With two more rounds (fourth and fifth) in August of the election marathon the ruling Socialists won the general elections. They won 73 seats (enough to create the government on their own), opposition Democratic Party and the Union for Victory coalition 46 seats, the New Democratic Party 6, Social Democrats 4, Human Rights Union Party, 3 Democratic Alliance 3, Agrarian Party 3 and independent MPs 2. The first session of the new parliament will be held on September 3.

Ilir Meta, the most successful Socialist Prime Minister, was re-elected to head the new government in a voting from 118 members of the party's leadership letting behind the other two candidates. Meta is still preparing his new cabinet.

The Socialists Party decided to continue its previous Alliance for State coalition with the other four minor parties - Social Democrats, Human Rights Union Party, Democratic Alliance and the Agrarian Party. Their MP votes will be needed next year to elect the new President, who has to be supported by three fifth, or 84 votes of the 140-seat parliament.

The party's leadership also elected Namik Dokle as the Speaker of the new parliament. Dokle has been an ever-present MP in the post-communist Albanian parliaments.

Albania's opposition led by former President Sali Berisha has accused the Socialists of manipulating the votes and their results. It has asked a re-run of the elections in at least 30 zones. Meanwhile it has said it does not recognize official results and it will not enter the parliament.

Many world leaders greeted Meta for his re-election, a clear sign of his support from the West. United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, German Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder, Greek Premier Costas Simitis and the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell have all hailed Meta's stand on the peacekeeping efforts in the region, especially to the last Macedonian crisis.

Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo greeted the signing of Macedonia’s Framework Agreement supporting its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and denouncing destabilization, ethnic violence. He considered it as "a decisive step for the conflict solution with political means."

Albanian government also considered as "un-based and hasty" Skopje accusation for supporting the "Albanian terrorists" adding it has been committed in strengthening the control of its borders with Macedonia, for which it has also invited NATO to take care.

NATO Supreme Commander General Joseph Ralston visited Albania where he said that, "NATO evaluates efforts from the Albanian government for securing peace and stability in the region." In a letter to the Albanian foreign minister NATO Secretary-General George Robertson also hailed Albania's efforts for peace in the region.

Mr. Eric Morris, Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for South East Europe, visited Albania august 1 where he met with all Albanian top officials and the UN heads of agencies. Mr. Morris obtained the Albanian government's view of the conflict in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia reviewing possible solutions and sharing the UNHCR's concerns.

In August UNHCR Branch Office Tirana continued to dispatch mobile teams in the border cities of Peshkopia and Pogradec to receive first hand information from police, local authorities and non-governmental organizations on the people from FYROM.

UNDP, UNFPA, UNHCR, IOM, other international institutions and 45 Albanian NGOs took part in Albania NGO Fair organized by Care International and held August 28 to share experience and establish or strengthen future cooperation among them.

In a public debate held in the afternoon on "Empowering civil society to reduce poverty" Etleva Vertopi held a speech on UNDP's efforts to reduce the extreme poverty through interventions at two levels, at the policy level, including at grassroots level channel, legal framework and state structures, and the other at the bottom-up intervention with the local NGOs.

Ms. Anna Stjarnerklint, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, and Mr. Leonard Soli, Minister of Health, signed a Letter of Commitment, about the regional project RER/01/001 “Partnership Against HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe, Baltic States and CIS”, funded by UNDP Regional Core and UNAIDS resources. The project is designed to enhance the capacity of governments and non-governmental organizations in the region to respond more effectively to the social, economic and governance dimensions of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In August UNDP programme of Small Grants of the Global Environment Fund (GEF/SGP) has undertaken some activities through different local NGOs.

Eco-Integration Retina Association in Lezhe held a seminar on the natural resources of the Berzane area. A picture exposition on aquatic values, biodiversity and other association activities was also opened.

In the context of the Protection of Natural Wealth at Patoku Lagoon and Surrounding Area project, the Association for Protection of Aquatic Wildlife held a roundtable on the environmental issues of the lagoon. Participants in the roundtable discussed on the illegal fishing, damage of the forest vegetation, erosion effects, illegal hunting, illegal tourist and commercial construction, rational use of the water resources for improving the supply to the local inhabitants, public awareness of the local population for the environment and biodiversity protection, and other issues.