draft constitution was rejected by
popular referendum in the fall of 1994 and a new draft is pending

Legal system: has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Executive branch:
chief of state: President of the Republic Sali BERISHA (since 9 April
1992)
head of government: Prime Minister of the Council of Ministers
Aleksander Gabriel MEKSI (since 10 April 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
People's Assembly (Kuvendi Popullor): elections last held 22 March
1992; results - DP 62.29%, ASP 25.57%, SDP 4.33%, RP 3.15%, UHP 2.92%,
other 1.74%; seats - (140 total) DP 92, ASP 38, SDP 7, RP 1, UHP 2
note: 6 members of the Democratic Party defected making the present
seating in the Assembly DP 86, ASP 38, SDP 7, DAP 6, RP 1, UHP 2

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: there are at least 28 political
parties; most prominent are the Albanian Socialist Party (ASP;
formerly the Albania Workers Party), Fatos NANO, first secretary;
Democratic Party (DP); Albanian Republican Party (RP), Sabri GODO;
Omonia (Greek minority party), Sotir QIRJAZATI, first secretary;
Social Democratic Party (SDP), Skender GJINUSHI; Democratic Alliance
Party (DAP), Neritan CEKA, chairman; Unity for Human Rights Party
(UHP), Vasil MELO, chairman; Ecology Party (EP), Namik HOTI, chairman

Member of: BSEC, CCC, CE (guest), EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT
(nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Lublin Hasan DILJA
chancery: Suite 1010, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 223-4942, 8187
FAX: [1] (202) 628-7342

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LAKE
embassy: Rruga E. Elbansanit 103, Tirane
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 100 (A), APO AE 09624
telephone: [355] (42) 328-75, 335-20
FAX: [355] (42) 322-22

Flag: red with a black two-headed eagle in the center

@Albania:Economy

Overview: An extremely poor country by European standards, Albania is
making the difficult transition to a more open-market economy. The
economy rebounded in 1993-94 after a severe depression accompanying
the collapse of the previou