The Constitutional Court rejected the requests of the PSD and PS parliamentary groups to declare Law No. 8001 unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court rules on partial changes to several points of the law Journalists and party leaderships outside the vetting sieve - The requests of the PS and PSD parliamentary groups are rejected The Constitutional Court rejected the requests of the PSD and PS parliamentary groups to declare Law No. 8001 unconstitutional. “On genocide and crimes against the regime committed in Albania during communist rule for political, ideological and religious motives” as well as Law No. 8043 “on the vetting of officials and other persons connected with the defense of the democratic state.” The PSD group and the PS group sought to have Article 3 of Law 8001 declared unconstitutional; this article excludes them from the country's political life until 2001. To support the rejection of their requests, the Constitutional Court referred to the constitutional provisions law, especially the chapter on Human Freedoms and Rights. It deemed unfounded their request to limit the right to be elected for a certain period of time, as well as the exercise of certain offices for a category of persons, because the constitutional law must state verbatim: “During the 46-year, fiercely inhumane dictatorship of the state party in Albania, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as the most basic human freedoms, were violated and denied through state terror.” These are precisely the sub- Continued on p. 4

Yesterday, in a conversation with Albanians living in Germany, answering the question of why he has taken a political stance ahead of the new elections and why he has spoken out against the socialists, Kadare said: “I have nothing against any party and I am not interested in any party.” The socialists may take power and lose it very quickly Yesterday, in a conversation with Albanians living in Germany, answering the question of why he has taken a political stance ahead of the new elections and why he has spoken out against the socialists, Kadare said: “I have nothing against any party and I am not interested in any party. When I was in Albania, answering a journalist’s question, I said that the socialists should not come to power. I said it for their own good. Because they were so close to the dictatorship, it is not easy for them to break away from it. They may take power and lose it very quickly.” In these days, Kadare is holding meetings in various German cities with readers of his work.

The municipal court in Tetovo has fined the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Iljaz Halimdin, and the party’s secretary, Z. I. Ibrahim (and in case of non-payment, one month in prison) because on 28 November they raised the Albanian flag at the party headquarters in Tetovo. Displaying the national flag as a reason to go to prison The chairman and secretary of the PDP are sentenced The municipal court in Tetovo has fined the chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Iljaz Halimdin, and the party’s secretary, Z. I. Ibrahim (and in case of non-payment, one month in prison) because on 28 November they raised the Albanian flag at the party headquarters in Tetovo. The party’s secretary said that “we will continue the struggle for the political and national rights of Albanians in Macedonia.” The action by the Macedonian authorities is absurd, and if one refers to the Macedonian constitution, articles 6 and 7 state that “members of other nationalities may use their own flag alongside the flag of the Macedonian state.”

At this chauvinist gathering, the Metropolitan of Konitsa, Andrea, who has replaced the notorious Sebastianos, delivered a speech on the theme: “Vorio-Epirus, the struggle continues.” Greek chauvinists “commemorate” Sebastianos The Archbishop of Albania, JANULLATOS, also honors it with his presence At this chauvinist gathering, the Metropolitan of Konitsa, Andrea, who has replaced the notorious Sebastianos, delivered a speech on the theme: “Vorio-Epirus, the struggle continues.” In his remarks, Metropolitan Andrea stressed the need for support for the Orthodox Church of Albania from the Church and state institutions of Greece. Page 4 Archbishop Janullatos

What is happening with the Kosovo-Serb dialogue and the Kosovo issue Page 5

Political activity around the electoral law was intense yesterday. Today in the Assembly: the electoral law Political activity around the electoral law was intense yesterday. All Albanian state and political structures dealt with discussion of this law, and especially with the preliminary review of the PD draft. The first to launch this broad action was Godo together with the representatives of 12 parties. They took the opposition’s statement to Tritan Shehu’s office. But no meeting took place between them. All the more so since the PD secretary general had been in Vlorë earlier that morning. Meanwhile, during the morning, the electoral draft law was taken up by the Assembly’s law committee. Here the PD representatives made proposals that did not satisfy the socialist members of this committee. They were mainly about the appointment of the Central Voting Commission, which was proposed by the Prime Minister, and that the Prime Minister and the Prefect should have district subcommissions. “These were the two signatures we wanted to avoid,” MP Majko commented after the meeting, “they bring no fundamental change to the PD draft.” It appears that on this law, members of the law committee spoke with representatives of the European Commission, but no comment was made about this by the participants. The afternoon marked the peak of work in the two opposing camps. At the same hour, the PS and the PD gathered their parliamentary groups, where they discussed what would happen today in parliament. “We will say what is permitted,” said the left-wing representative, Vukaj, after the meeting, “within democratic culture, of course.” “We examined the PD draft,” said Dokle, “and saw the positions of the small parties, which are bearing a heavy burden.” After the meeting, Dokle left with AD’s Mami. It seems that the talk of a unified stance among the opposition is being confirmed. Meanwhile, the PD deputies’ group also discussed the verdict they will take today and the opposition proposals that may be taken into account. Aurel Simoni