[ALBSA-Info] INTERVIEW-Albanian elections fairest ever -PM

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

INTERVIEW-Albanian elections fairest ever -PM

By Richard Murphy

TIRANA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Albania's weekend local elections were the fairest 
and most peaceful it has held since communism was overthrown in 1991, Prime 
Minister Ilir Meta said on Monday. 

``These were not only the fairest, most democratic and most transparent 
elections the country has ever had, but also the calmest,'' the 31-year-old 
Socialist told Reuters in an interview. 

``The main test for the government was not the result of the elections but 
their fairness and correctness. Yesterday's elections were a strong 
demonstration of the Albanian people's desire to strengthen democratic 
institutions. They marked an important step towards European democracy.'' 

Some 2.7 million people in this impoverished Balkan nation were entitled to 
vote in Sunday's local elections, which international observers said were 
fair and orderly. 

They were also peaceful, in marked contrast to the bloodshed that marred the 
general election of 1997 which helped to end months of anarchy that followed 
the collapse of fraudulent pyramid investment schemes. 

Meta, who became prime minister almost a year ago, said partial unofficial 
results suggested a strong swing towards the Socialists which augured well 
for his party in a general election expected in May 2001. 

Major cities including the capital Tirana, which had been bastions of former 
President Sali Berisha's opposition Democrats, looked likely to fall to the 
Socialists. 

``I am pleased that the Socialist Party won a clear and very strong majority 
all over the country, especially in the major cities,'' Meta said. ``Some 
very important cities will be run by the Socialist Party for the first time 
in 10 years.'' 

Official election results are expected by Wednesday. 

INSTITUTIONS, ECONOMY ARE PRIORITIES 

Meta said his priorities remained strengthening Albania's democratic 
institutions and developing its economy. 

Since he took over, he said, there has been a marked improvement in the 
collection of customs duties, the main source of government revenue. The tax 
administration had also been improved and corruption reduced. 

``When I came, the customs system was in crisis. Today it is completely 
different,'' Meta said. 

Albania completed its first major privatisation in July, after years of 
delay, selling the mobile phone mopoly AMC to a consortium of Greece's OTE 
Telecoms subsidiary Cosmote and Norway's state-owned Telenor for $85.6 
million. 

``Albania still depends for its development on foreign aid but we are 
increasing our own resources as well,'' Meta said. ``Albania has a lot of 
potential and possibilities.'' 

A new package of tax incentives to encourage investment would be finalised in 
January, he added. 

In a country still suffering the scourge of emigration, Meta said it was 
important that ordinary people saw ``obvious and concrete'' evidence of 
improvement in things like the basic infrastructure to give them hope for the 
future.