Vol. 522 No. 3
81 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the harassment of legitimate political parties now taking place in Albania, which has heightened tensions in the run-up to local elections due in October 2000; and if he will raise with the appropriate authorities in Albania the matter of the destruction of the offices and archives of the Albanian Green Party. [18573/00]
I am aware of a number of concerns in relation to the local elections in Albania including the harassment of legitimate political party activity to which the Deputy refers. For the last few years Albania has been prone to instability caused in part by the collapse of a fraudulent pyramid savings scheme under the Government of the former President Sali Berisha, now the leader of the largest Opposition party, the Democratic Party. Relations between the main Government and Opposition parties have been polarised, with the Democratic Party refusing to fulfil the role of an Opposition party. In spite of representations made to him by EU representatives Mr. Berisha still refuses to accept his role in Opposition and may boycott the elections entirely.
One other concern in relation to the local elections is the packing of the central election commission with the Socialist Party Government's own supporters. Of the eight members of the central election commission, seven are effectively nominees of the Socialist Party. The head of the OSCE presence in Albania, Ambassador Ahrens, has expressed concern at this, as have a number of EU member states represented in Tirana.
I will instruct our Ambassador in Athens, who is accredited to Albania, to ensure that the incident the Deputy refers to, as well as the other concerns I have mentioned, are raised with the Albanian authorities at the earliest opportunity.
