Two Cemeteries for Greek Heroes in Albania

Two military cemeteries will be built in Albania for Greek heroes, who lost their life during the Greek-Italian war from 1940-41. The agreement was signed in Tirana and is the result of long negotiations with the Albanian side.Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis expressed her satisfaction to the Albanian government and people for their cooperation and understanding.

She also reported the agreement settles an issue of humanitarian and emotional importance to the Greek people.She also thanked Deputy Foreign Minister Theodoros Kassimis and the head of the negotiating team Ambassador Eleftherios Angelopoulos, the Ambassador Dimosthenis Stoidis and all the members of the Foreign and Defence Ministries, as they had worked hard and responsibly to settle the above issue.

Albania "hopes" by Athens the vote from the Greek Parliament about SAA process, negotiating for the Greek cemeteries but the Greek organisations in Diaspora and more half member of the Greek parliament are against joint Albania to NATO and EU if the politic and civil rights to the Greek minority of Albania will continue to be violated.

George Tenet suggests Obama for his chief of staff.

The man of Obama for the CIA

All show that the favorite for the post of Director of the CIA under the chairmanship of Barak Obama will be John Brennan who has a career behind him 25 years to tackle terrorism. J. Brennan has worked as an analyst and as an officer in the CIA offices abroad and was the first director of the National Antiterrorism Center . His link with Obama since the beginning of the campaign with the recommendation of Anthony Lake was national security adviser to Clinton and was his adviser on matters of information and asfaleias.

John Brennan served as a personnel officer of ex Director George Tenet and'90s decade was the CIA station in Riyadh, S. Arabia. He was the man who informed each morning the President Clinton will do the same with Obama in the case appointed Director of Central Intelligence.

As a close associate of Tenet as Cabinet Chief of CIA Director, John Brennan, pioneered in the program unacceptable kidnapping, imprisonment and interrogations by the CIA which has been publicly critical of Barak Obama, and the program of monitoring communications within the IPA.

Brennan was born on 22 September 1955 in N. Jersey, he studied political science at Fordham University, the American University of Cairo (the speaks fluent Arabic) and the University of Texas.

"STOXOS" IMPLICS BERISHA FAMILY FOR ROBBERY LANDS OF THE GREEK COMMUNITY

After the National Greek Newspaper "ETHNOS" which accused some days ago the MP Berisha for the scandal of Kakomea and particularly for the "Wold Bank Project" during Ionian Coast Line, today another newspaper in Greece the weekly "STOXOS" raises new accuse for the family of PM Berisha.

more see: http://www.stoxos.gr/

One day ago, the albanian press declared that : "Athens will regonize Kosovo"

"Greece won't recognize Kosovo"

19 November 2008
Greek Ambassador to Belgrade Christos Panagopoulos told Tanjug on Wednesday that his country's position on Kosovo remains unchanged.Panagopoulos said the position of the Greek government and its foreign ministry has not changed, and that Greece "will not recognize any time soon Kosovo, in keeping with respect of territorial integrity of states".

Priština daily Koha Ditore has misquoted Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis as saying that Athens will allegedly recognize Kosovo soon, Panagopouls said. Any wrong interpretation or undue tension should be avoided, as Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis told Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković when he visited Athens one week ago, he said.

"I do not know what will happen later, but I do know that we will not recognize Kosovo in the near future," Panagopoulos told the news agency, stressing this was "a very categorical position". Albanian television channel Vision said, and Koha Ditore, along with some other regional media outlets, cited its report that Bakoyannis announced a recognition of Kosovo. This media report was denied by the Greek foreign ministry earlier on Wednesday.

BERISHA STOPS GREEK INVESTMENT TO RIVIERA TOURIST ROAD DRIMADES - VUNO

Photo: PM Berisha during last tour in Himara.

Is unclear the position of PM Sali Berisha regarding the investment of national road Drimades Ag. Saranda financed by the funds of Pan Hellenic Federation of the World and the Greek Government. The segment Drimades - Vuno 8 km still stands closed since last year when the national road Vlora - Ag. Saranda to be inaugurated.

But something other is sure that the "World Bank Project" helped by the son in law of PM Berisha Jamarber Maltezi as the represent of Albania to the World Bank Coast Project, has financed the interurban way of "Gjipeas" while the national segment Drimades - Vuno has stoped the construction.

According to information, another tourist village in "Gipeas Bay" after Kakomea, Porto Palermo, Jali and Palasa, has been projected to start the construction from the Albanian National Council for Tourism. Some voices by the villagers said that Berisha`s family is linked with anonymous investors, client of "Maltezi Legal Office" in Tirana.

Sources from Albanian Press, one of most known investor client of Maltezi Legal Office" to construct Kakomea Tourist Village in collaboration with french company ClubMed is "Riviera Company".

One week ago the V/Chairman of Socialist Group Party, Erion Brace, denounced in Albanian parliament the link of Berisha`s son in law Jamarber Maltezi who has registered in Tribunal of Tirana as President of a private Company linked with objects that the World Bank Investments finances in Southern Albania.

GREEK FM BAKOGIANI "PROMISES" ALBANIA TO NATO AND EU

Satisfaction in Tirana about the declaration of Bakogianis to joint Albania to EU, but on the Greek Parliament began the debate about SAA with Albania.

The Albanian opinion thinks that Athens could ratifie the SAA to joint Albania to NATO and EU. During an interview of Greek FM Bakogianis for the Albanian Private Channel TV "Vizion Plus" becames very complicated the waiting campaing of albanian politics to acomplisce the obligations to the way to joint EU.

Bakogianis promises the Albanian opinion for Greek diplomatic decision but to have officially the Greek support must approve by the vote of the Greek Parliament which has begun last Monday the debate inside commissions of Parliament about SAA of Albania.

Photo: The greek member of Parliament (LAOS) Athanasios Plevris

But the Greek parliament "is unclear" to accept ASS with Albania since Tirana is unprepared to implemente the politic and civil rights of Ethnic Greek Community and some other issue which have been historically obstacle between tow countries.

On Monday the LAOS Party, member of Parliament Athanasiso Plevris asked during a debate of Foreign and strategic national interests V/FM Valinakis for the right of properties of the Greek minority who lives on Ionian Cast Line and particularly the Kakomea Issue, which is become an important matter for the National Strategy of Greece to protect the interests of the Greek community known as northern epiriotes, expressed that Albania does not take any ticket to joint NATO and EU without giving the politic and civil rights to the Greek community.

During debate, V/FM Valinakis expressed the opinion of Athens to support Albania to joint NATO and EU if the conditions of the Greek Ethnic Minority will be guaranteed and stability by Tirana. according to the international obligations of Tirana promised to the Human Rights chapters.

One week ago the Greek World Organisation SAE sent a resolute to the Greek Parliament to stop the SAA with Albania since the Greek minority continues to be discriminated by Albanian authorities.

US State Dept Calls On Kosovo To Support EU Police Mission

November 17, 2008
BELGRADE (AFP)--A top U.S. official Monday urged Kosovo to support a deal that would allow the deployment of a European Union police mission, but the Kosovan president reiterated his opposition. Daniel Fried, the U.S. State Department's top diplomat for European affairs, held talks with president Fatmir Sejdiu over a deal between Serbia and the E.U. on the 2,000-strong E.U. police and justice mission in Kosovo, called EULEX.

"I believe that despite the questions and concerns and even disagreement...the way forward can be found that allows EULEX to deploy promptly and throughout Kosovo," Fried said.
The U.S. "support the deployment of EULEX as soon as possible," Fried said, adding that the E.U.'s goal of activating the mission in December would be the best timing.
Fried said the plan could "do a lot of good and no harm." "But we respect the fact that the Kosovo government has a different view," he said.

Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February, has opposed the agreement between Brussels and Belgrade on the deployment of the law-and-order force.
Belgrade reached a deal with the E.U., which would keep local customs and police services in the Serb-dominated areas in northern Kosovo under U.N. and EULEX command.
The accord must be approved by the U.N. Security Council at Serbia's request.
The authorities in Pristina see the deal as a breach of Kosovo's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"Such a document is unacceptable for Pristina," Sejdiu said after the talks with Fried.
The declaration of independence by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders has so far won recognition from more than 50 states, including the U.S. and most members of the European Union.
Serbia, backed by its traditional ally Russia, promptly rejected the move as illegal.
EULEX was planned to replace a U.N. mission that had administered Kosovo since the end of conflict between Serb forces and pro-independence Albanian rebels in 1999.

MPs fast as OSCE urges Albania to improve vote law

The European Union has made it clear that the vote must be of a high standard if Albania wants to advance to join the 27-member bloc.

Monday, 17 November 2008 17:05
Europe's main security and democracy forum urged Albania's political parties on Monday to improve a disputed new electoral code that has prompted 10 members of parliament to go on hunger strike. Sitting in the debating chamber under a banner declaring "votes are sacred", the MPs entered the seventh day of their fast as police manned cordons outside the building, where hundreds of protesters had gathered. The lawmakers, all from small parties, believe the proposed new regional system of proportional representation will greatly reduce their number of seats at next year's general election.

The ambassador of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Robert Bosch, told reporters it would "not rubber stamp" the election code. The OSCE then issued a statement saying that "the draft Electoral Code, which was prepared by the Albanians themselves, was an achievement, but that it still needs some fine tuning". "For that reason, it needs to be discussed in the proper fora by the parties, but not under coercion by any one grouping," the OSCE said, referring to the hunger strike. The ruling Democratic Party and main opposition Socialist Party had been expected to force the new code through parliament in a vote on Monday.

But they postponed it until Tuesday, apparently in response to the OSCE comments and the protest by Socialist Integration Movement (SIM) and Christian Democratic (CHD) supporters. CHD leader Nard Ndoka said they had asked for two weeks to re-negotiate the draft code. The draft law does not formally require the OSCE's approval, but its opinion is important because its observers will be the arbiters of whether the election, expected next spring, is free and fair. The European Union has made it clear that the vote must be of a high standard if Albania wants to advance to join the 27-member bloc. Albania, which for decades was one of Europe's most rigid communist states, has yet to hold elections that meet international standards.

FYROM takes Greece to court over NATO

SKOPJE, Nov 17 (Reuters) - FYROM on Monday filed a lawsuit against Greece before the International Court of Justice in The Hague accusing Athens of blocking its NATO membership, the foreign minister said.

FYROM had hoped to receive an invitation to join NATO earlier this year along with Albania and Croatia. NATO-member Greece blocked the move because of a dispute over Macedonia's name, which is also the name of its northern province. 'We have thought this very thoroughly before initiating the case, but we don't see any other way to satisfy justice and protect our rights' said Antonio Milososki, Macedonia's foreign minister.

'We hope that this move will incite Greece to bring into accord its actions with the international legal obligations, and stimulate both sides to accomplish a final solution for the unsolved questions,' he said. In 1995, the two countries signed an agreement by which Macedonia agreed to use the provisional name 'The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia' in international organisations while Greece pledged not to block FYROM's integration into the European Union and NATO.

FYROM says Greece has violated the agreement. Greece objects to the name Macedonia, saying it implies a claim on the northern Greek province of the same name.

The Greek Newspaper "ETHNOS":

Divided the Greek Minority to the next politic elections in Albania, "Athens is sleeping soundly...."

BERISHA`S SON IN LAW RESPONSIBLE FOR ROBBERY OF GREEK MINORITY LANDS

The Greek minority in Albania, is passing a dangerous period to the front of the politic elections next year.

The Battle for new members of Albanian parliament has divided in tow part the Human Rights Party - UHRP known as support of the Greek Minority in Albania. The internal conflict in UHRP manifested by the decision of the President V. Doules to dismiss K. Barka, who participated in the coalition government as Minister of Labor in connection with the dismissal of the General Secretary of Ministry A. Marto, a close friend of V. Doule.

At the same time the Himara Region is considered particularly negative development to "freeze" the distribution of property to former owners, and the Municipality of Himara accept criticism because he did not take initiatives before the law 7501 to be replaced in favor of old owners particularly for the best properties in the tourist area of Himara Region.

It also criticism that many of the local minority executives confrontation with the Albanian authorities are simply to cover the conciliation that exists in other «fronts».

In this region (Lukovo - Himara - Ag Saranda) , already the son in law of the PM S. Berisha (Jamarber Maltezi) as the important manager of World Bank programs to promote "tolerance of the Greek minority actors in the establishment and operation of "tourist villages" against any interest of the Greek Population property, while Mr. Berisha himself for obvious reasons chose an Orthodox in religion, an unknown personage, who were granted 8000 acres of property in the Greek tourist area, which supposedly belonged to the family of an Albanian doctor before the Communist regime.

Original article in greek: http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid=11378&subid=2&tag=8400&pubid=1862746

related articles:
The propriety scandal of Vlora
PATSOS FAMILY CALLS THE GREEK AUTHORITY TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THE RIGHTS OF PROPRIETY: “OUR LAND IS MUGGING FOR THE SECOND TIME”
Photo: properties original documents".

The high represent of Republican Guard the General Ndrea Prendi is observing the confrontation between the Albanian Authorities of Residence of Government and the legitimate owners in “Cold Water” quarter of Vlora. The owners Patsos Family came from Greece when they live since 1991, have raised their right about the propriety to the represent of Government Residence but has not any reaction.
According to Albanian Newspaper “KOHA JONE” the conflict is in high risk since one week ago, between guard’s troop, and private polices which have a contract with the Building Company.
Anyway according to newspaper the owners in collaboration with Company have opened penal process against Guard troops which armated with guns have menaced the right of propriety destructing the border.

more: http://www.northepirus.com/en/node/462

International articles:

SECURITY AND DEFENSE IN ALBANIA
Michaletos Ioannis (RIEAS Analyst)
Copyright: http://www.rieas.gr/
The Albanian state is heavily dependent on USA influence that spans through the entire military and security apparatus, as is the case in Kosovo and in general in all Albanian populated Balkan communities.
Historically, the Albanians were prone into embedding into stronger states that were characterized by global influence and were not neighbors of them. Examples include the Turks (Ottoman Empire), the German-Italian Axis, the Soviets, the Chinese and USA lately. The result in each case was catastrophic for the Albanians since their stance resulted in the alliance of their Balkan neighbors and the alienation of Tirana from major world developments that occur often in history and change dramatically the balance of powers in the Balkan region.

more: http://rieas.gr/index.php?Itemid=42&id=717&option=com_content&task=view

Tet a Tet Obama - Medvedev meeting in Athens!

Karamanlis initiative as new OSCE Presidency of Greece for 2009

The Greek newspaper Elefteros Tipos writes about a possibile meeting between US President Barack Obama with Russian counterpart Dimitri Medvedev in occasion of the Greek Presidency of OSCE which starts on January 2009.

Can imagine the Barak Obama to sit "tet a tet" with Dimitri Medvedef under the invitation of Costas Karamanlis? This ambitious project, according to secure information, is already the subject of intensive preparation a surprise under high-impact communication of the Greek Government and the Prime Minister Karamanlis from the pressures of domestic politics and the prestige of the country in the new international environment created by electing of BarakObama as the President of the USA.

The intention is to take place of the Summit of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) next spring (the Greek presidency starting in January) on European security, invited 56 heads of state and among them the new president of the USA and successor to Vladimir Putin to the presidency Dimitri Medvedev.

See more in greek newspaper: http://www.e-tipos.com/newsitem?id=61133

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.