Coming soon... ARBEN POPOCI The history of Serbian rule over Kosovo is an 80-year history. Kosovo, as a geographical term, is synonymous with Albanians in Yugoslavia, even though the territory where they live in the former Yugoslavia is much larger. There are many explanations for why Kosovo and most of its people have remained in Serbia and other states. The main reason is the inability of Albanians at decisive historical moments when borders in the Balkans were being created and recreated. The claim that Europe is to blame for not resolving the Albanian question does not hold up, first and foremost because no Albanian government has ever sent any official note to international institutions (the League of Nations or the United Nations) seeking recognition of the Albanian borders. Whatever the case may be, it is a fact that 3 million Albanians are now under Serbia (Macedonia), and while the Balkans are being “recomposed” once again, Albanians too must seize the opportunity to make corrections in their own favor. For demands to remedy “international injustices” cannot be raised whenever one chooses, but when circumstances allow it (war, the breakup of states, revolutions and changes, etc.). And now, with the breakup of Yugoslavia, Albanians too should naturally take what is theirs. Let us begin with the postwar period, when Albanians gradually gained certain rights within Yugoslavia. These were neither the result of Tito’s Yugoslavia’s benevolence nor the result of Albanians’ struggle for those rights, but rather a consequence of the balance of forces that created a Yugoslavia. The status granted to Albanians by the 1974 constitution was quite broad, almost equal to that of the other republics. The reason Serbia allowed Kosovo such a large degree of independence was the communist nature of the state itself, whose party centralization neutralized the confederalism contained in the constitution. And in communist states, as is well known, the constitution and the law were formalities compared with party decisions. When communism began to fall in Europe, Serbia hurried to abolish all the powers that the federal constitution granted Kosovo, and for this reason the end was delayed; Europe held free elections. The Albanians’ attempt to separate from Serbia institutionally came too late and was futile. There will be war... The current situation on the ground is as follows: the Serbs are trying to install lawful authority in Kosovo, but for now they are managing to establish an occupying police regime, with hardly any greater prospects, while the Albanians, making great sacrifices and challenging this authority, are trying to establish their own (parallel) governing bodies, in accordance with the free elections they held, despite some [unclear] even afterward. The establishment of parallel institutions makes it quite clear that this is precisely where the essence of the struggle lies: who Kosovo will belong to. Albanians must prove to the world that Serbia is no longer able to establish legal authority in Kosovo and, at the same time, that Serbia cannot stop Albanians from organizing their own government; the Serbs’ struggle is to prove to the world that they are able to establish legal authority in Kosovo and that, if it is taken away from the Albanians, they will not be able to organize a state. This struggle, on one front, has been lost by Serbia, because the authority that has been in Kosovo has been taken over to the fullest extent by nationalists who may come to Kosovo, and they are fully aware of this. They know that Albanians in Kosovo will never become loyal citizens of Serbia. The other struggle—whether Albanians are able to govern Kosovo themselves—is still ongoing, and the test of its [unclear] will be its [unclear], whether through war or peacefully, with their own forces or with the support of allies who will help them; it does not matter. What follows from this? Since the Serbs want Kosovo for themselves and know that it is impossible to make Albanians loyal citizens, even if they never start a war, they are aware that Kosovo with its Albanians is lost to them forever, whatever its status and whatever its autonomy. Therefore, they want Kosovo without Albanians. This is achieved through ethnic cleansing, peaceful or violent. There is “no doubt” that Serbia will try to do this by every means at its disposal. Why? Because if the peaceful method were to fail, it could not restart the war, for example, after 10 years; wars are not fought whenever one wants. Now it is lost, and Albanians are aware of this too. They will start a war in Kosovo to choose one of the two options definitively: either [unclear] or give it up (once and for all). Is it not afraid of the US and “the rest of the world”?

The CSCE High Commissioner, Van Der Stoel, who visited Albania, requested to visit Greece as well, with the aim of seeing the Albanian issues that Greece and Albania currently have. But Greece has closed its doors to the senior CSCE official, who was also tasked with examining problems concerning the realization of the rights of the Greek minority in Albania, while the Greek Government categorically refused the commissioner’s possible visit to Greece. From very reliable sources, the spokesperson emphasized, I can say that Van Der Stoel, although he requested to visit Greece, was unable to make the visit because the Greek Government refused. “Republika” Correspondent

Watch out! A drowning man will… G/1993 Watch out! A drowning man will drown…

The Socialist Party’s rally campaign has started again. The reason, as its propaganda says, is “to protest against the violation of opposition rights and individual freedoms, and to demand the protection of democracy and national interests.” The announcements of SP rallies in Tirana, Kuçovë and elsewhere were preceded by other speeches, such as Dokle’s historic outburst in Parliament and, especially, the statement by MP Kastrati Islami. Dokle presented, in the name of the parliamentary group, the platform in a condensed form of communist revanchism. For the first time, Dokle appeared with such a full dose of extremism. Immediately after him, the man of the stage, the supposedly moderate intellectual, appeared with an even greater dose of extremism. It seems that the newspaper Zëri i Popullit has also been put to work for Dokle and Islami. The first man’s speech in Parliament was preceded by dark slogans published in ZP, but written as ... These passages: “...”

Former Prime Minister Fatos Thanas Nano arrested It has been reported that on Friday the 30th, at 14:30, the chairman of the Socialist Party and former Prime Minister Fatos Thanas Nano was arrested. The charge against him is treason, a charge familiar to every Albanian. This action marks the first step against the red mafia, mired in massive corruption. Provocation for civil war A crowd of extremist thugs, numbering 200–300 and accompanied by a silent right-wing crowd, made up of SP members and supporters, left the square near Dinamo Stadium on Friday afternoon, led by SP leaders Gramoz Ruçi, Kastrio Islami and Namik Dokle, and [unclear] through the streets of Tirana. Although everything was illegal, the police did not intervene at all. The crowd openly provoked with fascist-style slogans calling for the democratic government to be seized by force. This event [unclear] the fact that communism is alive in Albania. Tirana: Communist terror? Citizen K. J. was recounting this incident to three unidentified people one afternoon, just two days after a mysterious explosion near the building of the People’s Assembly. They [unclear] from a car near the “Kasim” Directorate. As they themselves described [unclear] their victim, they reportedly said: “You will put Fatos Nano in prison, you [unclear].” If this call is true, the citizen’s fear and the explosion near Parliament occurred after Fatos Nano’s immunity was lifted and after several threats by other SP leaders through the newspaper “Zëri i popullit”.

Bombing in Italy: “Let’s attack democracy...” A car loaded with explosives blew up in Milan during the night of July 27. Two other explosions were carried out in Rome at almost the same time. As analysts point out, a climate of terror is growing. The Italian government condemned this “attempt at a comeback.” “This night of terror,” as Italian journalists described Wednesday’s events, is prompting Italians to ask what caused these attacks. “La Stampa” and other newspapers write that this terror “seeks to strike the government and the world with the ‘impossibility of governing Italy.’” The objective is clear, the newspapers write (“La Stampa”): “To attack democracy, which is struggling to change its rules, and the ruling class, and to prevent the truth about corruption scandals from coming out.” Other Italian politicians accused of corruption The former president of Montesidoni, Garofano, gave judges on Tuesday, in the “I want to clean up” investigation, the names of other politicians who had taken bribes. “Court sources, ANSA reports, add that the Milan Court is preparing numerous notices of criminal proceedings against politicians from the parties that form a governing coalition.” Tirana: Former minister Brokaj and missing aid Sabit Brokaj, former Minister of Health during the two years of the transition, until March 22, 1992, was accused by the newspaper “Rilindja demokratike” on July 28, 1993, of having been involved in the case of aid arriving from France. The matter concerns 400 tons of food and pharmaceutical goods that arrived from France at the time when Brokaj, now an MP and senior official of the Socialist Party, was Minister of Health. According to this newspaper, which cites a notice from the Supreme State Audit dated 20. 8. 1992, considerable quantities of this aid have gone missing, and Brokaj—the minister—and his senior associates, including Stefani from his cabinet, must have known about it. So far, there has been no official confirmation that Brokaj will be investigated according to the same criteria.

After Friday’s rally organized by the Socialist Party near Dinamo Stadium, the SP deputy chairman, MP and parliamentary group leader, N. Dokle, invited the rally participants to head for “Skënderbej” Square. Dokle’s calls, along with those of other legislators, “to the square, to the square,” were accompanied by gatherings in central Tirana. Apart from the extremist crowd, all of 200–300 people (the vast majority former party secretaries and former State Security employees) formed a “Skënderbej” group; crowds of [unclear] began shouting: “Down with the thieves! Thieves in prison!” In reality, there was no incident. Only Dokle, Iliputi Dokle, who came down to the square for the first time, tried to throw himself onto the square. Those who carried him on their backs may have been immediately disappointed by his weight. At the head of the crowd... When he begins, and [unclear] of his to finish first ... Besides, one foot standing? ... ARBEN POPOCI Tirana, July 29

The madwoman N. from Tirana was seen on Friday in front of the Prime Minister’s Office shouting: “A commission is being set up to verify assets. Two chairmen: honorary chairman Hajdin Sejdia, the other chairman ... the most honest ministers of stability; candidate for chairman Osman Murati. An organizing committee to save Albania is being formed.” At the head, General Kastror Islami. The point is that you’ve never seen Kastratini walking around Tirana before! Did you see, oh, did you see how he shouted: “Thugs out of politics!” Kastrati Islami is not a thug; he is a politician, an intellectual, and a scientist. Anything but a thug. N. answered him with [unclear] ... [unclear]. The scribbler of all the paths on foot! The Ballists have come down to Tirana. Two more detachments were seen in front of the “Zëri i Popullit” building. There was only no Conference. Only “In Tirana. Namik Dokle is somewhat [unclear] by a gentleman because he has shouted a lot against the Ballists. The Ballists invited Namik to a dialogue. He insulted them in the newspaper. Do you understand that Dokle insults, shouts and threatens because he wants to defend Fatos Nano? Does Fatos Nano know that he has not given Namik a penny from the aid? Others too think Namik is shouting to defend Fatos. Namik wants to become chairman, but K. Islami is making an even stronger push! They are watching to see who is next after Fatos... for chairman... not for prison. Ha, prison is far away, very far away; don’t listen to Sali Berisha shouting that he is Europe’s boss. In us, and [unclear] [?]...

THE EDITOR THE CHRONICLER