AT THE end of an election campaign in which an average of 15 people have been killed each day, Albania's Prime Minister, Mr Bashkim Fino, of the Socialist Party, has told The Irish Times he is prepared, if victorious, to allow members of the Democratic Party led by President Sali Berisha to join a new government.
He also said his government would make a strong push for membership of NATO. The Socialists, heirs to Europe's most authoritarian communist party, and the right wing Democratic Party, which was accused of massive vote rigging in the last election, have been bitter enemies since the fall of the country's communist government in 1991, and both have been predicting victory in recent days.
Mr Berisha survived an armed insurrection in March which was aimed at ousting him and is believed to have strong support in the north of the country. The Socialist heartland is in the south. Ironically Mr Berisha, whose policies are strongly anticommunist, is a former member of the Albanian Communist Party. Mr Fino, although a member of the Socialist Party, was never a member of the Communist Party from which it claims succession.
"Let us wait the outcome of the elections first," Mr Fino said. "At the moment there is an agreement for the participation in the next government between the Socialist Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Alliance. We are also open to the Democrats."
In an interview earlier this year, Mr Berisha told The Irish Times he was absolutely certain the Democrats would win, but Mr Fino expressed similar confidence in the Socialist Party. "The Socialists will win because the Democrats failed the economy which was based totally on pyramid schemes; it failed in building up democratic institutions, in foreign policy and so on."
While expected to do well in southern Albania, Mr Fino said: "The Socialist Party will win in the north, too. We have been enthusiastically received in many regions of the north. The northsouth division is a tactic employed by failed politicians."
In the absence of accurate opinion polls it is impossible to predict which of the two parties' claims is closer to the truth, but many observers fear a political partition of the country into the north, which supports Mr Berisha, and the pro Socialist south, where many towns are outside the control of central government.
On its position in Europe, Mr Fino said the new government would try "efficiently to use Partnership for Peace, deepen bilateral cooperation with NATO countries, restructure the army and use all political and geographical advantages in order to make NATO membership a reality.
"It will adopt legislation and adapt the market economy to EU standards. Albania will be assisted by the Council of Europe in all aspects of civic society in order to share internationally recognised values and democratic standards."
Assistance of a more material nature was expected from western countries in order to restore stability in Albania, Mr Fino said. The mainstay of sustained economic development was strong foreign investment, employment, the encouragement of small and medium sized businesses, modernisation of the infrastructure and revitalisation of domestic output.
"It goes without saying that the assistance and support of the international community will be of paramount significance. I think it has demonstrated its readiness. The preparatory meeting of international donor countries on May 26th in Rome and the subsequent conference to take place in autumn this year are strong `green lights' in this respect."
Mr Fino said his more immediate objective was to ensure tomorrow's elections are free and fair and a peaceful transfer of power takes place. The poll will be scrutinised by observers and monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Since the unrest of last March at least 1,500 Albanians have been killed in civil disturbances and family vendettas, while armed gangs have set up checkpoints to relieve travellers of their money and belongings. Security is provided by an Italian led multinational peace force whose mandate comes to an end just over a month after the elections.
Mr Fino said he hoped the situation would stabilise to the extent that the force would be able to depart without seeking a renewed mandate, adding that "public order is linked directly with the economic recovery of the country and security for foreign investment".
