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Albania occupies one of the most important strategic locations at
the junction of the Adriatic and Mediterranean seas. The big
powers have long fought for control of Albania for this reason.
In modern times alone, the Albanian patriotic forces, under the
heroic leadership of the communists with Enver Hoxha at the head
have defeated the attempts of the Italian fascists, the German
nazis, the Anglo-American imperialists and even the Soviet
social-imperialists under Khrushchev and those who followed him,
all of whom have carried out barbaric crimes against the
territory of Albania and its people in various ways. However,
this reality is hidden, distorted and maligned, in order to
confuse world public opinion and create illusions that the
foreign powers, the very same ones which carried out the
hitlerite crimes during and after World War Two, are the
purveyors of democracy, rule of law, peace and prosperity. Today,
every effort is being made to disarm the national salvation
committees in Albania so as to disarm the Albanian people, and
thereby impose the imperialist control of Albania.
Without solving the issue of the sovereignty of the Albanian
people to exercise control over their own affairs, free from the
interference and control of the foreign powers, all the deals
struck by various political forces, either between themselves or
between themselves and the foreign powers, will either fail, or
further exacerbate the crisis. In this regard, May 13 was to have
been the date for the final agreement on the "political contract"
signed by 10 Albanian political parties for the holding of an
election on June 28. Instead, eight of the parties are now
threatening to boycott the election and possibly withdraw from
the interim National Reconciliation Government.
The election deal, presented as a "major breakthrough", was
brokered by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE). Both the European Union and the United States saw
it as a means to impose their economic and political institutions
in Albania and restore the credibility of the existing regime.
However, on May 13, their agent, President Sali Berisha, who the
National Salvation Committees have been demanding be removed as a
pre-condition to any settlement in Albania, used his Democratic
Party"s control over the Parliament, won through rigged elections
known as such to the entire world, to pass an unacceptable
election law. This includes the holding of a referendum on the
restoration of the monarchy in Albania. The 140-seat chamber
voted 61 in favor, five against, with five abstentions, the
other members being absent.
Namik Dokle of the Socialist Party announced the boycott on
behalf of the eight parties, citing the ruling Democratic Party"s
refusal to modify election rules. "We will not take part in the
election, and we will reconsider our participation in the
government and parliament," Dokle said in a statement minutes
before Parliament endorsed Berisha"s law, previously introduced
as a presidential decree.
According to the new law, 115 seats would be decided by a
majority vote and 40 by a proportional system. The socialists
said they were opposed to that formula. "We do not accept a
discussion on this collection of amendments. The arrival of this
draft shows you (the Democratic Party) want to play political
games which Albanians can endure no longer," he said. He claimed
the Democrats were trying to impose on Albania, elections such as
those held on May 26 that were contested by the opposition
parties and considered seriously flawed by international
observers. In spite of this, the foreign powers did not intervene
to depose Berisha as they do in those countries where they
disapprove of the regime.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was
receiving interim government Premier Bashkim Fino in the United
States. Albright issued threats of her own, declaring that "the
one that will try to impede this process will be responsible for
blocking international aid to Albania," Fino said in an interview
with the Voice of America. Fino added that Albright also
confirmed that the United States would support Albania"s
development before and especially after the election and, in this
context, an international conference on Albania"s reconstruction
will be held within a month, where the United States will play an
active part. He said, "We highly appreciate this fact. Besides
the U.S. government, other European governments and the Japanese
will take part in this conference." He did not explain how the
Albanians could expect to be relieved of plague by the Gods of
Plague. Not only is the disastrous economic and desperate social
situation in Albania the result of six years of foreign,
especially American and European "aid", but if the Americans were
going to perform a miracle, what was stopping them from doing so
up till now?
The other shoe dropped when Fino explained that "the fact
that carries more importance is that the U.S. will assist
Albania, especially after elections, if we will consider the
assistance and support the U.S. government will give through
well-known institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund,
the World Bank, etc."
Sewing the whirlwind even further, Fino said that he asked
Albright to support the extension of the UN interventionist
forces in Albania. He said, "I asked for the re-examination or
reinterpretation of the mandate of the multinational force in
Albania, considering the fact that elections in Albania should be
free and democratic, and the results of the people"s vote clear.
For that reason, I called for the American help to include the -
multinational force in the protection of the polls during -
election day. This fact was well-received by the U.S.
government." Referring to his meeting with Albright as a
"tete-a-tete", Fino extended Albright an invitation to visit
Albania which, he said, she accepted "with great pleasure",
adding that "I have the impression that this may be realized only
during the term of my government."
Holding the June 28 election under the guns of one or
several foreign powers will make them no different to the last
election, even though this time the foreign powers involved may
be backing a different horse or team of horses. Clearly, the big
"breakthrough" declared by the foreign powers was a bit
premature. Albright too will be crowing a bit too soon.
Shawgi Tell
University at Buffalo
Graduate School of Education
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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