The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) has been left in confusion after the recent resignations. Following the resignation of the CEC Chairman Fotaq Nano and the Deputy Chairperson Mimoza Arbi, it was made public that even the member proposed by the socialists and assigned to the post by the Parliament resigned.

The DP senior leader pointed out that a DP proposal would not change the unfavorable 6-1 or 5-2 balance according to the CEC present pattern and did not help about the dialogue between the majority and the opposition. Namik Dokle the socialist Deputy Speaker has repeated his earlier invitation to the democrat group leader Jemin Gjana to start dialogue about the said draft. However, Gjana had not welcomed the invitation and the remark, adding that the dialogue was going to be senseless as long as decisions were taken in the meantime.

The democrats had offered to start talks about the new division draft, the CEC issue, the voter register, and the amendments to the Electoral Code. But the socialists turned it down arguing that there could be no room for dialogue out of the Parliament. The socialist majority group gave a negative response to democrats' claims and reiterated its invitation to start dialogue in the Parliament. Latter has been pointed out that the Democratic Party was ignoring its actual contribution and institutional responsibility, inventing excuses to justify its destructive attitude. According to the socialists, the democrats intended to break the deadlines and avoid the institutions.

Luan Rama the SP Secretary for Public Relations gave a press conference last week and stated that all the CEC members should submit their resignations. It is Pandeli Varfi, Klement Zguri, appointed to the post by the President of the Republic, Maks Shimani appointed by the Higher Court of Justice and Gaspër Koka elected by the Parliament, who have not yet given the resignations. While expecting the remained resignations to be given, the socialists are actually thinking of the possible candidates to be submitted to fill in the emptied seat, which should be proposed by law by their party. Rama the SP's senior official stated firmly that the democrats should not demand compromise for issues already fixed in the Constitution.

OSCE demands to avoid tension

Tirana Office of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) made an appeal to all the Albanian political parties to alleviate tension in relation with CEC issue. The appeal was addressed mainly to the Socialist Party and the Democrat Party in particular. Gert Ahrens the OSCE Ambassador had a meeting last week, with Fatos Nano socialist leader, in concerning the efforts to prepare a better environment for things in general and for the upcoming election in particular.

The OSCE's representatives have stated to reporters that there should be no mistake on the term of "consensus". It is an absolute necessity to bring all political forces round the one table. According to these representatives both big parties SP and DP are actually playing tricks with invitations to sit round the table to discuss issues related to the electoral process.

The socialists on their side have ruled out the possibility of sitting round at a table, other than the official institutions such as the Parliament. This is in short the relationship and the situation around the two big political parties. Both leaders Nano and Berisha publicly claim to be open to sit for a dialogue but refuse to accept the other's invitation. Socialists explained recently that they were not going to negotiate or compromise about things already settled in the Constitution.

Berisha invite for talks

Sali Berisha asked last week the socialist majority to consider the opposition's latest invitation to sit round the table and discuss issues related to the electoral preparations. Berisha expressed his regret that their invitation had received either a refusal or indifference from the governing majority camp and commented that the ruling coalition had chosen to forcefully violate the laws it had passed itself, instead of sitting for the open dialogue. Berisha stressed that the majority was still working on the voter lists already compromised as they have been processed not in compliance with the law, which defines that the voter lists should be based on the Civil Office registers.

The DP leader stated that the invitation sent to the majority a few days earlier followed the initiative undertaken by the democrats to make a new start for Albanians. He stated that they were intensively co-operating with a number of factors to achieve a fair and free election. According to him, the democrats were committed to have a political dialogue with the other political forces.

Meta in Sweden

Parson the Swedish Prime-Minister declared that he appreciates Albania's foreign policy with regard to the relations with Yugoslavia when welcoming Meta the Albanian Prime-Minister during a visit this last made last week in Sweden. Parson, confirming the importance of the establishment of regional co-operation on the necessity of strengthening the stability and the security in the region, praised Albania for re-establishing the diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia.

Both Prime Ministers assessed that the relations between the two countries were very good. Swedish Prime-Minister assured Meta of his support for Albania's ambitions concerning accession to European structures. The Albanian Prime-Minister invited the Swedish Prime-Minister to visit Albania, which Parson accepted with pleasure. This meeting is the second following their precedent one during Zagreb Summit in a Forum organized by the European Union. Meta seems to be try obtaining friendship the Swedish Prime-Minister, as Sweden is taking over the EU Presidency in June this year, in the very time that Albania looks forward to fixing a date to start negotiations for Association and Stabilization Agreement with the EU.

Hombach in his visit in Tirana

Bodo Hombach the Special Coordinator arrived for a visit to Albania last week. He had a meeting Ermelinda Meksi the Albanian Minister for Economic Co-operation and Trade, who is also the National Coordinator for Stability Pact projects, with Sokol Nako Transport Minister and Spartak Poci Public and Construction Minister.

Hombach, stating that Albania had made a progress towards Europe, said that it is getting closer with regard to economic aspect and political aspect too. Special Coordinator remarked that the funds for Yugoslavia were not going to affect the aid to Albania or other countries in the region. The funds for Yugoslavia were going to be raised independently. He was confident that the second phase project would be implemented as successfully as the first phase ones. The Special Coordinator assessed that the work carried out by Albania so far had been praiseworthy. In a meeting with the Minister of Transport Nako, Hombach, confirming his commitment to quicken the pace of the projects going for Albania, noticed that a number of bureaucratic obstacles had been moved off the way.

DP's founders and former leaders announced a political agreement

Genc Pollo The reformist deputy, Albert Brojka former Tirana mayor, Dashamir Shehu former Vice Prime-Minister and Leader of Movement for Democracy Petrit Kalakula former Agricultural Minister and leader of Right Democratic Party, all DP founders and former senior leaders of this party announced a political agreement for the future of the Democratic Party. The above politicians, stating that they remain open to co-operation and accession to other personalities or parties sharing the same views, declared that the foregoing groupings detached from the Democratic Party at different time, had decided to unite. According to this political movement, which been declared loyal to the December ideals as defined at the foundation of the first opposition party in Albania, in December 1990, they were displaying an example of unification at a time when the other parties had made it a common rule to split up. In fact, there had been certain activities, which preceded the actual merging of the three main groupings.