From: clarinews@clarinet.com (SHKELQIM BEQARI)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.election,clari.news.hot.east_europe,biz.clarinet.sample
Subject: Sali Berisha elected Albanian president
Keywords: international, non-usa government, government, election, politics
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:52:01 GMT
Followup-To: biz.clarinet.sample
Location: albania
ACategory: international
Slugword: albania-president
Priority: regular
Format: regular
ANPA: Wc: 557; Id: z4058; Sel: xxigf; Adate: 4-9-1250ped
Codes: yigfrxx., yiperad.


	TIRANA, Albania (UPI) -- Sali Berisha, a cardiologist who spearheaded
democratic reforms in Europe's sole remaining Communist-led nation, was
elected president Thursday by Albania's new parliament.
	With the vote, virtually assured by his Democratic Party's victory in
last month's parliamentary elections, the 48-year-old Berisha became the
first non-communist president of Albania in more than 50 years.
	Ninety-six of the 132 parliamentarians present Thursday voted for
Berisha, the only candidate presented. Thirty-five parliamentarians,
mostly members of the opposition Socialist Party, the former Communists,
voted against him, and one abstained.
	Tears coursed down Berisha's face as he acknowledged the vote.
	``Thanks, and I'll serve my people,'' Berisha told a group of
reporters after the vote.
	Berisha emerged as head of Albania's first opposition party after
student-led anti-government demonstrations in December 1990, and
directed the opposition until the Democratic Party's election victory
March 22.
	Albania's last Communist president, Ramiz Alia, with his party badly
defeated in the vote for parliament, resigned last week. Alia lost
support amid Albania's deteriorating economy.
	Berisha, a 1967 graduate of Tirana Medicine Faculty, was Albania's
most well-known cardiologist, even treating Politburo members.
	Although he was a member of the Albania's communist Party of Labor
for 18 years, the charismatic father of two won widespread support in
Albania through his leadership of the opposition.
	``We proposed Sali Berisha as the new president due to his
contribution and because he is the most suitable man for the country,''
said Eduard Selami, deputy chairman of the Democratic Party, an expected
candidate for Berisha's now-vacant party leadership post.
	Berisha's candidacy was proposed by a group of parliamentarians from
the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Social Democratic
Party.
	After a heated debate, the parliament Thursday also passed a law that
expands the president's rights.
	The president will now have the right to appoint and dismiss the
prime minister and the minister of public order, and to organize
referendums and be present at Cabinet meetings.
	Democratic parliamentarians said privately that greater presidential
powers would prevent Communist forces, such as the secret police in the
Ministry of Public Order, from maintaining their powers as Albania moves
toward democracy and a free-market economy.
	``The country needs a proper executive president and not a puppet,''
said Bashkim Kopliku, a Democratic Party parliamentarian.
	But the Socialists opposed the extension of the president's powers,
saying it could lead to a new dictatorship, just like under the
Communists.
	They said they also feared it would paralyze the parliament.
	``Albania needs a parliamentary republic and not a strong and one-
color president,'' said Gramoz Ruci, a socialist parliamentarian.
	Berisha's election was one of the first substantive votes by the new
parliament, which was convened Saturday.
	It voted Wednesday to remove all Communist elements from national
symbols, among them the star above the black double-headed eagle and the
star from the caps of army soldiers.
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