Albania Leader Resigns After Election Loss

Ramiz Alia, a dedicated Communist turned reluctant reformer, resigned as president Friday after refusing to the end to acknowledge that communism has failed completely.

Alia, handpicked successor to dictator Enver Hoxha, said he will formally present his resignation to Parliament today at its first session since voters repudiated Albania’s Stalinist past in a March 22 election.

The opposition Democrats won more than 60% of the vote, while the Communists, renamed the Socialist Party, took less than 30%.

Alia, 66, presided over the transition of Albania from proud Stalinist loner to a nascent democracy.

Alia accepted defeat graciously, saying in a broadcast statement that he assumed the presidency of a newly democratic Albania a year ago “in the name of the people’s unity, political progress of the country and the consolidation of democracy.”

“For the same motive, now I am resigning.”

In an interview before last month’s elections, Alia said, “There is no doubt that under the socialist systems a lot of bad things occurred. . . . I am conscious of the fact that I have done wrong things.

“But I have also made my contribution.”

Alia said he had made his decision after consulting Democratic Party leader Sali Berisha and the head of the Socialists.