[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 87 (Thursday, June 21, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1174]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CALLING ATTENTION TO UPCOMING ALBANIAN ELECTIONS

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                             HON. ZACH WAMP

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 21, 2001

  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the Congress' attention 
to the electoral campaign currently underway in Albania. Albania 
overthrew its communist government in the early 1990's. Sadly, the 
current socialist government seems to be repeating the authoritarian 
actions of the communists.
  Albanians will go to the polls on June 24th to cast their votes for 
parliament. Recently, the Washington-based National Democratic 
Institute for International Affairs sent an observer team to Albania. 
In their report, the delegation wrote that many citizens are not fully 
aware of the voter roll verification procedures and some voters may 
ultimately be unable to exercise their right to vote.
  The democratic opposition coalition, the Union for Victory, has made 
numerous appeals to the election commission and the ruling party to 
correct the many flaws in the voter rolls. To this day, those appeals 
have gone unanswered. The election commission, comprised of socialist 
party appointees has turned a deaf ear to democracy. The Albanian 
people deserve better.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in watching carefully the unfolding 
events in Albania.

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