Albanian Socialists start landmark reform congress .
TIRANA 1996-08-24
Albania 's opposition Socialist Party began a two-day congress on Saturday to discuss major jettisoning its links with almost half a century of Stalinist dictatorship in the Balkan country .
" The congress will approve new concepts that will turn the party into a Social-Democratic and electoral party , not a class and ideological one , " the Socialist Zeri i Popullit daily said in an editorial .
Jailed Socialist leader Fatos Nano made the first call for change in July , a month after the party 's chief opponents , the conservative Democrats of President Sali Berisha , almost swept the board in a disputed general election .
The Socialists , reformed heirs to the communists , pulled out of the poll saying it was a sham .
Acting Socialist leader Servet Pellumbi has said he too will urge the party to scrap the ideas of Karl Marx at the congress .
The pro-reform stance of some of the party leadership initially caused a storm and triggered the resignation last month of the party 's Secretary-General Gramoz Ruci .
More recently political commentators have reported a growing consensus , however , and a rift at the meeting looks increasingly unlikely .