A 23 September 2000 Rilindja Demokratike article states:

The Democratic Party [PD] protested yesterday against the political decision taken by Prime Minister Meta and Public Order Minister Poci to ban the PD meeting scheduled in Skanderbeg Square on 29th September 2000. The PD had declared the date of its closing meeting as early as 2nd September, and yet 29th September has intentionally been assigned to the [ruling] Socialists' meeting. "This is the final act of those in power, after blocking all the halls in which the PPD and the Forum of the Youth of the Democratic Party had asked to carry out their meetings," [PD spokesman Edi] Paloka said yesterday. Paloka added that the PD sees this move as a violation of the fundamental rights of the opposition, as well as an open provocation and incitement to confrontation. "Although they were informed about PD's meeting one month beforehand, Meta and Poci decided to bring the Socialists out on the square, and this clearly indicates that they are asking for a confrontation," Pakola stressed.

No additional information on the situation of members of the Youth Forum of the Democratic Party in Albania could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

Rilindja Demokratike [Tirana, in Albanian]. 23 September 2000. "Opposition Party Says it Will Ignore Police Ban on Rally in Capital." (BBC Summary 27 Sept. 2000/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

NEXIS/LEXIS

Internet sites including:

Albanian Helsinki Committee

Albania Online

Amnesty International

Balkan Human Rights Web Pages

BBC News Online

Le Courrier des Balkans

Democratic Party of Albania

Derechos Human Rights

Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Oneworld Online

Political Parties and Youth Organizations in Albania

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

World News Connection