Subscribers Only
Tirana, January 28, 2011 NOA - Socialist Party will hold a march on Friday to mark the shooting deaths of three anti-government protesters a week ago despite repeated calls by the international community to cancel it.
Concerned over possible violence, the EU, the U.S. and the Organisation for Security and Coooperation in Europe (OSCE) appealed to the Socialists to reconsider holding the procession.
The European Union urged Albania's government and opposition on Wednesday to act to restore calm after three anti-government protesters were shot dead last week. [nLDE70P2DH]
Reinforcing the EU's message, on Thursday the OSCE pressed Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Socialist leader Edi Rama to resume dialogue to help Albania get back on the European track.
"I urged them and I am going to urge all the parties to lower the tone of political debate since hate speech, harsh language leads to converting these peaceful demonstrations and rallies to manifestations of violence," said Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Evaldas Ignatavicius.
"Both sides committed to abstain from violence in the coming days and weeks in the events planned to be held in Tirana," Ignatavicius, representing the OSCE, told reporters.
In an evening appeal to supporters, Rama invited supporters to dress in mourning and bring flowers and candles to honour the dead. "It is our deep belief that not only the procession tomorrow but our peaceful resistance has not and will have not any links to violence," Rama said late on Thursday in an address to Albanian citizens and the EU, OSCE and U.S. envoys.
Rama called for "respect and solidarity" for the police.
"We want to unite people, we do not want to divide anyone."
The demonstrators' deaths on Friday outside the main government building marked some of the worst social unrest since the late 1990s in Albania, a NATO member.
