The Party of Labour of Albania, as the Albanian Communist Party was renamed in 1948, changed its name to the Albanian Socialist Party in 1991 (Europa 1993, 1993, 293). During the transformation to the Socialist Party party membership was purged of "undesirable elements" and replaced with "new blood" (RFE/RL 15 Apr. 1994, 10). This process saw the membership drop from 147,000 in 1986 to about 100,000 in 1991; yet the Socialist Party remains the largest political party in the country (ibid.). The party's newspaper, Zeri i Popullit, has the largest circulation of any paper in the country and often criticizes the current government's policies (ibid.). Despite its size, the Socialist Party reportedly has little influence and is plagued by ineffectiveness caused by distrust between the old hard-line members and the new members (ibid., 11, 12).

Members of the Socialist Party leadership have been subjected to legal action on charges of corruption and other crimes committed while the party was in power (CSCE Jan. 1994, 7; RFE/RL 10 Sept. 1993, 30). For your information, several articles dealing with the trials of the former leadership of the party, including former prime minister Fatos Nano and former president Ramiz Alia, are attached.

In addition to the arrests and convictions of the party's leadership, members of the party and party supporters were allegedly subjected to excessive force and were arrested by police during pro-Socialist Party demonstrations in 1993 (CSCE Jan. 1994, 12; Amnesty International Oct. 1993, 1). On 30 July 1993, after the arrest of Fatos Nano, pro-Socialist demonstrators rallied in Tirana (RFE/RL 10 Sept. 1993, 30). The police moved in and clashes broke out resulting in the beating and arrest of several people (ibid.; Amnesty International Oct. 1993, 12). Amnesty International reports that supporters of the Socialist Party were also allegedly beaten by police during demonstrations on 9 and 23 May 1993 (Oct. 1993, 5-7).

Rallies were reportedly held in Tirana on 28 and 29 July 1994, one year after the demonstrations protesting Nano's arrest, in support of the Socialist Party and the former prime minister, who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison (TVSH 29 July 1994; TVSH 28 July 1994). During the rally on 28 July, police made several arrests (TVSH 28 July 1994). The rally the next day reportedly "lasted 35 minutes and ended calmly" (TVSH 29 July 1994).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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.

References

Amnesty International. October 1993. Albania: Human Rights Abuses by Police. (AI Index: EUR 11/05/93). London: Amnesty International Publications.

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). January 1994. Human Rights and Democratization in Albania. Washington, DC: CSCE.

The Europa World Year Book 1993. 1993. Vol. 1. London. Europa Publications.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute. 15 April 1994. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 3, No. 15. Louis Zanga. "Albania's Socialist Party: A Weak Giant."

_____. 10 September 1993. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 36. Louis Zanga and Robert Austin. "Albania's Growing Political Instability."

TVSH Television [Tirana, in Albanian]. 29 July 1994. "Rally Supports Nano." (FBIS-EEU-94-147 1 Aug. 1994, p. 4)

_____. 28 July 1994. "Former Communists Gather at Supreme Court." (FBIS-EEU-94-146 29 July 1994, p. 2)

Attachments

Amnesty International. October 1993. Albania: Human Rights Abuses by Police. (AI Index: ERUR 11/05/93). London: Amnesty International Publications.

Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE). January 1994. Human Rights and Democratization in Albania. Washington, DC: CSCE.

The Economist [New York]. 15 April 1994. "Albania: Just for Show."

The Europa World Year Book 1993. 1993. Vol. 1. London. Europa Publications, p. 293.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) Research Institute. 15 April 1994. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 3, No. 15. Louis Zanga. "Albania's Socialist Party: A Weak Giant," pp. 10-12.

_____. 7 January 1994. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 3, No. 1. Louis Zanga. "Albania: Signs of Progress, but Much Still to Be Done," pp. 103-105.

_____. 10 September 1993. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 2, No. 36. Louis Zanga and Robert Austin. "Albania's Growing Political Instability," pp. 27-32.

Reuters. 5 May 1994. "Last Albanian Communist President to Face Trial." (NEXIS)

_____. 3 April 1994. "Albanian Opposition Leader Jailed for 12 Years." (NEXIS)

TVSH Television [Tirana, in Albanian]. 29 July 1994. "Rally Supports Nano." (FBIS-EEU-94-147 1 Aug. 1994, p. 4)

_____. 2 July 1994. "Court Chairman Sentences Alia, Others." (FBIS-EEU-94-128 5 July 1994, p. 1)

_____. 2 July 1994. "Further on Verdicts." (FBIS-EEU-94-128 5 July 1994, pp. 1-2)

_____. 28 July 1994. "Former Communists Gather at Supreme Court." (FBIS-EEU-94-146 29 July 1994, p. 2)

_____. 27 May 1994. "Alia, Ex-Ministers Claim Innocence." (FBIS-EEU-94-104, 31 May 1994, p. 3).