THE "KAKOMEA ISSUE" GOES TO THE GREEK PARLIAMENT

The Himara Union and The Northern Epirus Forum in Athens have sent to make debate in the Greek Parliament the Kakomea Issue.

On Monday, 17 November will be discussed in Greek Parliament the timely question of Member of the L.A.O.S. Party Athanasios Plevri about the violation of human rights in Northern Epirus, addressed to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greek Republic Dora Bakogianis.

In Albania the crashes between the Greek community and Albanian authorities for the lands and properties issues have been debated on State Department and European Parliament. The Albanian laws and Tribunals often are instrument used by Albanian mafia supported as usually politically by authorities.

The discussion will transmit live on television on the channel of the Greek Parliament (via Satellite) at 18:00.

EU Condemns Explosion At Kosovo Envoy's Office

November 14, 2008 BRUSSELS (AFP)

The European Union condemned late Friday a blast at its envoy's office in Kosovo, but said it was determined to press ahead with its controversial police and justice mission there. "The presidency of the European Council firmly condemns the attack on Friday evening in front of the office of the European Union special representative to Kosovo," said a statement from France, which holds the rotating E.U. presidency. The presidency "reaffirms the determination of the European Union to work toward establishing the rule of law in Kosovo for the benefit of its entire population, through the European police and justice mission," it said.

The explosive device was thrown into the courtyard of the International Civilian Office run by E.U. special envoy Pieter Feith of the Netherlands in Pristina at around 5:30 p.m. (1630 GMT), a Kosovo police spokesman said. Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders in February unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, which has refused to accept the secession. More than 50 states, including the U.S. and most E.U. members, have recognized Kosovo's independence.
The explosion came as the E.U. hopes to see its 2,000-strong police and justice mission in Kosovo, called EULEX, become fully operational next month.

Kosovar authorities have rejected a deal between Serbia and the E.U. on the deployment of the force in Serb-dominated areas, saying the arrangement goes against Kosovo's sovereignty.
Under the deal, which must be approved by the U.N. Security Council, the EULEX presence in Kosovo wouldn't imply a recognition of its independence. The U.S. and European allies have launched an intense diplomatic effort to convince Kosovo to support the agreement.

Albania urged to respect Serb minority

Photo: Serbian Minister for Diaspora, Srdjan Sreckovic

Serbian Minister for Diaspora, Srdjan Sreckovic, said that the status of ethnic Serbs in Albania is at the impermissibly low level and urged all countries in the region to respect human rights of Serbs living there.

“At the moment, Albania has the biggest problems, because the degree of respect of the rights of the Serb ethnic community is at an impermissibly low level,” Sreckovic said.
Sreckovic said that Serbia is ready to fight for the rights of the Serbian ethnic community in a democratic and civilized way and in keeping with international principles and standards.

Sreckovic spoke at the Second Conference of Serb Associations from neighboring countries. The gathering ended with the adoption of a Declaration on cooperation and promotion of ties between Serbia and members of the Serbian community in the neighboring countries.

Political turmoil in Albania

Eleven lawmakers from small Albanian opposition parties have started a hunger strike to protest a draft electoral law

Photo: Albanian lawmakers during the seconde day of hunger strike inside the parliament

Eleven lawmakers from small Albanian opposition parties have started a hunger strike to protest a draft electoral law. The deputies, some of whom belong to a party in Prime Minister Sali Berisha's governing coalition, claim the draft law is aimed at keeping small parties out of Parliament. Ilir Meta of the opposition Socialist Movement for Integration said Monday the hunger strike was "the only democratic and civil means" of protest the small parties are left with. Berisha's governing Democratic Party and the main opposition Socialist Party backed the constitutional amendments in April regarding small parties.

Third biggest political party threatens with protests Socialist Movement for Integration, the third biggest political party in Albania, threatened with protests after an informal compromise reached by ruling Democratic Party and Socialist Party in opposition, to exclude small political forces from monitoring the electoral process. In the most aggressive language used since many times in Albanian politics, LSI officials threatened with violent protests. “They cannot halt our aim even if they use gunfire”, Petrit Vasili, General Secretary of LSI said.

Dritan Prifti, another LSI official said that its party will run a “democratic revolution”. During last two years, two biggest political parties in Albania had managed the electoral reform process. Small parties think that the reform aim to exclude them from political life. The majority created by government and the opposition, had changed the constitution and adopted a regional proportional system, decreasing sharply hopes for small parties to gain a important share in the next parliament.

The last compromise projected the exclusion of small parties like LSI from being represented in the Electoral Commission, an institution that should manage electoral process and vote counting. Vote counting had been the most criticized part of the election in Albania. Created in 2004 by a group of former socialist party officials, LSI had managed to gain 8.4% of the votes in 2005 general elections and 5 PM’s.

The Greek-Americans Played an Increased Role in Obama's Victory

THE GREEK AMERICAN LOBBY GREAT SUPORT FOR THE PRESIDENCIAL VICTORY FOR OBAMA PRESIDENT

Photo: Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (The New President of USA) endorse Alexi s Gannoulias ..
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/11/04/sot.giannoulias.obama.basketball.cnn?iref=videosearch
http://www.alexiforillinois.com/


Chicago.- By Apostolos ZoupaniotisGreek Americans in Chicago played a crucial role in the mobilization of the Community for the victory of the Obama-Biden ticket and the election night had an additional reason to celebrate his victory. Many Greek Americans were privileged with the golden ticket to the Grant Park victory celebrations, while others took part to a joint victory party at the Chicago Hilton, co-organized with Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.

Endy Zemenides, political director of Illinois State Treasurer and executive director of the Greek Americans for Obama Committee, worked hard, both in Illinois and other states, to mobilize the community and others. We met him during Obamaós victory event at the Grant Park
“We all worked hard; there are a lot of people who worked hard for it, none more than Barack himself. Whatós amazing is, itós really a proud day to be an American.

So many people across the nation came and voting in record numbers and captured states that nobody in their wildest dreams thought that a Democrat and a black one would capture and itós really the first day in a new era or a new epoch in American history”, he told Greek News.

Photo: Kyriakos Tsakopolous and Sen. Barack Obama. Kyriakos Tsakopoulos has the connections to shake the money tree for Obama: he's a member of the Columbia University Board of Trustees, a trustee of California State University System, and sits on the board of the University of California at Davis M.I.N.D. Institute -- as well as being a California elector in the Electoral College in 2004 and 2008. He says his business partner Demetrios A. Boutris has also signed on to the Obama effort.

Peter Poulos, a Real Estate Appraiser and a Board member of the Hellenic American Leadership Council, speaking to the Greek News says Obamaós election has inspired the American people.

“We have elected someone the American people can believe in. He raised our confidence level and he can reach across party lines. He really energized this race and have seen record voting in America.”

more see: http://www.greeknewsonline.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=9403

Search resumes in Albania after building collapse

The Associated Press
Published: November 10, 2008

Argirokaster: Rescue teams have resumed the search for three people missing beneath the rubble of an apartment building that has partially collapsed in southern Albania.

Fifteen people were evacuated, four of whom were slightly injured when part of the building collapsed Sunday. A 35-year-old woman, her 13-year-old daughter and a 65-year-old woman remain in the ruins.
Albanian and Greek rescue teams stopped searching late at night at the site in Gjirokastra, 140 miles (225 kilometers) south of Tirana, fearing the remaining part of the building might collapse. They resumed the search early Monday.

Gjirokastra police spokesman Genti Mullai said the collapse was believed to have been caused by construction work on an adjacent apartment building.

VILLAGERS IN NORTHERN EPIRUS PROTEST AGAINST TOURISTIC RESORT

Protest Over Albania's Club Med Resort of Kakome Bay

07 November 2008 Nivitsa- Saranda.

Nearly one thousand villagers blocked fresh efforts to start construction on the Club Med resort in southern Albania’s Kakome bay on Thursday, local media report. After three years of legal headaches and protests from local villagers, Club Med had announced in July of moving forward with its project to build a tourist village in the picturesque bay. The French hospitality company said at the time that it has reached an agreement with local villagers, who claimed ownership of the land, to become a stakeholder in the project.

However in September, the Agency for the Restitution and Compensation of Property had denied the claims of ownership from the villagers as not valid, which seems to have reworked the company’s pledge to share part of the stock with the residents of the nearby village of Nivica.

The resort will be built by the Albania construction company Riviera and operated by Club Med. The villagers of Nivitsa, Municipality of Lukovo are Albanian citizen with old Greek origin. Most of part live in Greece. They have protested not only in Albania but also in Athens. Tow years ago they protested in Athens a front of EU Embassy calling "Kakomea is our land".

In Albania the crashes between the Greek community and Albanian authorities for the lands and properties issues have been debated in State Department and European Parliament. The Albanian laws and Tribunals often are instrument used by Albanian mafia supported as usually politically by authorities.

THE UNION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY (UHRP) CALLS BIG PARTIES TO CREATE ELECTORAL COMMISSIONS WITHOUT POLITIC COMPONENT

Evangjelos Doules: " We think that for politic elections to hold only special commissioners"

Poto: P.F.A President and Secretary with the President of the Union for Human Rights Party of Albania, Mr Evangelos Doules, discussing the situation in Northern Epirus.

The next Albanian politic elections showed be failed if the central commission will be composed from member of politic parties of Albania. The Union for Human Rights Party (UHRP) an independent politic composition mostly by the Greek minority electorate has been against every solution that wanted by other parties including SP and DP.

According to the changes by the Albanian parliament for electorale code, tow important politic parties of Albania SP and DP, have voted to hold a central commission mix with politic represents. Some other parties in minorance have voted against expressing their opinion as monopolisation of Albanian parliament from SP and DP against interests of other parties.

The Chairman of UHRP Evangjelos Doules categoricaly has declared his opinion about new elector ale code saying that: " we are against every solution which continues to hold as member of electoral commissions, member of politic parties, not special commissioners which must be out of politic interferences".

EU critical on Albania’s judiciary system

05. November 2008. 12:51
The European Commission acknowledges that the country has continued to make progress in democracy and rule of law. However, it is criticized for lacking dialogue between political parties.
The European Commission acknowledges that the country has continued to make progress in democracy and rule of law. However, it is criticized for lacking dialogue between political parties. The proper functioning of state institutions also requires consolidation. “Despite some progress, the fight against corruption and organized crime remains a major challenge”, report says. It says an overall anti-corruption strategy has not started, and emphasizes that corruption “remains widespread and serious problem”.

The report adds: “Fighting corruption in the judiciary remains a key issue”, and it urges a thorough investigation of the Gerdec explosion case. “Much work is needed on all aspects of the issue, including judicial accountability and transparency of political party founding,” the paper notes. The report notes only limited progress in preventing money laundering, as well as the fight against drug trafficking, which “remains serious concern”. Albania is lacking an adequate court infrastructure, the report says, stressing a “comprehensive reform strategy for the judiciary is missing”. According to the paper, Albania needs to undertake greater efforts to establish an independent, efficient, and merit-based civil service.

Albania has made progress in aligning its legislation, policies, and capacities with European standards and in implementing Interim agreement commitments. However, in the field of justice, freedom, and security, country has progressed “unevenly”; therefore, the Commission considers there is a need for overall improvement. In addition, although Albania is participating in dialogue over the liberalization of the visa regime, the report says it has not yet met the EU’s standards regarding the visa regime. In this regard, the report recommends Albania to start issuing biometric passports.

"The course of neighboring Albania to the EU passes through respect for human rights (civil, political, cultural, religious, educational) of the Greek Etnic Minority"

PAN EPIRIOTIC FEDERATION OF THE WORLD SENDS MESSAGE TO THE GREEK PARLIAMENT

Photo: The President of World Pan Epirotic Federation Christostomos Dimou

The President of Pan Epiriotic Federation of the World Chrysostomos Dimou, the vice-chairman and chairman of the Network of Local Government elected of Epirus Federation in Europe Mr. Elias Galanos, the general secretary Mr George Vryzalas and Mr Spyros Kostadimas responsible for the masmedia of Panipeirotic Federation of Europe, participated in the work of the Regional Assembly of the Council For Greeks Abroad of SAE-Europe held from 24 to 26 October 2008 in Frankfurt.

The meeting dealt with important issues that have to do with the culture of emigrants, youth problems, the issues of integration in the countries and especially the establishment of the emigrant vote. The meeting was opened by bishop Arianzou k.Vartholomaios carrying message of the Ecumenical Patriarch and continued the Director General of the Secretariat for Greeks Abroad I.Kyparissidis message carrying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for issues of Greeks Abroad, Theodoros Kassimi.

In the Meeting sent greetings the chairman of the Standing Select Committee of Parliament for Apodimous Nikos Tsiartsionis and vice-chairman of the Committee Grigoris Niotis (Pasok) and the chairman of the SAE Stefanos Tamvakis.

Particular success for Paniepirotic Federation was the acceptance by the Assembly of the resolution, which was tabled by the chairman of the Federation and in which it stressed that: "The course of neighboring Albania to the EU passes through respect for human rights (civil, political, cultural, religious, educational) of the National Greek Minority"

Albania welcomes Obama as world's top leader

Tirana, Albania - The United States 'will remain the leader' in resolving the world's crises and promoting democracy when president-elect Barack Obama takes power in January, Albanian President Bamir Topi said Wednesday. Topi congratulated Obama on his victory in Tuesday's election, calling it a 'lesson in democracy' and 'a historic day for America.'

'We spent a night without sleeping,' he said in the capital Tirana. 'It was not only the journalists who followed the US election, but all Albanians and I believe the entire world.' Albania is one of the staunchest US allies in the Balkans, winning President George W Bush's formal approval last month to join NATO. Washington has strongly backed inviting the poor ex-Stalinist Adriatic nation into the military alliance.

MCCAIN CARRYING ALBANIA & FYROM

Photo: An antiamerican slogan in Albania during dictature regim

Shocking as this may be to electoral pundits, right now, in an ongoing international voting poll between John McCain and Barack Obama, McCain has built up an almost insurmountable lead in the countries of Albania and Macedonia. Is this the dislodged pebble that will lead to a landslide Republican victory?

McCain officials are excited.
Impossible as it seems, presidential candidate John McCain is surging ahead in Albania, even more so in FYROM, according to the latest "If the World Could Vote" election data. Several officials for the Obama campaign, although not all, are fearful that this momentum for McCain may just spread to Greece, although at present, Obama has a comfortable lead of 96.6%.

However, one Eastern European election analyst, Ian Foolinku, has pointed out that this is really an anomaly in an otherwise massive international turnout for Obama, where he has the clear lead in 210 other countries. He attributes, actually, McCain's lead in the other two countries to underhanded trickery.

"We have had reports", Ian states, "that in Albania, the McCain campaign, in an obvious appeal to ethnic identity, has been running massive robo-calls warning Albanians that, if elected, Barack Obama is going to ask the United Nations to change Albania's name to 'Negronia', while in FYROM, we have learned, the McCain campaign has been spreading the rumor that John McCain is a direct descendent of Alexander the Great. Consequently, we feel that the McCain lead in these two countries is only an isolated phenomenon."


Meanwhile an anonymous spokesman for the Obama campaign in Athens had this to say: "There is no danger that Greece will fall to McCain. That is as likely as Achilles falling to Hector during the Trojan War."

A GREEK ETHNIC PARTY IN ALBANIA KNOWN AS NORTHERN EPIRUS SUPPORT FOR AUTONOMY IS WAITING TO DAMAGE ITS GOALS

When in Bulgaria The «Movement for Rights and Freedoms» the Turks of Bulgaria was founded

A strong Politically supports for etnhnic groups in Balkan region is waiting to begin during November month. After a smoll FYROM party in Albania which will hold the General Congress at November 7, another party composed by the ethnic Greeks in Albania known from international community as Northern Epirus si starting the politically activity in Albania. The party supported by the Greek diaspora in US and Europe particularly the Northern Epirus Association in Greece in collaboration with the Greek organisation in Albania "Omonia", nestx month will hold the first Politic Congress to claim the program to be ready forthe Albanian next politic elections.

Some hundred thousand people from Greek old origin in Albania who live actually in Greece as emigrant, are waiting a decision of the Greek Parliament for dual citizenship. But the Albanian Constitution prohibits the Greek language to be officially even a request of the Greek organisation "Omonia" has called Tirana to accept the request according to the rights of international convents.

The «Movement for Rights and Freedoms» the Turks of Bulgaria was founded

The chairman of the Committee of the Bulgarian parliament home, Minço Spazov, declared the creation of the Party of Movement Rights and Freedoms (DPS), the overwhelming majority of the members of which are Turks of Bulgaria. Spazov, participating in a live broadcast today, in the television station "Nova Televizia", said that "the Rights and Freedoms Party, which represents politically Turks in Bulgaria.

Albania to get IDs for easy travel

But IDs is going to failed because Tirana will make it without general population register

Nov 3, 2008 8:32 AM
Albania will start producing secure ID cards and passports that meet Western standards in 2009, so that Albanians can travel freely and fake papers will not tarnish elections next spring, the interior minister said. A national data register will be completed soon that will allow both the identification of 4.2 million Albanian citizens, including one million migrants, and the compiling of voters' lists, Bujar Nishani said in an interview.

Secure identity papers will enable Albania, which hopes to join the European Union, to meet stringent EU criteria for freer travel without visas, provide its citizens with tamper-proof documents and prevent cheating in elections. The new ID cards and passports will be controlled by the civil registry. Albania has given the EU-funded concession to produce the documents to France's Sagem, owned by the SAFRAN Group, and the Albanian American Enterprise Fund.

The Greek minority had abandoned IDs process of 2001, and actually after systematically requests to the Albanian authorities has motivated the decision to have a register of population which must include the individual declaration of the religion and nationality of Albanian citizens.

Critics, particularly the politic opposition say the government has failed to live up to the promise it made, on coming to power in 2005, to produce the documents within a year to help fight corruption and prepare the infrastructure for freer travel and free and fair elections.
At present, Albanians needing to prove their identity, in dealings with the state or foreign embassies, have to present a birth certificate obtained within the past three months.

Protest in New York for the Greeks of Fyrom

Newsletter of the Union Panmakedonian of U.S.

Successfully conducted the campaign for the violation of human rights of the Greeks in FYROM organized by the Hellenic American organizations outside the building of the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Manhattan, New York, on last Monday.

A representative of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations received the resolution which then transferred to the United Nations and the U.S. Department of State. With the main slogan «Shame to FYROM» and «Justice Now», the greek americans, young and new to the majority and their leaders homogeny organizations gave much present in the peaceful gathering with speeches on the history of Hellenism in FYROM and circulated relevant publicity material.

see more: http://www.e-grammes.gr/article.php?id=3456

ALBANIA AND KOSOVO TOW ALBANIAN STATES "WITHOUT BORDERS"

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu met Albanian President Bamir Topi: "Free citizen ship between albanians both tow countries"

President Topi bestows the “Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg” Order upon the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu.

THE ALBANIAN PRESS ABOUT THE VISIT OF SERB METROPOLITAN IN NORTHERN ALBANIA

Radovic shocks the Albanian opinion. Another version of Albanian history

There are about 10.000 Serbs solders martires who fighted for the Independence of Albania both from Ottoman Empire also against fascist axis in WSW", declared in Shkoder Metropolitan Radovic.

"We must rebuild the cemetery of Serb solders martires in Albania as the Montenegrin and Serbs have built for other solders including German and Italian fascists to remember the history"

more see News 24 TV:
http://www.balkanweb.com/sitev4/video1/PRIFTI/index_video.htm

Serb Metropolitan Amfilohie Radovic visits cemetery of Serbs solders in Shkodra, Northern Albania

Photo: the cemetery of British solders dead during WSW in Albanian Territory

"10.000 Serbs solders martire for the Independence of Albania both from Ottoman Empire and fascists in WSW", declared in Shkoder Mitropolite Radovic.

During his visit in northern Albania, he went to visit also the orthodox Church accompanied by the Serb and Montenegrin community in Shkodra. Mitropolite Radovic known as his efforts against the Independence of Kosovo and headed the last protests in Montenegro against the decision of Montenegro Parliament to regonize the Kosovo State.

Radovic declare that: "We must rebuild the cemetery of Serb solders martires in Albania as the Montenegrin and Serbs have built for other solders including German and Italian fascists to remember the history" noted News 24 TV.

Approximately 8500 Greek soldiers, heroes of the battles for resistance against Italian invaders in 1940, still are unexplored in the territories of Northern Epirus (Southern Albania).

Serbia seeks Europe help in Albania organs probe

By Ivana Sekularac and Benet Koleka
REUTERS

BELGRADE/TIRANA – Serbia said on Wednesday it will ask the Council of Europe to persuade Albania to agree to an investigation into allegations of trafficking of human organs taken from Kosovo Serbs during the 1999 conflict.

Serbia's War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic said Albania's Prosecutor General Ina Rama had rejected a request to allow an investigation into the allegations made by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor despite evidence presented on Monday.

more see: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20081029-0926-serbia-albania-organs.html

Sllavo Macedonians party in Albania to hold its first congress

But Tirana must change the costitution

Macedonian Alliance for European Integration, the party of Macedonian minority in Albania, is set to hold its first congress on November 9, Makfax correspondent said. According to Prespa newspaper, a paper run by Macedonian community in Albania, the congress comes after many years of hard work.

Macedonians in Albania expect the upcoming event to be a congress of unity and unification.They expect the party to do its outmost to ensure that Macedonians in Albania may exercise fully and effectively all their human rights on equal terms with others in society.

Macedonians also expect to be entitled to higher posts in public life.The congress of the Macedonian alliance for European Integration will be of high significance to the party's preparations for elections slated for next year.

Anyway, Omonia" The Greek Ethnic Organisation in Albania sent request to Prime Minister Sali Berisha in Tirana for the oficial greek language, noting that neighboring Macedonia had already declared Albanian its second official language, Macedonian Radio TV reported Tuesday [19 August 2008].

Between Athens and Tirana there are diferent estimated about the Greeks of Albania called northern epiriotes. Tirana speaks for 60 thousand while Athens said over 450 thousand.
Tirana prohibits to the ethnic minorities to have politically rights while continues to hold intensive propaganda on international relations demanding the joint to NATO alliance as the democratic victory standards of Albania