ALBANIA: SHKRODA: PRESIDENT SALI BERISHA ADDRESSES RALLY

(22 Feb 1997) English/Nat The Albanian President, Sali Berisha, addressed a rally in the northern town of Shkroda on Saturday, in the latest bid to revive his political fortunes. In front of a selected crowd of supporters, the President promised government help for the thousands of Albanians who lost money in pyramid investment schemes. The mood was less amicable in the city of Vlora, where thousands marched in support of 60 students who are on hunger strike. The crowd demanded the resignation of the government. With his country slipping into bankruptcy and his government on the edge of collapse, Albanian President Sali Berisha needed to see a few happy faces. He got them in Shkroda -- even if all the delegates were specifically selected for Saturday's rally. Two thousand people gathered in a small sports arena - promising tax-free status for the area and financial assistance for people who lost their homes in pyramid investments. Shkodra was once a Democratic Party stronghold but the ruling party lost the run-down industrial city in local elections last year. The rightist coalition that governs Shkodra has joined those calling for the government of Prime Minister Aleksander Meksi to resign. Berisha once again acknowledged that the government bore responsibility for the pyramid schemes - But he again skirted demands for the government's resignation. The President has made similar pledges in other Albanian cities such as Vlora - but with little effect. On Saturday, the citizens of Vlora came out for their 18th day of protest. The demonstration stopped at the university, to show solidarity with 60 hunger-striking students. SOUNDBITE (English) "The requests are the resignation of Aleksander Meksi's government as it is unable to handle the difficult, current situation and because it is responsible for the people being cheated" SUPERCAPTION: Tanja Preca, hunger striking student The hunger strikers began their protest on Thursday to underscore demands for a new government of technocrats to resolve the crisis. They also want the eight Parliamentary deputies representing the town to withdraw from the legislature - as they had promised to do if the government did not resign. Pressure has been mounting on both sides of the conflict, as the government struggles to maintain control of increasingly violent protesters. The government halted soccer matches last month due to fears that the gathering of so many spectators could erupt into anti-government protests. Berisha has accused the opposition of taking advantage of the financial crisis, while opposition leaders blame Berisha and his Democratic Party government for not having put the brakes on the unstable investment schemes. The pyramid schemes were tempting lures to a population which had high hopes in the freedom of capitalism dreams after the fall of its hard-line Stalinist regime in 1990. 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...