ALBANIA: AT LEAST ONE PERSON KILLED AS SHOOTING BREAKS OUT AT MARCH BY ALBANIAN MONARCHISTS IN TIRANA
Record ID:
324553
ALBANIA: AT LEAST ONE PERSON KILLED AS SHOOTING BREAKS OUT AT MARCH BY ALBANIAN MONARCHISTS IN TIRANA
- Title: ALBANIA: AT LEAST ONE PERSON KILLED AS SHOOTING BREAKS OUT AT MARCH BY ALBANIAN MONARCHISTS IN TIRANA
- Date: 3rd July 1997
- Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (JULY 3, 1997) (RTV(A)/RTV - ACCESS ALL) (RTV(A) - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV PRO-MONARCHY DEMONSTRATORS CHANTING IN SQUARE, TRUCK CARRYING FLAG-WAVING DEMONSTRATORS 0.05 2. LV KING LEKA I WALKING THROUGH CROWD, SOME WITH WEAPONS 0.12 3. SCU SUPPORTERS CHANTING PRO-MONARCHY SLOGANS 0.15 4. SLV KING LEKA ON PODIUM WITH LOUD HAILER FACING CROWD 0.19 5. SV CHANTING CROWD WITH FLAGS 0.23 6. SCU/SV KING LEKA ON PODIUM/ ARMED GUARD (2 SHOTS) 0.34 7. TRACK KING LEKA WALKING THROUGH CROWD OF SUPPORTERS 0.41 8. TRACK LANDROVER WITH GUNMEN ON ROOF THROUGH SQUARE 0.53 9. WS CROWD OF DEMONSTRATORS ARRIVING OUTSIDE CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION, CHANTING (2 SHOTS) 0.59 10. LV/SLV/PAN GUNFIRE BREAKS OUT, PEOPLE ON GROUND, POLICEMAN FIRING FROM CORNER OF BUILDING 1.24 11. GV PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COVER, AUDIO MORE GUNFIRE 1.32 12. LV ROYALIST SUPPORTERS, SOME ARMED, IN STREET 1.35 13. SLV POLICEMAN TAKING AIM 1.36 14. TRACK PEOPLE CARRYING WOUNDED AND HEAVILY BLEEDING MAN DOWN ROAD (2 SHOTS) 1.52 15. LV DEMONSTRATORS IN STREET 1.56 16. SLV EXTERIOR KING LEKA RESIDENCE/ GUARD (2 SHOTS) 2.00 17. SLV/CU INTERVIEWER WITH KING LEKA/BERRET 2.11 18. SV KING LEKA I SAYING WE ARE FAIRLY CONVINCED,IN FACT ENTIRELY CONVINCED, THAT THE MONARCHY HAS HAD A RESOUNDING SUCCESS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THE FACT THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO MANIPULATE THIS VOTE SHOWS ITS OWN STANCE (ENGLISH) 2.31 19. SCU/SV KING LEKA I SAYING I'M ONLY RESPONDING TO THE LOYAL PEOPLE. IF THERE IS ANY MORE DEMONSTRATIONS I WILL BE OUT THERE WITH THEM (ENGLISH) (2 SHOTS) 2.48 20. GV PRO-MONARCHY SUPPORTERS GATHERING IN SQUARE EARLIER IN THE DAY 2.53 21. LV/SV ARMED PRO-MONARCHISTS (2 SHOTS) 3.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 18th July 1997 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
- City:
- Country: Albania
- Reuters ID: LVA83WIIWLPWMTC38ZO6C266SXII
- Story Text: INTRO: One person has been killed and and at least one other seriously injured after gunfire erupted during a march by Albanian monarchists in their capital Tirana.
The incident occured five days after an election which is set to catapult the Socialists into power.
Supporters of King Leka I were on Thursday (July 3) protesting against the results of a referendum held alongside the election in which voters appeared to oppose re-instating the monarchy.
As they massed around the central election commission still compiling the results of the vote, shooting broke out and at least four hand grenades exploded, sending marchers, bystanders and journalists scattering for cover.
The public prosecutor was quoted by the official ATA news agency as saying one person was killed and one injured.
With results from more than 20 of 115 districts still unknown from Sunday's first round, the European envoy who helped stage the vote, Former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky, said the election process was under threat.
Vranitzky, head of an Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission overseeing the vote, was due to return to Tirana on Friday. He blamed lack of co-operation from electoral officials "seemingly due to political interference".
Outside the election commission, witnesses saw several people pointing pistols in the air as Leka strode through the crowd, dressed in fatigues and a grey beret. He was carrying two pistols of his own.
The first crack of gunfire sparked at least 10 minutes of shooting, which appeared to be mostly in the air. But it was unclear who was behind the firing.
The monarchists had marched from Skanderbeg Square down Tirana's main boulevard to converge on election headquarters. They had been shouting slogans against Socialist leader Fatos Nano, whose party looked set for a landslide win in the poll.
Leka, son of Albania's last king, Zog, maintains that there is solid support for the monarchy throughout Albania, and that the government and the election commission has interfered with the results.
He told reporters after the shooting that the support for the monarchy had been "resounding", and reached a broad spectrum of people throughout the country.
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