Albania prime minister cancels rally as EU sends envoy to mediate in crisis after deadly riots

By Llazar Semini (CP)

TIRANA, Albania — Albania's prime minister said Wednesday he would cancel a rally critics feared could lead to more unrest in the riot-hit country, as a European envoy began emergency meetings with the Balkan country's leaders in an effort to defuse the political crisis.

Three people were shot dead and more than 150 protesters and security officers were injured in last week's clashes in the capital, Tirana. Following an appeal from the United States, conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha said he would cancel a pro-government rally planned for Saturday.

The Socialist opposition has refused to cancel its own upcoming demonstration, saying protests planned for Friday would be peaceful.

"Saturday's rally will not be held because there was a fully legal and logical demand from our friends, partners who are following Albania's situation with concern," Berisha said at a cabinet meeting.

The opposition want the government to hold early general elections over a recent corruption scandal and allegations that conservatives rigged the last national poll in June 2009. Berisha has bluntly rejected the demands and accused the Socialists of trying to stage a coup with last week's violent rally.

Envoy Miroslav Lajcak was to meet with Berisha and President Bamir Topi, as well as Socialist opposition leader Edi Rama and Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli. Lajcak was appointed as an envoy by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Lithuanian Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavicius, whose country holds the OSCE Chairmanship, also has called Berisha and Rama, urging them to refrain from holding demonstrations in the coming days in order to avoid raising tensions.

"I encourage Albania's political parties to engage in a constructive and inclusive cross-party dialogue in parliament and other existing democratic national institutions," he said. "Harsh public political rhetoric would only worsen the situation and must be avoided."

Albania, one of Europe's poorest countries, was ruled for about half a century by xenophobic communists who banned contact with the outside world until 1990. It is now a NATO member and seeks to join the 27-nation European Union.

The tiny Balkan country of 3.2 million suffers from a still-weak administration and widespread corruption. Ever-squabbling politicians have often plunged Albania into chaos. There were widespread riots in 1997 — when Berisha was president — that followed the collapse of popular but fraudulent investment schemes.