Paul Wood: "[Mr Berisha says] he would continue to fight the government from jail if necessary"

The government accuses Mr Berisha of fomenting two days of rioting in the capital, Tirana, earlier this week.

The committee, in its meeting attended by international officials, decided against removing the immunity of five allies of Mr Berisha, pending further evidence.

David Loyn: "Many Albanians are discontented with the pace of change"

The committee's decision needs the approval of the full assembly. It has not been announced when the parliament will convene, but according to a report the Albanian MPs will vote on lifting Mr Berisha Friday.

Government set to prosecute Berisha

Security is tight around Tirana following recent events

A BBC correspondent in Tirana says that all signs are that the governing Socialist coalition is prepared to ignore international concern that prosecuting Mr Berisha might lead to more unrest.

A government source said there was pressure from international officials to come up with a lesser charge against Mr Berisha in order to avoid further instability.

If Mr Berisha is found guilty, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Our correspondent says that the fact that Mr Berisha was singled out along among the Democratic Party leadership signals his greatly weakened position.

His enemies are already writing his political obituary, saying that he gambled on the government's inability to maintain order and lost when it managed to hang onto power.

Berisha defiant

Sali Berisha has called for daily nation-wide protests

Meanwhile the former Albanian president remained defiant. As the committee was debating his parliamentary immunity, he was leading a march of supporters of his Democratic Party, in the capital Tirana.

Correspondents say the marchers appeared to be unarmed.

Mr Berisha vowed to continue to call daily protests until the prime minister Fatos Nano resigns.

But he said he has "learned a lot from the past" and he "never never will quit the idea of reconciliation".

Sali Berisha: "There is no doubt, I showed in the past that I was a man of great flexibility"

Mr Berisha has described plans to prosecute him as involved in an attempted coup, as "an act of madness and real national betrayal which shows the determination of Fatos Nano to destroy the opposition and the whole of Albania."

Government 'not to negotiate'

The debate follows the re-emergence of Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who came out of hiding on Wednesday to declare that his government will never give in to terrorism following armed rioting in the capital this week.

Fatos Nano determined to defend the constitution

Speaking to reporters after spending several days at a secret location, he appeared to rule out negotiations with the opposition to end the crisis.

It is out of the question "to negotiate with terrorists who refuse to surrender their weapons," he said.

He said the government was determined to defend the legal and constitutional order.