[ALBSA-Info] Vote Fraud Alleged in Albania

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Vote Fraud Alleged in Albania

By ARLINDA CAUSHOLLI


TIRANA, Albania (AP) - The opposition party of former President Sali Berisha 
said Monday it would file a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights 
alleging vote fraud by the Socialist-led government in weekend runoff 
elections. 

Official results were not expected until later this week. Individual parties 
began releasing unofficial returns suggesting that the Socialists won 37 
seats and the Democrats won seven in voting Sunday. 

Besnik Mustafaj, the general secretary of the Democratic Party, told The 
Associated Press that the Council of Europe - Europe's top human rights body 
- would help it prepare its court case alleging ``serious irregularities 
during the election process.'' 

``We thought it was the right thing to do,'' Mustafaj said. ``We presented 15 
complaints at the Albanian Constitutional Court and none was accepted.'' 

Both the council and the human rights court are based in Strasbourg, France. 

Berisha had accused the government of irregularities in the first round of 
parliamentary elections in June. He said there were signs of fraud again in 
Sunday's runoff to fill 50 parliament seats in districts where results from 
last month's balloting were inconclusive or flawed. 

The Interior Ministry has denied the allegations, and accused Berisha's 
coalition of falsifying some voter registration lists and using pressure 
tactics on voters. 

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

Gunfire broke out at one polling station and assailants burned ballots at 
another in the original June 24 vote, but international observers gave the 
first round their seal of approval, saying incidents were isolated. 

The Socialist Party came to power in Albania 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 this nation of 3.5 million 
will be fighting widespread corruption and illegal trafficking in women, 
weapons and drugs.