[ALBSA-Info] CHRONOLOGY-Albania since downfall of communism

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

CHRONOLOGY-Albania since downfall of communism
  
LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta said on Tuesday 
he had resigned after failing to resolve a party feud that paralysed 
political life and vital reforms in one of Europe's poorest countries. 

Following is a chronology of events in Albania during and after its 
transition from isolationist communism to democracy. 

1985 - Communist President Ramiz Alia succeeds Stalinist leader Enver Hoxha 
who ruled Albania with an iron fist for 40 years. He rules out any change. 

Jan 1990 - Alia responds to public unrest by proposing limited reforms, 
including some decentralisation of power. 

May 1990 - Alia ends a 23-year ban on religion and allows Albanians the right 
to hold passports for first time. 

Dec 1990 - Student protests prompt Communists to allow opposition parties. 
Main opposition Democratic Party founded. 

Mar 1991 - Communists win two-thirds majority in first multi-party elections 
since 1944. Thousands continue to flee abroad. 

May 1991 - Alia confirmed as president. All-Communist government sworn in. 
Albania crippled by general strike. 

June 1991 - All-party pact reached to form a coalition, leading to Albania's 
first non-communist government in 40 years. Communist Party renames itself 
the Socialist Party. 

Dec 1991 - Democratic Party quits coalition. Chronic food shortages spark 
wave of riots. 

Feb 1992 - Alia dissolves People's Assembly, elections held in March. The 
Democratic Party wins landslide victory. 

Apr 1992 - Alia resigns, replaced by Sali Berisha. 

Jan 1997 - Collapse of corrupt pyramid investment schemes sparks months of 
riots, brings down government. 

Mar 1997 - Government resigns. Berisha re-elected as president and forms 
unity government. 

Apr 1997 - Italian-led multinational force begins arriving. 

June 1997 - Ex-communist Socialists and their allies win majority in general 
elections. 

July 1997 - Fatos Nano becomes prime minister at head of five-party 
coalition. Berisha resigns as president, replaced by Rexhep Meidani. 

Sept 1998 - Democrat MP Azem Hajdari shot dead along with a bodyguard. Party 
supporters storm prime minister's office in protest. Funeral erupts in 
violence in Tirana. Government later says it crushed a coup attempt. 

Sept 28, 1998 - Prime Minister Fatos Nano resigns. 

Oct 1998 - Pandeli Majko sworn in as prime minister. 

Oct 21, 1998 - Albania's parliament votes in favour of a draft constitution 
and agrees to put it to a referendum. 

Nov 1998 - The new Constitution is endorsed by a national referendum 
monitored by OSCE observers. 

Oct 25, 1999 - Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko resigns after losing the 
leadership of the ruling Socialist Party. 

Dec 2001 - Finance minister Anastas Angjeli and Privatisation Minister 
Mustafa Muci resign in a bid to stem a crisis in the ruling Socialist Party. 

Jan 29, 2002 - Prime Minister Ilir Meta resigns after failing to resolve a 
party feud.