Government communiqué on the situation and the measures taken in the flooded areas As a result of the heavy and continuous rainfall in several districts of the country, flooding has occurred. According to the data up to midday, the situation is as follows: In Shkodër: Around 5,000 hectares have been flooded. The greatest damage has been in the village of Kuç, where 300 houses have been flooded. In Bërdicë, 150 houses have been flooded. Flooding has also occurred in the village of Obot. There have been no casualties or livestock losses. In Lezhë: The Talë area and part of the Gjadr area have been affected by flooding. There is no flooding of homes. In Krujë: At around 11:45 this morning, the Ishëm River overflowed its banks, flooding an area of 200 ha, an uninhabited area. In Malësia e Madhe: Around 1,200 ha of land and more than 20 homes have been flooded, as well as a significant part of the food supplies. The Shkodër-Lezhë road at the Bahçallëk bridge has been blocked, and traffic from Shkodër to Lezhë and Tiranë is being carried out via Mjeda. Meanwhile, there have been no problems in rail transport. As for the electricity supply, the 220, 110, 35, 175, 53 lines are generally on standby. Hourly inflows are 2,000 cubic meters per second. At the Fierzë hydroelectric plant, the situation is normal. The government has been following the situation with particular commitment and has taken all measures to eliminate the consequences and to stand by the residents of the respective areas. A group has been created near the general staff at the Ministry of Defence to monitor the situation. Commands, staffs, units and equipment of DK Shkodër, Shijak, DPU, the MCR Regiment, Special Forces and the Xhenjo Brigade, with around 3,000 troops and vehicles, have been put on standby to intervene in any case. Ten heavy rescue vehicles and specialist soldiers from the MCR Regiment have been sent to Shkodër and are working to help the population. The helicopter regiment has been placed on full standby for action despite the bad weather. Two helicopters continue patrolling the flooded area and are on standby in Shkodër to act according to the requests of the local authorities there. Around 2,000 people have been evacuated by army boats from Kuç, Ajasëm and Bahçallek. To eliminate the fault on the Fushë-Arrëz, Kalimash, Kukës power line, a brigade of specialists has been sent. Meanwhile, the outages on the Rrila line in Lezhë have been repaired. Necessary measures have been taken to deal with the excessive water inflows at Koman. Water is being discharged from the diversion tunnel at 1,900 cubic meters per second. All four turbines are operating at maximum load. The situation is under control. The government is closely and seriously following the situation that has arisen and is taking all necessary measures to eliminate, as far as possible, the consequences created.

The party “Lëvizja e Legalitetit” informs the Albanian public inside and outside the homeland that today, on 24 December 1995, at the party headquarters, the unification of the party “Lëvizja e Legalitetit” was carried out into one and only one, united and unified as the sole old and traditional, nationalist and anti-communist party, recognizing only the 12th Congress, held in the hall of the Palace of Congresses with Dr. Guri Durollari as chairman.

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- Marx again? “I’m not talking about this,” Pelumbi shouts. Why? “Because I don’t want to!” The socialist deputy chairman gets irritated when it comes to Marx. In fact, he is among the few PS leaders who have defended the “father of communism”. Now that the anti-communists, the opposition traders, are winning in Eastern countries, Pelumbi does not prefer to talk about him. And Marx must serve the socialist misfortune. That is why they will get rid of him through a solution together with the Great Kari. The German philosopher stands head held high (in fact, in the PS, he has never lowered it) in the party’s main organizational documents of the left. And whether the statute will be changed or not, the congress will decide. The congress of the socialists will be held in two phases. In the first one, to be held on 23 March, “a day after the great defeat,” the candidacies for deputies will be proclaimed. But not the statute. “It is already decided,” says Pelumbi. “They do not allow it to be discussed,” says Abdi. And yet it will not be discussed, and Marx will remain wherever he remains, the East with communism, or Lanjdën. And do not be afraid, the socialists want to have something in common with the East, and a little less, victories. That is why they keep Marx. Today the doors of the headquarters of the defeated party are locked. They are guarded by the cabinet, but the reporters’ microphones are not being let in. Meanwhile, the press notes the great divisions. And the deputy chairman does not prefer to talk about Marx. The socialist will lose in the elections together with him as a communist. And with the communists there are free votes, even from the “father”! A. Simoni

Happy New Year 1996 Inside pages HUMOR, SATIRE . . .