World Notes Albania

Despite their landslide victory in Albania's first free elections last spring, the old communist rulers have had trouble holding on to power as the wave of reform sweeps over Europe's poorest and most isolated country. Reincarnated as the Socialist Party, they were forced by a rash of strikes to enter into a coalition with the opposition Democratic Party in June. Last week Democratic leader Sali Berisha charged his governing partners with "attempting to create a neodictatorship" and pulled his seven ministers out of the 21-member Cabinet.

In a further sign of communist disarray, the widow of Enver Hoxha, the Stalinist who founded and presided over the original dictatorship for 41 years, was arrested on charges of corruption. Although bringing to book Nexhmije Hoxha, a powerful figure in her own right, was high on the opposition's agenda, the arrest came too late to keep the government together as the Democrats demanded that elections be held as early as next month. Given the social unrest exacerbated by drastic economic reforms, the Democrats are confident that this time they will oust the communists once and for all.