HOUSTON CHRONICLE: TIRANA, Albania — Albania's last communist president Ramiz Alia — credited with opening one of the world's most isolationist political systems to democracy — has died. He was 85.
Mimoza Kociu, a spokeswoman for president Bamir Topi, said Alia died at about 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) of lung complications.
Alia assumed leadership of the communist party in 1985 following the death of his longtime friend, dictator Enver Hoxha. Following a series of massive student protests, he introduced political and economic reforms that paved the way for the country's first free elections in 1991. » | AP | Friday, October 07, 2011
NZZ ONLINE: Früherer albanischer Präsident Alia gestorben: Erster frei gewählter Präsident des Landes » | ddp | Freitag 07. Oktober 2011
WIKI: Ramiz Tafë Alia »
