Albanian Opposition threatens street protests

By LLAZAR SEMINI

TIRANA, Albania (AP) . Albania's opposition Socialists charged Saturday that the ruling Democrats were improperly trying to influence the country's lengthy vote count by declaring victory before all ballots from last week's national election were tallied. Albania joined NATO in April and has been under intense international pressure to ensure the June 28 vote was free of the fraud that marred the first six elections held after the Balkan country's communist regime fell in 1990.

But the Socialists threatened to hold street protests after election authorities declared late Friday that Prime Minister Sali Berisha's Democrats had won enough seats to form a government. The country's electoral commission is re-counting ballots from some polling stations following complaints about irregularities and the Socialists insist it cannot declare that the Democrats won 71 seats while recounts are still pending. They accuse Berisha of trying to sway the electoral commission.

"I appeal to Berisha to abandon the idea of imposing himself on the Albanian people ... unless he wants to meet and face the people in the street," said Gramoz Ruci, a senior Socialist politician.
Both main parties ran on similar platforms, pledging to lift Albania out of poverty and secure its goal of joining the European Union. Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe issued preliminary findings saying there were improvements and fewer irregularities in this year's voting, but that some violations such as family voting and the late opening of polling centers persisted.

Election officials said late Friday that Democrats won 46.69 percent, giving them 71 seats in the 140-seat parliament — the exact number needed to form a government. Tirana Mayor Edi Rama's opposition Socialists won 45.36 percent, or 65 seats, with a former prime minister's coalition in third place, the Central Elections Commission said. Berisha, acknowledging that he could at best form a weak government if the current results are upheld in the re-count, invited the third-place SMI to join him in a coalition if the final results confirm the current vote count.
SMI's head, former Prime Minister Ilir Meta, accepted the invitation, saying it was "the only one in the country's interest."

Full final results are now expected in days, after all disputed ballots are counted.
Based on the partial count, the election commission said 50 percent of Albania's 3.1 million registered voters had cast ballots.

Greeks in Albania have not still their Political Ethnic Party

The comment below is a fals propaganda to manipulate with the right to vote in Albania by International media in which HURP is an ethnic Greek Party. This is not true. HURP has real support from minorities and mostly by Greeks but over all it is an Albanian Party. Under this philosophy of the "democratic values and the peace" between Tirana and Athens, as old propaganda of "Friendly bridge" Tirana shows to the observers of NATO and the European Union, the presence of Greeks in Albania, there is only one mandate to the Albanian Parliament in total of 140 PM included to HURP.

Three months ago, the statistics of the Albanian state claimed for the ethnic Greek minority to be only 1%, of 4.2 million inhabitants of Albania.
The propaganda must stop continuing to claim that Albania respect all the human rights in the country. The Greeks have not still an official language together with political and civil rights of much of the population which lives in southern Albania historically known as the northern epiriote, mostly emigrant in Greece and USA.

At the last parliamentary elections, which unfortunately still not finished, there were three registered parties with background ethnic minority; The Party for Justice and Integration (PDI) with nationalist program against a democratic country such is Greece, the party of Macedonians in Albania and the Party of Albania's Roma.
Meanwhile the country is to declare that Ethnic Greek Minority in Albania, have still not an ethnic Greek party to guaranty political and civil rights as long as Tirana does not recognize the official Greek language in autonomous municipalities where the Greeks live from thousands of years, in southern Albania known as Northern Epirus.

See web official page about the Program of HURP (PBDNJ): http://pbdnj.com/mbipartine.html

The original article of Balkaninsight

Albania's Ethnic Greek Party To Stay LeftTirana

The Union for Human Rights, PBDNJ, which represents the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, rejected on Thursday speculation that it will return to the governing coalition of Prime Minister Sali Berisha after Sunday’s parliamentary elections. “We will not change our position,” said in a press conference, the party boss Vangjel Dule. “Our trait has always been loyalty, integrity and coherence in decision-making,” he added.

PBDNJ has ruled with Berisha's centre-right government for the last four years but internal rifts before the elections pushed them towards a coalition with the Socialist Party headed by Tirana mayor Edi Rama.

more see: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/20783/

Albania's electoral shortcomings could delay EU bid

The Balkan nation's vote Sunday struggled to meet international standards – potentially embarrassing the US, which backed Albania's successful bid for NATO membership.

By Besar Likmeta

Photo: An armed policeman stands by as ballot boxes are transported to counting offices in the Albanian capital Tirana after voting to elect 140 new lawmakers ended Sunday.
Hektor Pustina/AP

Tirana, Albania - At the George W. Bush cafe, next to the table where the former US President sat to discuss a US-funded microloan program with a baker, a barber, a tailor, and a shepherd when he visited Albania in June 2007, Ertion Muca had a hard time convincing his friend why he voted for the Albanian opposition.

As elsewhere in this tiny Balkan nation of 3.6 million, the crowd was spilt between the ruling Democratic Party of incumbent Prime Minister Sali Berisha and the Socialist Party led by his arch rival, Tirana's mayor, Edi Rama. Three days after voting ended in Sunday's parliamentary elections – seen as a crucial test of the country's democratic credentials as Albania, a new member to NATO, applies for membership to the European Union – near-complete results showed the Democrats were ahead by just more than one percentage point.

Democrats claimed victory Wednesday, but it was unclear whether Mr. Berisha had secured enough seats in Parliament needed to govern alone. Senior Socialist party official Ditmir Bushati accused the Democrats of hatching a "black plan to grab our victory," adding that "these elections, unfortunately, have fulfilled no standard. The result has been significantly deformed."
International election observers agreed that the vote did not meet international standards.

But in a joint statement issued on Monday, the foreign monitors concluded that Albania's election process demonstrated "marked improvements" over past elections marred by fraud and violence. The overall progress, including the lack of violence Sunday, will have to be weighed against these most recent electoral shortcomings as Europe considers Albania's bid to join the EU.

"The country has matured, it has made progress, and many of the fears we had only some months ago have not materialized," says Wolfgang Grossruck, vice-president of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) parliamentary assembly. "I'm certainly happy about the progress we saw, but there are also a considerable number of issues that need to be tackled, in particular the polarized political climate."

'No losers today'

The Democrat-led government, which was in charge of organizing the electoral process, sounded a far more positive note. "There are no losers today," Mr. Berisha commented when the polls closed. "The poll has been a victory for the Albanian people on their route to the European Union."

However, not every one is convinced. "By failing to make greater progress, Albania has missed a golden opportunity to put the question of its [EU] candidate status beyond doubt," says Gabriel Partos, an Eastern Europe analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. "If Europe's economic problems exacerbate [EU] enlargement fatigue, Albania's electoral shortcomings could yet be a set-back to Albania's EU hopes over the next year or two."

US credibility on the line?

The US invested a lot diplomatic credit for Albania's accession to NATO in April, and if fraud is once again presented in the electoral process, Washington could be deeply embarrassed. More details about alleged voting irregularities are expected to emerge in coming days.
However, some analysts believe that despite Albania's shortcomings the decision to offer it NATO membership was the right one.

"The fact that the elections were far from perfect doesn't undermine the sound reasons for including Albania in NATO," says Gabriel Partos, an Eastern Europe analyst with the Economist Intelligence Unit. "In any case, NATO itself is not an alliance of democratic saints, but like other multinational organizations, such as the EU, it helps 'level up' democratic standards among its newer members so they can catch up with the established democracies."

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0701/p06s12-woeu.html

Chameria Politic Party wins one deputy directly to the Albanian Parliament

Photo: New PM of Chameria Party PDI, Dashamir Tahiri

Dashamir Tahir is the deputy of Vlora - Saranda area (140 in total) of new Parliament of Albania. Dashamir Tahiri, known in Vlore is also member of the Municipal Council of Vlora, the chairman of PDI the Party of Chameria Community for this area. Tahiri is biznesman which cooperates with Italian-Romanian Consorcium "Petrolifera" in Vlora Region.

This result is an effort of the policy regarding the interests of the Chameria Community in Albania, often seeing in the role of albanian nationalism cooperating with Kosovo. Tahiri is known as sponsor of Chameria Community regarding the property rights protests against Greece.

Also other member of chameria Community inside the new Albanian parliament will be some other figures included into tow big parties, SP and DP. Shpetim Idrizi from the Socialist Party is new PM elected directly in Vlore and Leonard Demi, from Democratic Party elected from area of Vlore-Sarande.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Pan Epirotic Convention, New York, USA

Photo: Demetrios Koutoulas, Gus Bilirakis (US, Republican Congressman) , Leonora Malo, Chrysostomos Dimou, president world council epirotes

Albania rivals neck-to-neck in parliamentary vote

Mon Jun 29, 2009

By Benet Koleka

TIRANA (Reuters) - Albania's ruling center-right coalition had just one more seat than the opposition Socialist coalition after more than half of the parliamentary election ballots were counted on Monday.

International monitors said Sunday's election showed improvements over past polls but still saw marked violations and told Albania to stage future elections better. The European Union and the United States view the ballot as a test of Albania's readiness for integration with Europe. The EU's Swedish presidency will review Albania's application for candidate status in light of the monitors final poll report.

Results from 2,745 out of 4,753 voting centers showed the ruling Democratic Party coalition had 69 seats while the Socialist-led coalition had 68 seats. The Socialist Integration Movement coalition had three seats.Under the regional proportional election system being implemented for the first time, the Socialist Integration Movement coalition might become a kingmaker should the current trend be confirmed when all votes are counted.
Final official results are expected late on Tuesday.

The main opposition Socialist Party of Edi Rama, 44, and the ruling Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 64, traded accusations of intimidation at vote counting centers.
Releasing the findings of some 500 monitors, the International Election Observation Mission said the elections showed improvements over previous votes, but new NATO member Albania needed to do more to meet standards.

more see: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55S6X120090629

ALBANIA SECURITY NEWS

There are still no winners in Albania, the country could slide into collapse

By STAMA

Electoral process in Albania means that elections are "called as voting process day" and not the final results. The electoral process has three days from the date of the voting process finished and half of voting boxes of the country are not numbered.

Foreign observers said for the standards are not be accomplished and they are preparing for a second report at the end of the process to show that how and when will completed elections in Albania (?)

Currently Albania has not made historically free and democratic elections since its creation in 1913, while the country seeks to join EU. But according to foreign observers, the country could slide into collapse outside of authority control, if Tirana will not end the voting results and all the responsibility of faliment will be a part of the Albanian government.

"The government can use state police to manipulate the vote" called yesterday Edi Rama the leader of political opposition. Washington, Brussels and NATO, have appealed that is the last chance to Albania to hold elections with the standard, while the economic and political results of Albania can be put down.

Climate propaganda continues to be controlled by the polarization and the electoral failure of elections in Albania, and Albanian media have not translated as an alarm by which the electoral process failed or problems can be destabilizing fatality for the future of Albania.

Albania Poll Considered “Marked Progress”

NATO DELEGATION DECLARED THAT, ALBANIA HAS NO STANDARDS ON ELECTIONS

Tirana 29 June 2009

Audrey Glover In a joint statement issued on Monday, the international election observer missions for Sunday's parliamentary poll concluded that Albania's election process demonstrated “marked improvements” but did not yet meet international standards.

The mission included more than 400 short-term and long-term election monitors from the OSCE, ODIHR, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and a delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Facing a difficult and often tumultuous transition to democracy since the collapse of the communist regime in 1991, Albania’s former elections have been marred by fraud and violence. Now newly promoted to NATO membership and having filed for EU candidate status as well, the ballot was seen as a crucial test of the country’s democratic credentials.

The observers said the elections marked tangible progress with regard to the introduction of new voter registration and identification procedures, and the adoption of an improved legal framework.But the observers also noted that these improvements were overshadowed by the politicization of technical aspects of the process and violations observed during the campaign, which undermined public confidence in the electoral process.Election day was largely calm and peaceful, and the atmosphere was improved. Observers assessed the voting process slightly more positively than in previous elections, but noted procedural violations related in particular to inking procedures and widespread family voting.

"The country has matured, it has made progress, and many of the fears we had only some months ago have not materialized,”said Wolfgang Grossruck, vice-president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and Special Coordinator of the OSCE short-term observer mission.“I'm certainly happy about the progress we saw, but there is also a considerable number of issues that need to be tackled, in particular the polarized political climate,"

Grossuck added. "These elections demonstrated that the Albanian people have the ... potential for building a democratic society like that in other European countries. Now there is a huge responsibility of the authorities and main political stakeholders to work hard in order to establish confidence among the citizens for a democratic electoral process," said Corien Jonker, head of the delegation of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly.Jonker also criticised the Albanian media for acting as the mouthpieces for political parties, rather than serving and informing the public.

"Progress has been achieved since the last parliamentary elections in 2005,” said Bruce George, head of the delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. “However, greater efforts still need to be made by all political forces in order to meet demanding international standards," George added. "The new electoral code agreed to by both main political parties introduced a number of important improvements and safeguards, in particular with regard to voter registration and identification,” said Ambassador Audrey Glover, head of the long-term election observation mission of the ODIHR.

“It is unfortunate that the high level of distrust among parties, the use of official events for campaign purposes and allegations of pressure on voters did not increase public confidence in the election process," Glover added. Votes were still being counted on Monday afternoon, with the process moving slowly. Although exit-polls gave a lead majority to the Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, toward his Socialist rival, Tirana Mayor Edi Rama. Unofficial results from 1,416 out of 4,753 polling stations showed the two main parties evenly split in Albania’s 12 voting regions.

Pan Epirotic Federation of America

Election Results-2009-11

The Pan Epirotic Federation of America ended the 36th Biennial Convention today June 27th, 2009 with the Election of New Officers to serve a 2 year term 2009-2011.

The Election results are as follows. President Fotios Galitsis, Eleonora Mihopoulou V.P., Dimitris Koutoulas Secretary, Eva Obrien Assistant Secretary, Eva Karlis Treasurer. Board Members are Stefania Tsoumbanos (35)votes, Georgios Nanis (32), Lazarus Yiannos (29), Kostantinos Ioannis Rammos (23), Dimitrios Moustopoulos (20), and Athina Xynogalos (19).

The meeting of Corfu

Jun 27 2009, 09:28

By STA.MA.

Corfu is looking towards the international scenes with very intense weekend in NATO-Russia axis, but also with the Agency for Development and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

NATO and Russia "conflict" in a mini extraordinary session. The rapprochement of the North Atlantic Alliance with the great «enemy», especially after the crisis has caused a policy of the U.S. President George Bush, who desired to put the controversial missile shield in eastern Europe and the clear break caused by the war in South Ossetia and Georgia.

Several peaks are attended on the discussions of the Russian foreign minister Sergei Ivanov, the deputy U.S. Secretary of State, James Stainmpergk as absent due Chilari Clinton suffered of a fracture a few days ago. The agenda of the Corfu Meeting will follow:

-Nuclear and the famous Agreement START1,

-H presence of NATO in Afghanistan, which raises questions of cooperation and disagreement,

-H mission to the Caucasus conflict that followed the war in Georgia,

-The possible accession to NATO countries key for the Russians, like Ukraine and Georgia,

-Energy policy, and of course, -

-The burning issue of anti-missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland

The meeting of the OSCE Number of important issues is invited to explore the OSCE meeting in Corfu in the Greek presidency. The key on the agenda of the meeting is called «process of Corfu». So declared the opening of the large energy concerns particularly Europe. Will also discuss the maintenance of the OSCE observers in Georgia and South Ossetia, and the difference of political positions that have on European Security, Americans and Russians.

Particularly NATO and OSCE will follow observing the process election in Albania, calling Tirana for free and democratic standards during final results. Albania hope to joint EU but the international community has urged Tirana to hold free elections, while will be very serious the consequences for the country if the elections will demonstrate negative results.

Extraordinary meeting Karamanlis-Berlusconi in Corfu

Jun 27 2009, 08:47

Opportunity for a mini series of transnational contacts gives the session of the OSCE -NATO-Russia meeting in Corfu. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, occasionally travels to the island of Corfu, which will have a series of meetings with specific focus primarily on major energy issues.

Mr Karamanlis will meet, before the NATO-Russia summit, the Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi - and this program goes off the island of Faiakon-centered bilateral talks, the energy and security of Europe. After the bilateral meeting of PM Karamanlis with Berlusconi will probably have a meeting with the outgoing Secretary General of NATO, Giap de Seferi hop, with a central issue of energy in the region.

This issue will probably employ the NATO-Russia summit, as both are interested mainly in Moscow but also Member States of the North Atlantic Alliance, especially in the context of the upcoming new NATO structure.

Papandreou visits Tirana suporting Edi Rama coalition

"We want to have free and fair elections», underlined the president of PASOK and Socialist International, G. Papandreou, of Tirana, which has been welcomed at the Rinas airport by the President of the Socialist Party of Albania, Eddi Rama.

Papandreou and Mr. Mr Rama spoke to a gathering of supporters of the Socialist Party of Albania Mr. Rama refer to the victory of PASOK in the European and emphasizes that George Papandreou has made changes in the party and won the confidence of youth the need for change for new government.

For its part, the president of PASOK hoped Mr Rama and the Socialist Party in Albania «great victory» in elections Sunday, stressing that «a socialist government in Greece and Albania will move to resolve, including problems Albanians in Greece and the Greek minority in Albania ».

The President of PASOK reaffirmed the position of «no to illegal immigration» and spoke of «organized immigration» and «defending the rights of immigrants to work on equal pay for equal work, pensions and social security», the last to be settled within a bilateral framework. Mr. Papandreou said, also, that «the government, PASOK will help integrate immigrants in Greece», adding that «would help those Albanians wishing to invest in Albania».

It reiterated its position on the «immediate return of Greek citizenship to those children of immigrants born in Greece» and return of Greek citizenship to those children in Greece finish secondary education, and remain in our country for 3 consecutive years. «The Albanian immigrants are a good size for Greece and thank you for this», said the president of PASOK, stressing while that «the Greek minority in Albania may be a bridge between the two countries».

The president of PASOK said that «if elected PASOK government, he will" champion "the integration of Western Balkans in the EU». He met Anastasios, Archbishop of Albania, which had great conversation, and immediately after, in statements, has expressed particular appreciation to the work of the Archbishop and the continuing effort to «the Orthodox Church in Albania to play the role up and supply, both in the development of Albania, and in understanding religions and peoples in a Balkan and European landscape, where we have to live with humanity, love and mutual understanding »

Finally he met with Evangelos Doule the President of Human Rights Parti. Mr. Papandreou assured him that «everything will go well if the elections are without " incidents " ». In statements shortly after the meeting, Mr. Papandreou said that Mr Doule the common values unite and fight for the future of Albania in EU and for the full rights of the Greek minority.

Chameria Party meeting with Macedonian Organisation

Jun 26 2009,

In the elections Sunday in Albania, the coalition that led the Democratic Party of Prime Minister Sali Berisha, involved among other small parties as PDI (Chameria Organisation) and The Parti of Makedonski, in Albania.

This is one of the main reasons that the KEAD-OMONIA, the party representing the ethnic Greek minority in Albania to abandon cooperation with Sali Berisha and to joint the socialist bloc of the party of Edi Rama.

According to observers, Tahir Muhedini the leader of Chameria Party Organisation PDI, a strong man who continues to invests politically in Vlora and Saranda Regions, could win to the next albanian parliament tow member from his Party.

PDI will organise on June 27 in Saranda an anniversary meeting for "the Genocide day against Chameria community" a resolute made from albanian parliament of 1994.

European Parliament

Greek village demolished in Southern Albania (North Epirus)

Many families from Albania homogeneous left homeless when the Albanian government on the pretext projects require funding program of the World Bank, demolishing a large part of the village of Yala in Northern Epirus (Southern Albania) .

After complaints, the World Bank has suspended funding to the Albanian side since held that the acts of the Albanian Government against the established policy of non-violent displacement of populations.

The issue raised in the relevant EU institutions The Member of European Parliament (PASOK) Marilena Koppa, making a question of which states that the Greek minority accepts unacceptable pressures.

The European Commission in his response observing to recognize that there are unresolved issues of ownership in Albania and has urged the authorities to find a fair and effective solution to these issues as they are pillars of the rule of law.

http://www.zougla.gr/news.php?id=48863

Albania inaugurates new highway to Kosovo (Greater Albania)

Albania's prime minister on Thursday inaugurated a ¤1 billion ($1.4 billion) highway link to neighboring Kosovo, calling it a «corridor of friendship and peace.Tirana sees the 105-mile (170-kilometer) highway running through northern Albania's rugged mountains as an important commercial link not only to Kosovo, but to other Balkan nations and central Europe.

The opening ceremony in Rreshen, 37 miles (60 kilometers) north of Tirana came just days ahead of Albania's parliamentary election this weekend, even though portions of the highway have not been completed.«This is the corridor of friendship and peace,» Berisha said to applause from supporters waving Albanian and European Union flags. «This corridor will serve not only to Albanians, but also to Macedonians, Serbs, Bosnians, Bulgarians and all the others.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan also attended the ceremony for the link, which includes a segment with a 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer) tunnel built by a joint venture of Turkey's Enka and San Francisco-based Bechtel International Inc.Erdogan said the highway would «further impact Kosovo's development» after it gained independence from Serbia last year.Kosovo's premier had been expected at the ceremony but did not show up. Thaci's office in Pristina, Kosovo said the premier's agenda had been busy, and he had already left on a trip to the United States.

The highway will run from the port city of Durres, 20 miles (35 kilometers) west of Tirana, to the Morini border crossing with Kosovo.Albania joined NATO this year and has applied for European Union candidate status. Its parliamentary elections Sunday are seen as a test of the country's commitment to democracy and to move closer toward integration with the bloc.

FEATURE-Land rights tricky issue as Albania poll nears

Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:04pm EDT

* Land titling core problem as Albania heads for elections
* Politics paralysed by sense illegal building exceeds legal
* International officials point also to corruption

By Adam Tanner

KSAMIL, Albania, June 25 (Reuters) -- Fatmir Murati liked the patch of public land across the street from his apartment so much, he built a house there. Speckled with lemon and orange trees, the terrain is a political battleground.

The fact thousands like him have no clarity about who owns what land is a legacy of the longest-lasting Stalinist regime in Europe. It's also a major campaign topic as Albania, an emerging democracy that aspires to join the European Union, heads to the polls at the end of this month.
Both Sali Berisha, the country's dominant political figure since Communism's fall in 1991, and Socialist challenger Edi Rama say land titling is a priority as Albania seeks foreign investment.

The country in April became NATO's 28th member, after a tumultuous 1990s including a crime wave, marred elections and a dip into anarchy. Many Albanians lost their savings in pyramid schemes and up to 3,000 were killed in the ensuing violence............

............Suela Pogace, general manager of the Hotel Adriatik in Durres, an Adriatic town near Tirana, describes her thoughts when looking across the wild melange of construction along the coast.
"I want every building to be down, there to be an earthquake," she said in the cafe of her hotel, the first in Durres from 1962. "It's the only way for this to be solved."

more see: http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSLO39735920090625

Albanians, Cut Off, Get Set to Vote

By DAN BILEFSKY, New York Times,

Published: June 23, 2009

TIRANA, ALBANIA — With parliamentary elections approaching on Sunday, many Albanians say they feel like Hysen Demiraj, a 45-year-old driver and former political prisoner, who was born in a jail cell during Albania’s brutal dictatorship and says he still feels imprisoned in a country that is unfairly isolated and ostracized.


“We Albanians are tired of feeling cut off from the world,” he said on a recent day after waiting for hours in scorching sun for a German visa, one among a small army of visa-seekers. “We are the forgotten part of Europe and it doesn’t feel so good.”


The intense alienation might seem surprising given that this poor, southern Balkan country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in April — a moment of enormous symbolic and psychological resonance for a place severed from the west for more than 40 years under the Stalinist leader Enver Hoxha.



Whether the election is peaceful, free and democratic, analysts and diplomats say, will help determine the progress toward international rehabilitation. Albania’s recent application for E.U. membership already faces deep skepticism; the bloc is overextended and fears admitting lawlessness through the back door. Washington, meanwhile, which lobbied hard for Albania’s NATO membership, will be deeply embarrassed if the vote goes awry.




see more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/world/europe/24iht-albania.html?_r=1&ref=world

US, EU renew Albania poll plea

By LLAZAR SEMINI Associated Press

Albania must hold free and fair elections next month if it hopes to form closer ties with the West, the European Union and United States said Friday, hours after a regional party leader was killed in a bomb explosion. Police have released few details about the bomb attack that killed 34-year-old regional leader Aleksander Keka, a member of the conservative Christian Democratic Party, as he was driving his car Thursday near Shkodra, a city 120 kilometers (75 miles) north of Tirana.

It was the latest in a series of violent incidents that have marred campaigning for the June 28 vote in this former Communist country, where elections are often tarnished by violence and voting irregularities. The U.S. Embassy said the June 28 elections were a test of the country's commitment to democracy, while the Czech Embassy _ speaking on behalf of the EU _ said the vote would show whether Albania was ready to move closer toward integration with the bloc. The Czech Republic now holds the rotating EU presidency.

Albania joined NATO this year and has applied for EU candidate status. Some 500 observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international organizations will be monitoring the elections, in which conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha faces a strong challenge from Socialist leader Edi Rama. Last week, a man was fatally shot following an argument over a campaign poster, and in May an opposition lawmaker was killed.

The opposition has claimed the government is seeking to manipulate the election process through its control over the distribution of new identity cards, which together with passports are the documents required to vote. The government denies the allegation.

In Albania for elections George Papandreou

After the return from OSCE meeting, the Leader of PASOK and the President of Pan Socialists of the World, George Papandreou planned trip to Albania, where elections hwill hold at Sunday.

Papandreou will met Socialist leader and Man Oposition of Albania Edi Rama, who is favorite to win politic elections.

At the end of the week will partecipate in the meeting of Socialist International in Montenegro.

Turkish Chief of the General Staff, Gen. İlker Başbuğ visits Albania

Turkish Army under NATO commander takes the Space Air control of Albania

During his first etape in the region, the high Turkish Army represent met with PM Sali Berisha and the Albanian president Bamir Topi.

According to Albanian press the Albanian government decided to cooperate with Turkish Air Forces as member of NATO alliance to contribute for the control of Space Air of albanian territory.

After the cooperation for the reconstruction of the Naval Base of Orikum in Vlora Gulf since 1998, Turkish Army has taken another strategic point of Albanian air forces in Kutsovo, Berati Prefecture.

Yesterday, General Staff, Gen. İlker Başbuğ travelled to Saranda Town in Southern of Albania (Northern Epirus) a front of Corfu island.

Sources from the press, Turkish Army is very interested for Porto Palermo Gulf (Himara Region) to help Reconstruction of an Establishment Albanian Naval Base.