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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-03-01

Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

  • [01] PRESS-REVIEW
  • [02] Justice to guide politics, says Premier
  • [03] I see good signals from DP to work on constitution, says Godo
  • [04] Union for Democracy holds rally in "Selman Stremasi" stadium
  • [05] Work for constitution to continue without democrats, but with open doors - Bruner
  • [06] Albania's President decrees three laws of anticrime package
  • [07] Grave situation in Drenice
  • [08] Belgrade to stop escalation of violence and terror against Kosova Albanians - Foreign Ministry says
  • [09] Albanian government voices concern about situation in Kosova

  • [01] PRESS-REVIEW

    TIRANA, March 1 (ATA) - Justice should guide politics. This is the message given by Premier Fatos Nano through his spokesman Ben Blushi in a news conference, writes Gazeta Shqiptare on Sunday. According to it, it seems that the target of the Premier are the opposition leaders, represented by DP head Sali Berisha. "The DP kept under its protection instead of attacking the criminals of Shkoder," said the spokesman.

    "Police, changes beginning from the pyramid," is the title of the article published by Koha Jone regarding this news conference. According to it, PM spokesman has said that "The obvious defects in the Shkoder events will also affect the highest levels of the Interior Ministry."

    "The sluggishness manifested by certain order segments was also acknowledged by the government," Koha Jone has quoted PM spokesman as saying in the news conference. While according to Shekulli, the statement of Blushi on the ideas of the Prime Minister on the fight against the political crime shows once again that the Albanian government has changed its course, trying to be severe with the politicians who organize the crime. Dita Informacion, regarding this conference, carries the article under the headline "The Prime Minister: Justice should guide the politics. Verification also for the politicians after '90."

    The message of the director of the East Institute in Germany, Bruner, in the news conference held Saturday regarding the constitution drafting process, has been covered by many newspapers on Sunday.

    Gazeta Shqiptare writes that Germany opens the green light to the constitution. "To continue even without the Democratic Party," this has been the essence of the message of director of the East Institute in Germany yesterday after holding a series of talks with the leaders of the Albanian politics.

    According to Koha Jone, Bruner said that "after making all efforts to invite DP to the Constitution Commission, the work should continue even without them, but with open doors." The opposition has been given the chance of being involved in the constitutional process, because it has seven seats in the commission out of a total of 21," has said the specialists of Eastern constitutions, adding that the opposition has not used this chance so far.

    While Dita Informacion, focusing on the role of the constitution, cites Bruner as saying that "the problems existing between Parliament and Constitutional Court stem from unclearness of laws on this problem." "The Constitution even without the democrats," is the article of Shekulli. Zeri i Popullit gives the main opinion of Bruner on the constitutional process: "You need a constitution, because many problems of the past originates in its lack."

    According to Rilindja Demokratike, Bruner has criticized the senior authorities. "It is a sin to reduce the role of the Constitutional Court," has said the director of the German East Institute. The dailies on Sunday also report on the clash in Kosova on Saturday afternoon, where two Serbian policemen and five Kosova Albanians were killed.

    "Fight in Kosova, seven killed," under this title, Koha Jone writes that according to an official report of the Serbian Interior Ministry, two policemen were killed and two were seriously wounded when the police patrol was ambushed near the Likosan village. "Repelling the attack, the Interior Ministry's members killed five Albanian terrorists," stressed the paper, according to the same statement.

    According to Gazeta Shqiptare, Drenica became yesterday the square where two Serbian policemen were killed by unknown people. On the same day, the Serbian forces did not hesitate to kill in cold blood some five other Albanians. Further on, referring to sources from the Kosova Information Center, the same paper adds that "movements of troops were seen yesterday and a day before from Prishtina towards villages of Drenice and nearby."

    Zeri i Popullit dedicates to this event the article entitled "The Serbs kill five Albanians in Kosova," referring to ATA.

    This event is also covered by Rilindja Demokratike in the article "Five Albanians killed by Serbian police," and Albania "Five Albanians and two Serbs killed." /s.sh/mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [02] Justice to guide politics, says Premier

    TIRANA, Feb. 28 (ATA) - By E. Abilekaj: The verification of protagonists' figure of the Albanian politics can be carried out even for the last years after the establishment of pluralism in Albania, and not only for the catastrophe of 1997, but also for the events of the first months of 1998.

    "The Prime Minister thinks that perhaps it is high time for justice to guide politics," the PM spokesman told a news conference on Saturday.

    Referring to the speech of Nano held in the last government's meeting, where the Democratic Party was accused of being a maternity ward of crime, Blushi explained that the stand of Berisha and his party regarding the Shkoder events confirms this.

    "DP kept under its protection instead of attacking the criminals of Shkoder," said the spokesman of the Prime Minister. /mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [03] I see good signals from DP to work on constitution, says Godo

    TIRANA, FEB. 28 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: The co-chairman of the commission for drafting a new constitution, Sabri Godo, voiced Saturday his optimism regarding the participation of the Democratic Party (DP) in the constitution process.

    "I see good signals from DP. One of these signals is the fact that one of the three members of the Albanian delegation, who will join the Venezia Commission on March 5, is Genc Pollo," Godo told a news conference, accompanying the director of the East Institute in Germany, Georg Bruner.

    He added that one of the DP representatives in the commission will be trained in USA on Constitution issues together with the other members.

    Godo considered this representation a positive factor of the DP engagement into the constitution drafting process.

    "I don't believe that the Democratic Party will be represented only abroad and not in the work done in Albania," said Godo. /mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [04] Union for Democracy holds rally in "Selman Stremasi" stadium

    TIRANA, Feb. 28 (ATA) - By A. Haxhiu: The grouping "Union for Democracy" held Saturday a rally in the "Selman Stremasi" soccer stadium, where its leaders repeated the request for the establishment of a technocrat government.

    "The government cannot restore order and increase the welfare in the country, on the contrary, it has dashed the people's hopes for a better future," declared the Secretary General of the Democratic Party, Genc Pollo.

    "Nano should keep the promise to restitute all the money lost in pyramid schemes, otherwise he should quit and leave the place to a technocrat government," continued Pollo.

    "The government wants to provoke us with its constant attacks against the opposition, but we will fight with all democratic ways to meet our target," said Azem Hajdari in his speech.

    The establishment of a technocrat government and conduct of new elections were in the center of speeches held by other participants in the rally. /mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [05] Work for constitution to continue without democrats, but with open doors - Bruner

    TIRANA, Feb. 28 (ATA) - By Keida Kostreci: The director of the East Institute in Germany, Georg Bruner, told Saturday a news conference in Tirana that after making all the efforts to invite democrats in the constitution commission, the work should continue even without them, but with open doors.

    "This means that at the moment they change their mind, they can have the possibility of taking part in the constitution drafting process," explained Bruner.

    He added that the representation of the opposition in the Constitution Commission is broader than in Parliament.

    "The opposition is given the chance of being involved in the constitutional process, because it has seven seats in the commission out of a total of 21. The opposition has not used this chance so far," said the specialist of Eastern Constitutions.

    He expressed his regret regarding this fact, because "the majority has already made the efforts to reach a consensus in this point."

    According to Bruner, many problems of the past in Albania have been caused due to lack of constitution and its necessity became evident after last year's turmoil.

    "The debate for the content of the constitution has started and I think there are not too many contradictions between the political forces," said Bruner referring to the issue of human rights, which has been regulated by international conventions where Albania adheres, as well as the form of regime, on which there are not many debates.

    According to Bruner, the only issue to be discussed more is the relations between the state and the religion. /mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [06] Albania's President decrees three laws of anticrime package

    TIRANA, March 1 (ATA) - Albania's President Rexhep Meidani on 27.02.1998, based on decrees 2002, 2003 and 2004, promulgated the law no. 8290, dated 24.02.1998 "On the use of fire weapons," of the law no. 8291, dated 25.02.1998 "On the code of police ethic," and promulgation of law no. 8292, dated 25.2.1998 "On special and rapid intervention forces."

    President's press and information department reports that the above laws enter into force immediately. /s.sh/mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [07] Grave situation in Drenice

    PRISHTINE, March 1 (ATA-BJ) - The situation in Drenice is very tense. The number of people killed and wounded is bigger than the Serbian sources have reported, Albanian sources in Prishtine, Skenderaj and Glloc say.

    The village of Dolac near Skenderaj has been kept during all the night under the surrounding of the Serbian forces, which have violently entered the Albanian families.

    In Likoshan, where five Albanians were killed on Saturday, many military, police and pre-military Serbian forces went on Sunday morning accompanied by more than 30 armoured vehicles and tanks, firing arms of all calibres, Human Rights Council in Prishtine reports.

    The same sources inform that new Serbian forces, with armoured vehicles, have moved from Mitrovica towards Skenderaj, and from Prishtina towards Gllogac early on Sunday.

    The sub-council for the Human Rights in Skenderaj has been informed that seven Albanians were killed yesterday in Çirez village.

    Meanwhile that the operations against the Albanians in Drenice continue, the helicopters have launched flights in those areas and are shooting against any Albania who moves from a living place to another.

    A delegation of the Kosova Democratic League and other Albanian bodies have started from Prishtine to Drenice, but there are no reports whether this group has arrived there or no. /la/das/mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [08] Belgrade to stop escalation of violence and terror against Kosova Albanians - Foreign Ministry says

    TIRANA, March 1 (ATA) - "Albania's Foreign Ministry calls on Belgrade to stop escalation of violence and terror against Albanians in Kosova, because the deterioration of the situation there carries big risks for peace in the Balkans and beyond," stresses a statement of the Foreign Ministry spokesman on Sunday.

    According to recent reports, a serious war situation has been created in the village of Drenice as a result of Serbian military operations. It said there had been reports of Albanians killed and wounded.

    The statement also stresses that "The Albanian Foreign Ministry appeal to the whole international opinion, and particularly to the European Union, the Contact Group and the Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international bodies, as well as USA, Germany, Great Britain, France, etc., to use their influence with Belgrade as soon as possible to prevent a possible war there before it's too late, and force Serbian officials to talk to ethnic Albanian leaders,"

    Albania's Foreign Ministry is seriously following the situation in Kosova, ends the statement of the ministry spoeksman. /s.sh/das/mt/

    Albanian Telegraphic Agency

    [09] Albanian government voices concern about situation in Kosova

    TIRANA, March 1 (ATA) - The Albanian Government is closely following the deterioration of the situation in Kosova, where, according to Albanian and Foreign sources, the violence has been escalated and the number of victims have increased. This is reported in the statement of Albania's PM cabinet on Sunday, which continues that "This confirms the involvement of many police and premilitary forces in military attacks against the Albanian population in Drenice, where at least 15 Albanians were killed and many more were wounded.

    The report says that "The Albanian government condemns the violence and shares its concern and appeal with different political forces in Kosova to keep calm and not to fall into the trap of provocations of the extremist Serbian forces."

    Albania's PM Fatos Nano has been in continuous touch today with the Kosova leaders, representatives of the Contact Group, and others. He has contacted President Rugova and has agreed to work with the political and diplomatic international factors, to draw the attention for the danger of escalation of conflict in Kosova, and to exert pressure on Belgrade to stop the violence which may have unforeseen consequences.

    Also, the statement says that the Albanian Premier has had several telephone talks and has undertaken diplomatic operations with representatives of Western countries. He spoke with Greek PM Kostas Simitis, to whom he expressed the concern regarding the situation created in Kosova and asked his mediation to calm down the situation. Nano also spoke with the international mediator for reaching the agreement Rugova-Milosevic on the Albanian education in Kosova, Monsignor Vincenco Palia, and has instructed the Albanian Foreign Ministry to be in constant touch with the Euro- Atlantic diplomacy. /s.sh/das/mt/


    From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata


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