Fall of communism in Albania

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Fall of communism in Albania
Part of Revolutions of 1989
The toppling of Enver Hoxha's statue
in Skanderbeg Square, Tirana (February 20th 1991)
Date29 December 1989 – 22 March 1992
LocationAlbania
Eastern Bloc
USSR
Allied and satellite states
Related organizations
Dissent and opposition
Anti-Soviet partisans
Guerrilla war in the Baltic states
Protests and uprisings
Cold War events
Fall
Territory of former Eastern Bloc states with the years when their communist rule ended. For the former republics of the Soviet Union, years in which they declared independence.

The fall of communism in Albania, the last such event in

March 1991 elections left the Party of Labour in power, but a general strike and urban opposition led to the formation of a "stability government" that included non-communists. Albania's former communists were routed in elections in March 1992 amid economic collapse and social unrest, with the Democratic Party winning most seats and its party head, Sali Berisha
, becoming president.

Background

Socialist People's Republic of Albania for four decades, died on April 11, 1985. Ramiz Alia succeeded Hoxha as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour, and gradually introduced economic reforms and opened diplomatic ties with Western European countries.[3]

During the revolutions of 1989, many Albanians remained unaware of events because of state controlled information in the isolated country. Some Albanians did not know that the Berlin Wall had fallen in November 1989.[4]

In January 1990, the first revolts started in

Shkodra, where a few hundred people wanted to demolish Joseph Stalin's statue, and from there they spread to a few other cities. Eventually, the existing regime introduced some liberalization, including measures in 1990 providing for freedom to travel abroad
. Efforts were begun to improve ties with the outside world.

Helsinki Agreement which then forced conformity to Western European human rights
standards. Alia also organized a meeting with leading intellectuals of the time on ways to reform the Albanian political system. Under Alia, the first pluralist elections took place since the communists took power in Albania in 1944. Alia's party won the election of March 31, 1991.

Nevertheless, it was clear that the transition to democracy would not be stopped. Many leading members of the newly formed Democratic Party wore light trench coats during demonstrations, while Sali Berisha, then still a Party of Labour member, was heard thanking Ramiz Alia when addressing the students protests, and was seen driving around Skanderbeg Square with a government vehicle.[5][6] Meanwhile, a student demonstration was crushed by the state police in Tirana's Student City dormitories. Ramiz Alia invited a delegation of University of Tirana students to discuss their concerns and come up with a compromise.

The communists managed to retain control of the government in the first round of elections, but fell two months later during a general strike. A committee of "national salvation" took over but also collapsed within six months.[citation needed] Alia resigned as president and was succeeded by Berisha, the first democratically elected leader of Albania since Bishop Fan Noli.

Post-communist government

Main article: History of Post-Communist Albania

The change from communism to democracy evidently had many challenges. The Democratic Party had to implement the reforms it had promised, but they were either too slow or did not solve the nation's problems, resulting in people disappointed when their hopes for fast prosperity went unfulfilled. Many Albanians were also frustrated by Sali Berisha's growing authoritarianism, including pressure on the opposition, media and civil society.[7] In the general elections of June 1996, the Democratic Party tried to win an absolute majority and manipulated the results.[8]

The

OSCE special envoy Franz Vranitzky, the ruling and opposition parties agreed to form a Reconciliation Government and to hold new elections. To secure calm and to prevent an outward refugee flow, nine states contributed military forces to an international force called Operation Alba.[10]

The 1997 Albanian parliamentary elections in June brought the opposition Socialist Party (former communist party) to power, and it ruled under various prime ministers until 2005.[11] The Democratic Party won parliamentary elections in 2005 and 2009, and Albania was governed again by Sali Berisha, this time as prime minister. The Socialist Party won the elections in 2013, and is governed by its party head and Prime Minister Edi Rama.

According to the constitution, approved by referendum on November 22, 1998, promulgated on November 28, 1998, and amended in January 2007, Albania has a democratic system of government with separation of powers and protection of fundamental human rights.[12]

Since the end of communism, the country became more aligned towards the West than its, albeit unenthused, relations with Russia or China. Albania joined NATO in 2009 and is aiming to join the European Union in the future.

See also

References

  1. TV Klan
    .
  2. ^
    ISBN 978-0814705117
    .
  3. ^ Lami, Remzi. "Albania: nine years after". AIM Tirana. Archived from the original on August 3, 2003. Retrieved 21 November 2010.
  4. ISBN 9781845113087
    . Retrieved 2011-06-27.
  5. ^ Lenci lorenc (17 July 2009). "Sali Berisha cun i ri". Retrieved 21 March 2018 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ OLTIONPENGU (25 June 2009). "I Panjohuri". Retrieved 21 March 2018 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ Human Rights Watch, Human Rights in Post-communist Albania, March 1, 1996.
  8. ^ Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Parliamentary Elections 26 May and 2 June: Observations, July 2, 1996.
  9. ISBN 1840640707
    .
  10. ^ The nine participating states were: Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey.
  11. ^ "Final Report on Parliamentary Elections in Albania, 29 June 1997".
  12. ^ Constitution of the Republic of Albania.

Further reading

External links
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