ALBANIA: PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA TRIES TO WIN BACK POPULAR SUPPORT скачать в хорошем качестве

ALBANIA: PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA TRIES TO WIN BACK POPULAR SUPPORT

(19 Feb 1997) English/Nat Albanian President Sali Berisha has launched a charm offensive in a bid to win back popular support from angry investors who have lost money in fraudulent pyramid schemes. During a visit to Lushnja Tuesday, Berisha said he would do away with taxes for two years to help people in the region recover from their losses. But there were more demonstrations in the capital Tirana Wednesday, when Albania's largest pyramid scheme announced that no interest would be paid on any investments. Protesters gathered outside of one of the VEFA outlets in Tirana Wednesday, after Albania's largest pyramid investment scheme announced that no interest would be paid on any investments. The crowd began shouting and jeering when the announcement was made. VEFA and its depositors are the latest victims in the collapse of Albania's get-rich-quick investment schemes. The scheme had already cut the interest rate on private investments before the \"no interest\" announcement was made. Some analysts believe the VEFA collapse will mean violence in Tirana on the scale experienced in Vlora. Meanwhile, Albanian President Sali Berisha has launched a charm offensive in a bid to win back popular support from angry investors who have lost money in fraudulent pyramid schemes. During a visit to Lushnja Tuesday, Berisha said he would do away with taxes for two years to help people in the region recover from their losses. After lying low for weeks, Berisha admitted he had made mistakes but called on investors to take their share of the blame for gambling on the dubious schemes. But Berisha said he was optimistic about Albania's economic future. SOUNDBITE: (English) \"(Q What did you tell the people?) I told the people... they put to me very many questions... I tried to explain what they asked me. I assured them that with a very realistic economical programme, we'll succeed in a short time to overcome difficulties created by these schemes, the schemes which were to be left. Definitely, being a fast model of development, Albania soon will have a new push on the economic development and a fast development country. Thank you.\" SUPER CAPTION: Sali Berisha, Albanian President Despite apparent support from those who listened to Berisha's address inside Lushnja city hall, he was booed and whistled by the crowds outside as he left. Meanwhile, demonstrations against the collapsed pyramid savings schemes continued in Vlora Tuesday. Protesters marched through the streets, with banners reading \"Down with Government\" and \"We Want Our Money\". There is clearly still a lot of anger in the town. Vlora's mayor and opposition politicians have united to demand the resignation of Berisha's Democrat government by Thursday. Otherwise, the city's eight national legislators, seven of them Democrats, including the mayor, have threatened to boycott parliament. Berisha is due to visit Vlora, a port city where three people died in violent protests last week, as part of his tour of the country. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...