Albanian Candidate Vows To Kill President

On the eve of today’s parliamentary election, a rebel leader running for office vowed to help bring criminals to justice and to kill President Sali Berisha.

The promise and the threat, delivered practically in the same breath, reflect the tenor of Albania’s bizarre election campaign. Political rivals have alternated violent attacks with bombastic speeches, trying to win public confidence to pull the country out of months of chaos.

The elections were planned as the first step in restoring order in Albania, where Berisha’s Democrats and the Socialist-led opposition are vying with each other - and with armed gangs - for control of the country.

Violent protests over failed investment schemes degenerated into armed revolt across the country in the spring. Hundreds of thousands of guns were looted from government armories and more than 1,500 people have been killed.