Europe turns a blind eye to Albanian poll

Tirana - European governments have decided to turn a blind eye to reports of systematic vote-rigging in Albania's general election and in effect endorse the overwhelming but almost certainly fraudulent victory claimed by President Sali Berisha and his Democratic Party.

The elections were boycotted by all but one opposition party and roundly condemned by international observers, the foreign media, and human rights groups. The chairman of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Swiss Foreign Minister Flavio Cotti, yesterday spoke of "serious irregularities" and called for at least part of the election to be repeated.

But EU diplomats contacted in Tirana made clear that their countries would accept the election results with little more than a flicker of reluctance, preferring to safeguard their economic and strategic interests in Albania rather than speak out against abuses of human rights and due democratic process.

"Things are on course to continue. The second round of the election will take place on Sunday and the new parliament will assemble," one senior European diplomat said. "I don't think it would be helpful to do anything over-hasty. The Albanian people would not be served if we bring them turmoil, as we surely would if we criticise this election."

The diplomat sidestepped the criticisms aired by election observers, saying European governments would not react to the evidence of fraud until the OSCE published its final report in two weeks' time.

Many European countries, notably Italy and Germany, but Britain too, have been uncritical admirers of Mr Berisha for the past four years despite clear signs of growing authoritarianism.

In recent months it has become an ever more unholy alliance - Mr Berisha providing stability in his corner of the Balkans and slowly opening up foreign investment opportunities, and in return Europe doing nothing to stop him seizing control of the judiciary and cracking down on the opposition and the press.

Such indulgence has not been shared by the United States, which started out as an active Berisha fan but has gradually become more ambivalent. Yesterday, according to diplomats, Washington was considering whether to pull the plug on some of its aid and co-operation projects in Albania. A decision is expected next week.

According to opposition leaders and some foreign observers, it was Europe's support that emboldened Mr Berisha into thinking he could get away with rigging the election. When the polling clearly went awry, and especially after police brutally broke up a peaceful opposition rally on Tuesday, European governments became acutely embarrassed and hinted that they might at last take some concrete action.

But that embarrassment appears to have faded with remarkable speed, helped by a presidential statement on Wednesday night promising to launch a full investigation into Tuesday's rally and ordering a re-run of the election in three constituencies where the manipulation was most blatant - scarcely enough to right the wrongs committed, but a gesture to save faces all round.

An EU ambassador yesterdaydescribed the opposition as "irresponsible" for protesting against the election publicly and suggested everyone "take a deep breath and calm down". Britain's chief interests are in oil exploration, financial services and construction, "all reasons to be pro-Berisha", according to one non-UK diplomatic source.

The failure of the international community to stand by democratic principles is having its effect on the ground. Albanians terrified by the presence of thugs with guns on the streets have not dared stage public protests of any great size, although there have been some clashes with police in opposition strongholds in the south.

Moreover, there are signs that Mr Berisha is planning to offer the opposition some extra seats in parliament, and that the opposition might accept. So far, 95 of the 140 seats have gone to the Democratic Party, five to the main opposition party, the Socialists, and two to the Ethnic Greeks, with 38 to be announced.