to support the Albanian opposite

Not to the government with Berisha

Vangjelos Doules, has decided in the name of HRUP to stay in politic opposition with Socialist Party, against Berisha-Meta`s Government The Doulos statements made after the discussion held in the press conference of HRUP building at 14.00. For some important things of CHRUP-Omonia and the actual political headed particularly after elections, Doule considered that this was expected, while refuting all those who wanted to participate again in the right coalition of Mr. Berisha.

The decision of HRUP for non-participation" to Mr Berisha Cabinet will continue with the project about the future of unification of the National Greek minority and to resolve the contradicts which made the division of coalition Omonia-HRUP during lst elections, Doules said.

In addition Evangelos Doules said that the Albanian elections of June 28, does not made any democratic progres without standards. We are opposite with politic elections proces during last elections, and call all the albanian politic parties to stand out of electoral commissions next elections" Doules said.

The Crossroad of HRUP (The Human Rights Union Party)

SManalysis

The Strategy for which is established HRUP is clear, to be the only force in opposition to denounce violations of human rights in Albania. HRUP needs unity but over all, to reform itself and should open to all North Epiriotes.

Photo: HRUP slogan during campagne politic elelections in Albania, June 28, 2009

Which is the future of HRUP? To be ruling as always with the winners compromised by Albanian State strategy against Hellenic community interests, or reformed, to promote access to create a new policy?

As always the represent of political class of Greeks in Albania, has compromised the interests of the community being partner of Albanian government under the name "Friendly Bridge". This has happened since the time of dictator Hoxha and still is happening now. Since 15 years HRUP goes with the winners of parliamentary elections with extraordinary indifference of Athens to manage the political situation in Albania in favor of the Greek Community. In contrast to last politic campaign elections opn June 28, the slogan that is supported strongly the HRUP by PASOK and ND should be falls or defeat!

Now the question is: HRUP must joint to the new government coalition with Berisha - Meta or not? The reason that I understand is simple: The greek community wants to build a strong opposition to be confronted with the interests of the Albanian politically mafia, which is very strong in power installed, that with laws and government decisions, wants to "adopt" properties of north epiriotes?

If we are actually confronted politically with a new crise in which the socialist opposition boycotts the Albanian parliament, which would be the new strategy of HRUP: Does HRUP accepts parliamentary elections in Albania as a regular with standards, when NATO and OSCE declared that Albania has no progress and democratic standards on last elections? Why HRUP should joint to the Berisha-Meta new Government?

HRUP must now have the only strategy: to reform itself with its opening for northepirus community and to join with the opposition Socialists party may be to the new Left Federation headed by Socialist Party, to raise the voice to the international community for the robbery lands and properties of the Greek community and violation of dimensions of human rights in Albania.

"Strategy and Analysis", SManalysis

Photo: "The struggle for power wich brought dividing HRUP"

WHAT WE CAN DO WITH HRUP?

Observing the anticipated politic elections in Greece on Octtober 4 , the HRUP should take important political responsibilities, first of all an important to the new total reformation.

HRUP (The Human Rights Union Party) is in a reform process transformation and as such, all present should follow this strategy only on the way of being in opposition and not division portfolios often corrupted by any Albanian leadership.

HRUP must begins the way of development and big transformation only on the interests of northern epirus community which should have cleare the strategy only to this way solution:

1. To remain in the opposition united to support a Federation on the left politic specter together with Socialist Party.

2. To reform themselves to involvement in the democratic vote of all northern epiriotes.

3. The selection and carried under a democratic reform voting for the all northern epiriotes resident in Greece, USA and Albania (with electronic card).

4. This form to be an example for the inclusion of northern epiriotes in the next politic early elections in Albania.

5. The high forums of HRUP to be resigned and to have the open door to select by the new system of voting process.

6. The voting electronic process to get the dimensions for the future of political and civil rights for all members of the greek community in the international scene.

"ARSAKEIO" OF TIRANA INCREASES THE TAXES FOR NORTHERN EPIRIOTES CHILDREN TO 20% THIS YEAR

Photo: President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias received elementary pupils from the Arsakeio School of Tirana, Albania

The Greek school in Tirana "Arsakeio" increases the price this year to up 20% for 200 children from Northern Epirus. The decision is opposed by parents, who think that they will attempt to communicate with the Greek government to cut the taxes for children who are studying in Greek schools in Albania.

"Arsakeio" in Tirana is the only private Greek school in Albania in which the children of northern epiroteans, pay higher taxes, even the Greek government and the President of the Hellenic Republic have declared that the education system of children of northern epiriotes is free.

This year the taxes for "Arsakeio" are increased to 1650 $, without including the books and other taxes.

Tirana - Preshevo, agreement for education system

Tirana welcomes 345 students from Presevo Waley

Albanian political parties and local institutions to municipalities of Presevo Valley have welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Albania on the occasion of the assignment of quotas for admission of 345 students from universities Valley in the Republic of Albania.

The mayor of the municipality of Presevo Ragmi Mustafa stated that 345 could follow their studies in universities of the Republic of Albania on the occasion of the official publication of quotas for the registration of students from the municipalities Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

THE BATTLE FOR ALBANIAN BORDERS

Remembering. September 4, 1923

The Italians occupied after Corfu, Paxos and Paxos. The occasion was the assassination in Northern Epirus Kakavia five Italians, members of the Allied Commission defined borders. The matter was referred for consideration to the League of Nations, while investigations show that provocation and Albanians are killers, hired by the Italian consul in Gjirokaster.

About two years after the end of World War I, Italy cast the mask and reveals the real intentions of the hegemony in the Balkans.

The climax of the moods of these was the review of policy towards the Albanian issue.
This Italy is returned to the policy of the 1913-1914 and 1917-1919, to promote a Greater Albania that would perform there, as the only protector of the significant economic, military and cultural influence.

more see in greek: http://www.chaonia.blogspot.com/

Albania, the Muslim World's Most Pro-American State

The Muslim World's Most Tolerant Nation

By Nathan Thrall

TIRANA, Albania—On a summer night in downtown Tirana, crowded cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs surround darkened old Politburo villas in an area known as "the block," where once only the highest Communist Party officials were permitted to roam. In this Muslim-majority nation, tan brunettes bare pierced midriffs, young men down shots of the national drink—a grape brandy called raki—couples make out on strobe-lighted dance floors, and restaurants serve loin of pork.

Although one of the poorest countries in Europe, where less than two decades ago almost no one owned a car, Albania soon became the world's per-capita Mercedes capital, thanks, in part, to an infamous mafia that made this land a haven for trafficking in everything from sex slaves, arms, heroin, and cannabis to organs harvested from Serbs abducted from Kosovo (or so several journalists and a former U.N. chief war crimes prosecutor have alleged).

Far from implementing anything resembling Sharia, the only ancient law still practiced here is the medieval Kanun, a code whose most famous prescriptions regulate the hakmarrje, or blood feud, the subject of Man Booker International Prize-winner Ismail Kadare's novel Broken April and the primary means by which Albanian clans and families can restore their honor. (Blood-feuding continues here to this day; a 2001 study cited government statistics classifying vendetta and revenge as the motive for 73 percent of the country's violent deaths.)

So fierce was the inter-clan fighting over the centuries that when a woman's father and brothers had all been lost to feuding, she was obliged by the Kanun to become the man of the house by swearing an oath of lifelong virginity. So sworn, a virgin kept her vow on punishment of death but was ever after treated by her compatriots as a man.

more see: http://www.slate.com/id/2226840/entry/2226843/

Μήνυμα ''Πρωινού Λόγου'' σε Ξέρα και ΣΙΑ για αντίδραση στις πρωτοβουλίες Μπερίσα !!!


Ενώ διακαώς επιθυμεί να εντάξει την Αλβανία στην Ενωμένη ΕυρώπηΚΟΝΤΡΑ Ο ΜΠΕΡΙΣΑ ΣΕ Ο,ΤΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ!

Αλλάζει ονόματα Βορειοηπειρωτικών χωριών, εκχωρεί σε τρίτους περιουσίες Ελλήνων και αρνείται την ίδρυση Πανεπιστημίου από τον Αναστάσιο...
Ο Μπερίσα μετά την εκλογική του νίκη και αφού έχει εκμεταλλευτεί, όσο δεν χωράει άλλο την Ελληνική Μειονότητα, μέσω των πολιτικών της, φαίνεται πως σχεδιάζει συστηματικά τον αφανισμό του Βορειοηπειρωτικού Ελληνισμού! Ενώ πριν από τις εκλογές έκανε «επίθεση φιλίας» προς τους Βορειοηπειρώτες, τώρα θέλει να αλλάξει τα ονόματα των χωριών τους από Ελληνικά σε Αλβανικά, αφού δήλωσε στο υπουργικό συμβούλιο ότι υπάρχουν «ωραία Αλβανικά ονόματα που μπορούν να αντικαταστήσουν τις ξενόφερτες ονομασίες»!

Και όχι μόνο αυτό… Ετοιμάζει νομοσχέδιο, σύμφωνα με το οποίο όσες εκτάσεις δεν καλλιεργούνται από τους Μειονοτικούς, μετά από κάποιο χρονικό διάστημα θα παραχωρούνται σε άλλους... ακτήμονες για να τις αξιοποιήσουν. Δηλαδή η «δημοκρατική» κυβέρνηση Μπερίσα που βρίσκεται στην εξουσία και με ψήφους Βορειοηπειρωτών, κοντεύει να ξεπεράσει και τις μεθοδεύσεις του αλήστου μνήμης Εμβέρ Χότζα! Παράλληλα, και αυτό είναι το κωμικό στοιχείο της υπόθεσης, απηύθυνε πρόταση στο Κόμμα Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του Βαγγέλη Ντούλε για μετεκλογική συνεργασία (!) αν και το ΚΕΑΔ μόλις πριν λίγες εβδομάδες κατέβηκε στις εκλογές συνεργαζόμενο με το σοσιαλιστικό κόμμα του Έντυ Ράμα.

Τόσο η «ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ», όσο και οι υπόλοιποι Ελληνικής καταγωγής βουλευτές της Αλβανία θα πρέπει να αναλάβουν τις ευθύνες τους και άμεσα να αντιδράσουν. Όχι με ψιθύρους, αλλά με δυναμικό τρόπο.ΟΙ ΟΝΟΜΑΣΙΕΣΠαρά το ότι η Αλβανία επιθυμεί την ένταξή της στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, εν τούτοις σχεδιάζεται από την κυβέρνηση η κατάργηση των Ελληνικών ονομάτων των Βορειοηπειρωτικών χωριών. Θα μπορούσε κανείς να υποστηρίξει ότι η χρήση και του Ελληνικού και του Αλβανικού ονόματος, είναι ως ένα σημείο δικαιολογημένη. Και αυτό, γιατί τα Ελληνικά χωριά ανήκουν στην Αλβανική επικράτεια. Άλλο, όμως, αυτό και άλλο να επιχειρείται η διαγραφή των Ελληνικών ονομάτων.

ΚΟΝΤΡΑ ΣΤΟΝ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΙΟ!Επιπλέον με απόφαση του Υπουργικού Συμβουλίου της γειτονικής χώρας απορρίφθηκε η αίτηση του Αρχιεπισκόπου Αναστάσιου και Ελληνικών φορέων για την ίδρυση ιδιωτικού εκπαιδευτηρίου. Το πρόσχημα που χρησιμοποίησε το Συμβούλιο, προκειμένου να ματαιώσει την πρωτοβουλία ήταν ότι το εκπαιδευτήριο θα είχε ως επωνυμία την ελληνική λέξη Logo (Λόγο). Οπως ήταν φυσικό, η απόρριψη του ονόματος «Logo» και της προς έγκριση άδειας για ελληνικό εκπαιδευτήριο, έχει ενοχλήσει τους Έλληνες της Αλβανίας.Είναι μάλιστα χαρακτηριστική η απορία που εκφράζουν ομογενείς, πώς είναι δυνατόν να απορρίπτεται ένα εκπαιδευτικό ίδρυμα μόνο και μόνο επειδή έχει ελληνική λέξη στην επωνυμία του και την ίδια ώρα η ελληνικότατη λέξη «democracy» να χρησιμοποιείται στο όνομα της χώρας - Δημοκρατία της Αλβανίας (Democracy of Albania).

ΟΙ ΠΕΡΙΟΥΣΙΕΣΟ διωγμός των Μειονοτικών της Βορείου Ηπείρου αποτυπώνεται και σε νομοσχέδιο που ετοιμάζει η Αλβανική κυβέρνηση. Βάσει του νομοσχεδίου αυτού, εκτάσεις που δεν καλλιεργούνται από τους ιδιοκτήτες τους, θα παραχωρούνται για εκμετάλλευση σε τρίτους που επιθυμούν να τις καλλιεργήσουν. Οι πραγματικοί ιδιοκτήτες θα αμοίβονται με το 1/10 της παραγωγής.Αρπάζει, δηλαδή, το Αλβανικό κράτος στα φανερά τις περιουσίες των Ελλήνων της Βορείου Ηπείρου, αφού, ως γνωστόν, ελάχιστοι από αυτούς καλλιεργούν την γη τους. Είναι, όμως δυνατόν, μια χώρα που θέλει επίμονα να ενταχθεί στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, να ακολουθεί τέτοιες αντιδημοκρατικές τακτικές; Π.Λ

Albania's new parliament to open Sept. 7

Anyway, OSCE is to make officialy a critic report of the Albanian Politic Elections of June 28, in the end of the week

Albanian President Bamir Topi says parliament will hold its opening session on Sept. 7 following the re-election of Prime Minister Sali Berisha's conservative government.
Berisha is also expected to announce his new cabinet that day.

His Democratic Party controls 70 seats in the 140-member parliament after the June 28 general election and has allied itself with the small leftist LSI party, which won four seats.
The opposition Socialists control 66 seats but have complained of serious voting irregularities.
International monitors are due to issue a report on the election next month, but have already cited political interference in the vote-counting process.
Topi made the announcement Monday.

Anyway,ODHIR & OSCE is to make officially the final report about the Albanian Politic Elections of June 28, 2009. According to information, the report will be very critic for the second period of elections which means that the Albanian elections continues to hold under negative consequences and democratic standards.

Actually NATO and Albanian Helsinki Committee have declared for the elections as: "No standards".

Kosovo is restless again

Anna Di Lellio
guardian.co.uk, Monday 31 August 2009

The international community's policy of 'supervised independence' is looking ever more untenable

Under the "supervised independence" obtained in February 2008, Kosovo is restless again. The institutional architecture that oversees the Republic of Kosovo – an international civilian representative (ICR), the EU rule-of-law mission (Eulex), and the UN mission (Unmik) – always looked delicate. It is now beginning to crack.

For the first time since March 2004 the deep-seated public disaffection for the international presence in Kosovo is coming to the surface. Five years ago violent riots redirected the escalating Albanian frustration with the UN protectorate against the Serb minority. Then as now, officials misread early signs of tension.

Last week the Vetevendosje (Self-determination) movement damaged several Eulex cars. The spark for this action was a "protocol on police co-operation" signed by Serbia and Eulex. Eulex badly needed the agreement. It was supposed to establish the rule of law and public order. Instead it has faced local Serbs' violent obstruction in the northern region of Kosovo, and has done neither. Kosovo government officials did not appreciate what they believe is a breach of sovereignty. It did not help that the Serbian minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, said in an interview that the protocol is evidence that Kosovo is Serbia.

It is very worrisome that a movement such as Self-determination, not so long ago committed to peaceful tactics of protest, has now embraced violence. More worrisome is that most Albanians who wholeheartedly condemned Self-determination's actions share the same deep contempt for the international presence in Kosovo. They see it as arbitrary and undemocratic. They have a point.

moree see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/31/kosovo-supervised-independence

Securty News, Albania

Albanian - EU borders, NATO will decide to control

Albanian police go after traffickers

TIRANA, Albania -- Police have arrested a person suspected of illegally trafficking Albanians to Greece, local media reported on Sunday (August 30th). Arianit Pashaj was detained near the southeast town of Gjirokastra while transporting four people towards the border.

Authorities say he had charged each of them 1,500 euros. In other news, police in Vlora seized a motorboat Sunday suspected of being used to smuggle drugs into Italy. Two people were arrested.

Raising the illegal traffickers on the Albania -EU borders, Bruxelles is very preoccupied after the annual report claimed on May 2009, when the trafficking from Albania to Italy and Greece is became important proecupatiion both NATO and EU.

According to information, NATO is seeing the possibility to take under control the Albanian maritime border if Tirana does not take in consideration any escalation of trafficking to the EU borders,

Sali Berisha: "The Union of the Albanian nation is an unstoppable process"

Asked during the press conference to put his declaration for the unification of Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha, said yesterday that: "we are a nation and have a common ideal, which is union of all Albanians".

Berisha said that this is an unstoppable process that complies with the European ideal of the nation. "The problem of unification of Albanians, on the basis of their European ideal, should be understood that luck a "Great Albania" with national ideal match and is completely identical with the European ideal of the Albanian nation. This is an unstoppable process, a process by which the Albanians will writes its history, the unification of the Albanian nation.

Berisha underlines that as first priority of Albanian diplomacy of the new Berisha - Meta government: "I will make every effort with the government of Kosovo, with the government of Macedonia to establish standards as soon as they enjoyed in the EU space, so that Albanians feel one and only one. I stress and stress, this has nothing to do with sovereignty. As anyone forget that you can think two or three Albanian nations", said Berisha during his conference.