[ALBSA-Info] U.S. Urges Calm as Albania Holds Local Elections

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

U.S. Urges Calm as Albania Holds Local Elections

By Linda Spahia

TIRANA, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The United States urged Albanians on Friday to 
ensure local elections on Sunday -- the first political test since the 
country plunged into anarchy in 1997 -- were free, fair and peaceful. 

``These elections offer an important opportunity for Albania to advance its 
democratic development and establish public confidence in its political 
process,'' the State Department said in a statement distributed in Tirana. 

``Successful local elections will set the stage for national elections next 
year and accelerate the process of Albania's integration with Europe and the 
trans-Atlantic community.'' 

Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta pledged that the elections for 65 mayors 
and 309 commune chairmen would be free and fair. 

``I guarantee you this on behalf of the government and in the name of the law 
and the constitution,'' Meta told the final pre-election rally of his ruling 
Socialist party in Tirana. 

The U.S. and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 
a 54-nation security and human rights body, are closely monitoring the 
election in which 2.8 million people are entitled to vote. 

The opposition Democrats of former President Sali Berisha have accused the 
government of widespread irregularities in drawing up electoral registers, 
but the OSCE indicated it was broadly satisfied with arrangements. 

In a statement on Friday, the OSCE welcomed the procedure for having voters 
identify themselves at polling stations. 

``This is commended as being in line with prescribed international standards 
for elections,'' it said. 

The OSCE also welcomed the fact that the Socialists had rescheduled their 
final rally to ensure that it did not clash with one by the Democrats. 

Security has been visibly tightened in Tirana, with masked police officers 
checking cars on the main road into the capital from the airport. 

Campaigning has been largely peaceful and has been dominated by national 
rather than local issues, with all major parties treating the vote as a dry 
run for next year's general election. 

A critical issue for the international observers is whether the losers accept 
defeat. Berisha never accepted defeat in the 1997 general election and his 
Democrats have boycotted parliament for much of the three years since then. 

``We appeal to all political parties and all candidates to accept the results 
of the elections, which are the decision of the voters,'' the OSCE said.