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Albanians

gear up for

poll campaign

TIRANA: Albania's political parties on Friday gear up for the ex-communist country's third free parliamentary elections called for May 26.

The election will be a fight for power between the ruling conservative Democratic Party of President Sali Berisha and the main opposition Socialists -- successors of the hardline communist party which ruled Albania for 45 years.

The Democrats aim to set up an electoral alliance, the "Union for Democracy", with smaller rightist and centre parties to try to prevent the Socialists from winning power.

"What we intend to do in the future for Albania will form the main part of our election campaign," Democratic Party youth leader Afrim Krasniqi said.

The Democrats ousted the Socialists in a landslide victory in Albania's last general election in March 1992, winning 92 seats in the 140-member parliament to the Socialists' 38.

The Socialists were expected to rally around their jailed leader Fatos Nano and repeat charges the Democrats manipulated the judiciary to ensure Berisha's rival stayed behind bars.-Reuter