Albanian Orthodox priests must choose between their Fatherland and Greek chauvinism Janullatos has come here in order to leave. One day he will leave in one of the usual ways, as occupiers leave. Albanian priests and the great ideal of the Albanian who must keep Albanian Orthodoxy standing will remain in Albania. In the history of the Albanian Autocephalous Church, built with so many sacrifices and martyrs, the Albanian Orthodox priests who took on the great mission of restoring it after the communist dictatorship bear the great historical responsibility of entering its book as the saviors or gravediggers of the great work of Albanian patriots. The temporary man who took over the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church has now exceeded his term of office, both in time and professionally, and has launched an offensive to carry out the political mandate given to him by the Greek state as well. Orthodox Christians. His murky ties with Greece’s most ultranationalist forces, his clearly demonstrated mission—especially in the letters that the leaders of the Greeks of Albania sent to the Greek prime minister when he was trying to take over the Albanian Church—and his negative role during the period of tension in Albanian-Greek relations are sufficient grounds to prove that he is not here as a messenger of God, but as a political representative of Greek Orthodoxy, whose platform is at the heart of Greek “on alshovinizmit” [sic]. Anastas Janullatos has repeatedly stirred up tensions in relations between the two countries during otherwise peaceful periods, thus becoming a promoter of permanent tension between Albania and Greece. It is enough to recall that only a short time after the victims of the Greek gangs in Peshkëpi had been buried, in order to deflect attention from the crime committed by the Greek side, Janullatos encouraged the Greek state to issue protest notes because his wishes to hold a demonstration at the “Skënderbej” Shrine had not been fulfilled. A year ago, when Athens provoked a new tension in relations because the Albanian state had taken a correct stance toward an armed member of Janullatos’s [sic]. MERO BAZE (continued on page 2) Vili Klaes on course for Vërner’s post

Almost a month after the crisis began amid worsening Albanian-Greek relations, the members of the European Union formulated, for the first time in the context of these relations, a threat (so often repeated in the context of relations between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia): Greece must correct its policy toward Albania. The Westerners’ demand, including that of the United States of America, was voiced precisely when Athens adopted Cold War principles by closing its borders (after categorically refusing the dialogue repeatedly urged by the Albanian side) and re-blocking the aid package that the EU grants to Albania. “Greece must be careful not to use its policy toward Albania to punish the European Union,” declared the Foreign Minister of Germany, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency. The head of German diplomacy even warned that Greek policy would have to change not only toward Albania, but throughout the region. This is not the first time that the Greek side has “al-aletë” [sic] the West; Greece’s Western partners have advised Greece on its stance toward Albania. Bilateral interventions by EU members to defuse tension in the southern Balkans took on a new dimension, conditioned by Greece’s insistence on a path of blockades rather than cooperation in the Balkans, including with Macedonia and Albania. The demand by EU members, reflected at the latest meeting of foreign ministers in Upsedon (Germany), is no longer diplomatic advice in the friendly spirit of the EU; in reality, this demand is a threat to Greece. The effects of the advice and the “friendly spirit” appear to be worthless for the time being, as [text unclear]. Greece was threatened by the European Union precisely when it renewed its veto to block aid for Albania. Information and Press Minister Venizellos sounded the alarm about this threat when he declared that “Greece’s partners in the European Union should not link approval of the programme to improve the Greek economy with Athens’s withdrawal of its veto on Community aid to Albania. Approval of the improvement programme is a vital issue for the domestic economy (the Greek economy—my note).” Before this “vital” programme to “improve the Greek economy” was approved, Greece received 7.2 billion dollars from the EU. But this is not enough for an economy without “new visions” and dominated by nationalist policies. (Evert, the leader of the main opposition party in Greece, attacked Papandreou harshly, saying: “Instead of shedding light on the vision of the national, economic and political fields, he (Papandreou—my note) darkened them with clouds.” The Greek opposition leader evi- J.M.) (continued on page 4) J.M.

The Minister of Health and Environmental Protection, Mr. Maksim Cikuli, speaking to “Republika” Following the first reports of several cases of diarrheal illness in the district of Kukovë, Albanian epidemiology and bacteriology experts found that we were dealing with the start of an epidemic. At the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and at the Military Hospital, the presence of a focus of cholera vibrio was suspected. Specialists from the World Health Organization arrived in Tirana with their treatment teams; this situation has been successfully handled by doctors in Tirana and in the area affected by the virus. Cholera presents a problem from an epidemiological point of view as well as from the point of view of treating patients. Therefore, the entire team from the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the district’s epidemiologists are working at the outbreak site. —What commitment has the Government made to support an effective response to the situation? —From the first day, the Government gave priority to chlorinating the water, not only for Kukovë, but strengthened the chlorination regime throughout Albania. The Government also intervened to provide drinking water by tanker trucks at night. The Government made the decision to provide support World Health Organization who arrived in Tirana on 12.09.1994, and confirmed the presence of an epidemic caused by the cholera virus. The Health Ministry’s press release, distributed on Monday, states: “So far, we have laboratory-confirmed a total of more than 27 cases, out of 190 examined.” For further details, we spoke with the Minister of Health and Environmental Protection, Mr. Maksim Gokuli. — What measures has your ministry taken to control the situation created by the presence of a cholera outbreak in Albania? — Measures have been taken to treat the patients from Kucova who have been affected by the virus. These measures are clinical and epidemiological. I emphasize that from the point of view … — Have you received support from abroad? — Many international organizations have indicated their willingness to help us overcome the situation. We hope this willingness will become reality as soon as possible. Interview by A. KOPANI

For over a month, the problem of the National Gallery of Arts has been known in the press, and several interviews have been broadcast on the radio, but this has only made it even bigger and more solid. Standing on deep concrete foundations and thick iron columns, they seem to mock the artists who draft petitions addressed to all senior state officials, from the President to the Mayor of Tirana. The workers continue working as usual, openly and vulgarly mocking those generations of painters and sculptors whose works are scattered throughout the country and who represent Albania with distinction in the international arena. But what is happening today to their temple?! The Art Gallery, the place where all of the rich artistic heritage is preserved, has become like the back yard of Pepsi and Coca-Cola crates. Where there should have been gardens with sculptures, one sees piles of rubbish and a fence of bones, which are suffocating it; and, above all, right in front of it, a kiosk of unbelievable dimensions has been erected, resembling a cathedral under construction. Have our efforts and meetings, from the President to the Mayor of Tirana, been in vain? The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports has sent the Municipality several orders and letters about this problem, but has received no reply. Everyone is silent, in complete and incomprehensible silence. It is said that the enormous structure on the site of the former monument is being put up by the company R.D, while others say that it is a visible part of it? [sic] Who is behind it? The question arises: Who is protecting these people? Who has the moral and civic right to destroy the square and garden in front of the National Gallery of Arts, and to harm an artistic institution of the highest importance? (continued on page 2)

Belgian Foreign Minister Vili Klaes has the “best chances” of succeeding the German Manfred Vërner as NATO Secretary General, diplomats in Brussels said on Tuesday. The American position on this is “to let the Europeans act on their own”. “If a consensus is reached on choosing a European figure, and if his name appears on the American list, that candidate’s name will not pose a problem for the Americans,” one of the diplomats said, noting that Klaes’s name was also on that list. The consultations, diplomats say, will continue until September 25.

According to the Greek state radio “ERT,” the chairman of the New Democracy Party, Milthadhis Evert, dismissed from the political council the deputy Mihailis Papkonstantinu, Greece’s former foreign minister in the Micotakis government, as well as Mr. Andrea Anopullos. According to the radio in question, the reason for dismissing these two leading New Democracy officials was their recent statements, described as “anti-Greek,” concerning the disagreements with Albania. Further dismissals from the party leadership are expected at the party’s next meeting.

Radio BBC reports that less than 24 hours after Prime Minister Papandreu distanced himself from nationalist circles, the former president of Greece, Adthetakis, publicly expressed his views and made proposals in a two-page statement which, according to the country’s largest newspaper, “Elefterotipia,” would not satisfy even the right-wing extremist Sebastianos. The former president (1985–1990) is not content with the Corfu Protocol alone. He also demands that, after the necessary diplomatic démarche has been made, Greece return to the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Great Powers, which for decades have left suspended the issue of Greece’s claim to Northern Epirus.

A phone call from Athens The telephone rang loudly. It was Saturday. It was not yet six o’clock. “Put Athens through,” the operator interrupted. “Hello. Yes, it’s me. Listen to me… Talk to me, I don’t have time. We’re being pursued constantly. I called you so you could notify my family, but they didn’t catch me; I escaped privately and am going to Italy. The money in my wallet is keeping me tied down. They won’t give it to me.” “Tell me something about how you’re getting through these difficult moments,” I insisted. “What can I say… They’re chasing us as if we were wild animals. For days we’ve been living on a scrap of bread. They don’t let us have a single peaceful day. Ah, what we’re going through as a group—they hunt us with dogs, and they [unclear: doptojnë] us and gather us up. My eyes watch day and night, taking turns so the dogs don’t catch us asleep. There are so many of them that every day one member of our group is killed. … Përparimi is a university-educated teacher, but his many economic hardships forced him to emigrate. Along with him in Greece were dozens of families from the Vlora and Ballagat areas, but many of them have returned [unclear: zhongjyrë]. I learn that what the Greek people offered them was not enough for them to stay there, seeking work for a bite to eat. The Government is angry. Sebastiano has been [unclear: e-situar]… Six days have passed since Papi’s phone call. He still had not returned. What might have happened to him? Did he escape the Greeks’ ambushes? If he did escape, surely he will be on the roads of Italy with new hopes. If he is still hiding in the woods, anxious at the sound of the Greeks’ dogs barking, he will have a hard time… Or perhaps he has ended up in some cell and is waiting for the bus to deport him to Albania? One thing is certain: he has not yet returned to his Albania. Good luck to him!

A journalist colleague of ours, who had been at the center of the virus outbreak and in the affected area in Kuçovë, returned to Tirana convinced that the measures taken there were strong and that there was little chance of the virus posing a wider threat. The immediate attention of the Ministry of Health, other institutions and the relevant health authorities, as well as their commitment, created the impression that efforts were being made to tackle the problem. It is naïve not to reflect on preventive measures—not only for the cholera virus, but generally to control possible epidemic situations—and to consider how they could have been handled better and in a more timely manner. Such measures remain necessary and require responsibility and preparedness at every level, for every case and event that comes to light, not only in Kuçovë. But it would be just as harmful to act in this situation at the other extreme: stirring up fear and anxiety among ordinary people—those who, for political purposes, are called “the people”—is certainly never a responsible civic act. Raising a collective alarm to use it as political capital is not wise; beyond the politicians, the public would not welcome such “benefits,” especially when the borders are also being affected by this situation. The opposition cannot possibly believe that it will turn cholera into an investment among its electorate. Those threatened by the cholera virus are people, and they must be cared for—especially in this situation, which is already a reality, in this situation that we have all created, in this environment in which we all live, and above all as human beings. Accountability is another matter; it must be sought, but first and foremost those affected must be helped. And simple reason tells us that we all have a responsibility to stand by them. The Ministry of Health and the Government, yes, but journalists and politicians too—regardless of which political force they belong to—must all see themselves, in this situation, as members of the human force that comes together to confront the calamity that has befallen our people. Raising the alarm is necessary, but only to the point where it does not turn into panic. Our colleague, who came from the infection zone (but was of course not infected), was more troubled by the distance his friends in Tirana were keeping from him—they had found out he came from “Alt”—than by what he had seen himself in Kuçovë. The whole issue comes down to civic responsibility. Even if the authorities responsible for protecting public health lacked it in this particular case, it must not be lacking in any of us when people are faced with alternatives concerning their own well-being. has befallen our people. Who would benefit from assigning blame for what happened if the number of victims were to rise at the same pace as we accuse one another for reasons divorced from reality? Truly confronting cholera certainly requires creating a wartime situation, but not a war full of emotion, in which we attack one another more passionately than the “enemy” facing us, who is clearly identifiable—indeed, quite clearly.

Only in an economically strong Albania can one think about a share for one’s own class Page 2 The Lord of the Albanians has still not been born Page 3 Krajina—another hotbed of war in the former Yugoslavia Page 4 Will “Tirana” and “Partizani” continue to lead without a loss? Page

During the first two days of the week, the madwoman N of the capital was seen in front of the League of Writers and Artists. “I have a decision to rebuild the League of Writers differently, with it being run by chairmen. I have an idea to build some kiosks in place of the League.” “Fair enough,” replied a colleague from the crowd. “I’ve now earned my doctorate, and I don’t like the Old League of Writers.” “Let cholera break out, the madwoman said, even with your doctorate. I protest vivo she, Methoni, these days. Cholera or Enver?” “Why are you making fun?” someone from the crowd asked her. “In Enver’s time there was order. We entered in order, we dispersed in order. Dritëro Agolli, Ismaili, Rexhep Qosjes. I’m the fourth, and I refuse to be declared a notable.” “She proposed a dinner on Mount Dajti,” said the madwoman. “I’ve invited ministers and some saints. You can see who is the holiest—the saints themselves or some minister. Why are you bringing up God’s people and the government’s people?” said the madwoman. “Do you know why an actor will be remembered? Guess,” she said, “he is writing a script about cholera affairs. An actor with a perverse background is wanted. A decoration is being prepared for the leader Janulla-tos. He is to be decorated with the Order of Hero of the Albanian Church. For this occasion the regime [unclear: rregjimi në këto ditë nesër midis orës 9 dhe 12]. Tomorrow, the qeshatshët will hold a press conference: Bashkimi Zeneli on the phenomenon of fundamentalism. Three are watching to see which one—Islamic or Orthodox. Greece gets the package. Did you hear,” said the madwoman, “the Papa-numeri will also denounce the years of Greek Orthodoxy in Albania, under command, and Albanian citizenship.” THE CHRONICLER