- Title: ALBANIA: ALBANIANS VOTE ON CONTROVERSIAL NEW CONSTITUTION
- Date: 6th November 1994
- Summary: TIRANA, ALBANIA (NOVEMBER 6, 1994) (REUTERS TELEVISION - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS REFERENDUM BANNER OVER STREET 0.02 2. GV POSTERS IN FAVOUR OF CONSTITUTION 0.13 3. GV CROWD WAVING/ PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA SPEAKING TO CROWD/ CROWD (3 SHOTS) 0.28 4. GV SOLDIERS VOTING NEAR TIRANA (3 SHOTS) 0.56 5. WS REFERENDUM BANNER 0.58 6. GV BERISHA VOTING, AND SAYING "WE ARE CARRYING OUT TODAY THE GREATEST ACT OF CREATION IN THE HISTOY OF ALBANIA. THE VERDICT, WILL AND IDEALS OF THE FREE PEOPLE WILL TRIUMPH IN ALBANIA ON THIS BLESSED DAY."/ (ALBANIAN) 1.37 7. GV BERISHA GREETING PEOPLE OUTSIDE POLLING STATION 1.50 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 21st November 1994 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TIRANA, ALBANIA
- City:
- Country: Albania
- Reuters ID: LVA8JHA4MFETAW2CY8ND2QY521A2
- Story Text: Albanians voted on Sunday (November 6) in a referendum on a controversial new constitution, marking the first major challenge to President Sali Berisha's ruling Democratic party.
The constitution would establish Albania as a democratic republic with a market economy and guarantee private property, freedom of religion and the separation of judicial, executive and legislative powers.
Although voting was generally incident-free, Mark Gjin Prenga a member of a local Democratic election committee in Vig, northern Albania, was stabbed and killed outside a polling booth. His alleged assailant was believed to support the opposition Socialist party which called for a rejection of the constitution.
Polling stations closed after an estimated 70 percent of the two million eligible voters had cast ballots, the central election committee said.
Berisha, who came to power in March 1992. said a "yes" vote for the constitution would lay firm foundations for Albania's democratic future. But the Socialist party argued that the new constitution could lead to another authoritarian regime.
The final referendum result is unlikely to emerge for several days because of poor communications in the rugged Balkan country, now emerging from four decades of Stalinist communist rule.
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