[ALBSA-Info] Albanian Opposition Accuses Government

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Albanian Opposition Accuses Government

By MERITA DHIMGJOKA

  
TIRANA, Albania (AP) - Firebrand former president Sali Berisha accused 
Albanian leaders of manipulating parliamentary voting Sunday, hinting his 
opposition coalition may challenge the results of an election expected to 
strengthen the Socialist-led government. 

``The government is ruining these elections and it will have to face the 
consequences,'' Berisha said after casting his ballot as Albanians voted in 
run-offs to fill 50 parliament seats in districts where an initial round of 
voting last month was inconclusive or flawed. 

Moderate Prime Minister Ilir Meta's Socialists won 33 of the 140 seats in 
parliament in the first round on June 24, compared to 17 seats for Berisha's 
Democratic Party. The remaining 40 seats will be decided by proportional 
distribution. 

Disputes between the election commission members from the two rival parties 
prevented about 80,000 people in three districts from voting Sunday. Central 
Election Commission spokesman Aldrin Dalipi said voting in those districts 
would be held within a month. 

Berisha, who complained of irregularities in the initial voting, accused the 
government of interfering in the run-offs in several districts Sunday. 

His coalition denounced the ``excessive police presence'' at polling stations 
and accused police of beating up opposition members in local election 
commissions. 

The Interior Ministry issued a statement denying the accusations. It said 
several people were briefly detained and fined for pressuring voters to vote 
for Berisha's coalition. 

Initial unofficial results of Sunday's voting were expected to be announced 
early Monday with official returns by the end of the week. 

Opposition refusal to accept the official outcome of the parliamentary 
elections could trigger unrest in an impoverished country whose democracy is 
still fragile a decade after the collapse of its communist government. 

The United States, the European Union and the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe released a joint statement Saturday urging all sides in 
the nation of 3.5 million to act in a mature and responsible manner. 

``Of paramount importance is the acceptance of the internationally recognized 
election results by all parties,'' the statement said. 

In 49 districts, Sunday's runoff was required because no candidate won a 
majority in the initial round or because of irregularities. In one district, 
disputes between the rival parties prevented about 20,000 people from voting 
June 24. 

Gunfire broke out at one polling station and assailants burned ballots at 
another in the June vote, but international observers gave the first round of 
voting their seal of approval, saying incidents were isolated. 

The Socialist Party came to power in June 1997 after winning elections called 
to end months of unrest sparked by the collapse of fraudulent investment 
schemes in which most Albanians had invested. 

The International Monetary Fund has praised Albania - once a strictly 
isolated communist country - for fostering recent economic growth and holding 
down inflation. 

The biggest challenge for the next government in the nation of 3.5 million 
will be fighting widespread corruption and illegal trafficking in women, 
weapons and drugs.