Documenti
Full international guarantee demanded
The attempts of the eight political parties together with the Primer have been on even these days, seeking to guarantee the holding of the coming parliamentary elections. On the other side, DP, absent in the meeting with the Primer, did have a separate meeting with two of its satellites.
The eight political parties have estimated as a positive step the latest President's concession in his meeting with the Primer, regarding the central Electoral Commission and the local ones. But, the eight political parties did not consider sufficient this concession, because, according to them, it has to be followed by other concessions on the electoral law and should be fixed the guarantees the international community will provide in ensuring free and fair elections.
As the only parties' expectation, of being convinced in free and fair elections, was a draft presented to the Primer, Fino, by the Italian and American Ambassadors in Tirana, respectively, Foresti and Lino, in which the political parties should ask guarantees from international interlocutors. After being passed in the Government, the letter has to be addressed to Mr. Vranitzky, who will profoundly fix the international community role in the coming elections.
The Albanian Primer consulted the draft with the political parties, which made the necessary corrections. Then, he passed it into the Government, before handing it over to Mr. Vranitzky.
Being asked about the elements of the letter, before being addressed to Mr. Vranitzky, the representatives of the political
parties in the meeting stated:
Fatos Nano: Socialist Party: The international organisms, combined with Mr. Vranitzky, are requested to apply, in the Albanian elections case, the model of the common action, the reference of which is in the European Parliament Resolution on the elections in Albania, which had to ensure an intensive monitoring, in all the levels, a general and overall monitoring of the electoral process of June 29-th, carried out by civilian experts and by those of the multinational military forces.
By providing such a guarantee to all and within the frame of the legislative infrastructure, any political participant in the elections should feel itself equal in front of law and, then, let's win the best.
Vasil Melo, Human Rights Union Party: We are discussing two drafts; one is the draft addressed to OSCE on its full monitoring of the elections and the other one has to do with our demands for changing in the electoral law. We require a response from OSCE on what is it going to guarantee in the coming elections.
Sabri Godo: Republican Party: There are 8 political parties, which ask Vranitzky's guarantees on monitoring the elections and the realisation of the parties' demands on the changes of the electoral law. Any kind of concession, on the part of the President, is a positive one. But, our demands are wider. Let's take for example, the deadline of the voting process, which might be a technical thing, but, which takes a special importance in the Albanian conditions. It is ridiculous to extend the voting process up to 9 o'clock p.m., when it is already known that no one circulates at this time. How could we establish connection with the villages, when the telephone communication does not work? It is worthwhile to end this process during day light and let the people go home afterwards.
We are not discussing any more with Democratic Party, because the General Secretary of this party has stated in its paper that they do not have any other thing to discuss, things are settled. This is another matter. But, the main issue is the guarantee demanded by the 8 political parties. If they will not be provided, we will not join the elections.
Skender Gjinushi: Socialdemocratic Party: A letter has been prepared by the Government, which will be addressed to OSCE on the full monitoring of the elections, practices which have been applied in countries with many problems, like Bosnia. To go up to elections, there are in need full guarantees, first of all, to cut the way to any of their manipulations. Secondly, the international community should fully monitorize the elections. Some of its guarantees will be: the compile of the electoral lists, keeping distant from the electoral process the bandit groups, police or secret police forces, the identification of the voters etc.
A solution has bene provided to the settling of the electoral commissions issue, after the President's concessions, but this does not ensure regularity in the process of the elections. Within this frame, there have to be considered the electoral zones, which have been organised in such a way serving manipulation. These are some of the preconditions to join elections. If they will not be met, we will not join them. We expect a solution only from Mr. Vranitzky, because the Albanian political parties are split into two camps.
Fino's draft addressed to Mr. Vranitzky
This is not the final text sent to Mr. Vranitzky, because the final one has had some minor changes, processed by the political parties. But, the reader will find the main issues in this text.
The Honoured Excellency,
The Government of the National Reconciliation, after discussing with the political parties, which compose it, and by analysing the critical situation in the country, it estimates that:
- under the conditions of being impossible by the political parties, Government and President to come into a consensus on the electoral system, electoral constituencies division, elections administration etc;
- under the conditions when public order and country's security state remains critic and the country's police forces are not efficient in confronting the criminal bands, armed groups and people in protest;
- under the conditions where to most of the majority of the political subjects and voters, all over the country, there has not been provided any guarantees in overcoming the problems of May 1996 elections;
The final solution, which would ensure the holding of free and fair elections with everyone's participation and non contest, is their intensive monitoring guarantee, in all the levels of the electoral process in Albania, by International Community (OSCE, CE and EU), according to the joint-action model, acknowledged and materialized in precedent cases.
On this basis, the Government of the National Reconciliation of the Republic of Albania asks His Excellency, Mr. Vranitzky, to exercise all his authority in OSCE and more over, to guarantee the application of this final solution to the Albanian crisis in the shortest possible time limit. This would have put to an end to the discussions on the elections legislative infrastructure and would provide sufficient guarantees in placing everyone on equal basis in the electoral process.
Accept, the honoured Excellency, the insurances of my high considerations, looking forward to a positive response on your side, within the shortest possible period of time.