The words “Republic of Kosovo” were heard for the first time since Berisha was elected President of the Republic, during the introduction of Ibrahim Rugova at the third national congress of the Democratic Party. Before Berisha was elected President of the Republic, he had used extremely nationalist rhetoric toward Kosovo. But after being elected President of the Republic, this rhetoric was reduced to phrases such as “a solution to the Kosovo issue,” “democratic space for all Albanians as well,” “respect for human rights,” “respect for national rights,” etc., eventually reaching “the autonomy of ’74.” The latter provoked reactions from all political entities in Kosovo, as well as from Kosovo public opinion at large. The significance of the Presidency’s use of the phrase “Republic of Kosovo” is best illustrated by an incident from three years ago. After a meeting between Berisha and Rugova in April 1993, the statement from the President’s Office read: “President Berisha received the Kosovo delegation headed by Dr. Ibrahim Rugova.” Thinking this was an accidental oversight, a friend of mine and I went to a senior information official. When we raised our concern, he checked the facts and called one of the Presidency officials, asking him to clarify whether it should say, “President Berisha received the President of the Republic of Kosovo,” or “the chairman of the LDK.” The reply from the other end of the phone was, “Leave it as it is.” Berisha’s latest change of course is a pleasant surprise for public opinion in Kosovo. His position may be explained by the encouraging American stance toward Kosovo, especially after Christopher’s visit to Belgrade. His change of course also has to do with the “domestic market.” Through his anti-Kosovo statements (the demand for autonomy for Kosovo by political entities in Tirana can only be understood as an anti-Kosovo position), Berisha gained nothing from Albania’s anti-Kosovo electorate, since other political forces had long ago won over the “cosmopolitan” electorate. Meanwhile, he merely lost a substantial portion of the pro-Kosovo electorate. In any case, Berisha’s change of course should be welcomed. Nexhmedin Spahiu

Meetings of Mr. Sabri Godo in the district of Durrës Yesterday morning, in the rain that did not let up for a moment, more than 250 residents of the commune of Ishëm in the district of Durrës listened attentively to an address by the chairman of the PR, Mr. Sabri Godo. It was a meeting that the people of Ishëm had been requesting for some time, as their great interest showed. In his speech, Mr. Godo focused first on the political situation on the eve of the election campaign. First, he said, people have become convinced that they should not vote only for two parties. Second, they will vote for an honest and capable person; and third, the Socialists must not be allowed to return to power. Albania’s Socialists need time to renew themselves, so we must once and for all sever our ties with the past. Mr. Godo then gave a “radiographic examination” of the PD’s four-year governance. We have told the PD the truth to its face, he said. The traces of its mistakes will remain in the future, too. The land law, corruption, unemployment, the lack of public order, and governing only with its own members were some of the mistakes Mr. Godo identified at the meeting. The PD, the PR chairman emphasized, passed an electoral law that it thinks will favor it, but the people decide with their free vote. Mr. Godo urged those present to go to the polls, all of them. Whoever does not vote leaves their fate in the hands of others. After explaining the main points of the PR’s program and the project—

Several Albanian children have been discovered in the province of Formia, near Naples, and it has not yet been possible to explain how they came to be in this province. The Albanian children are very young and show signs of mistreatment. Their behavior is reserved, since they are in an unfamiliar environment and do not know how they came to Italy. It is thought that there may be involvement in this abduction, [text unclear]; they are unable to describe their journey to the neighboring shores of the Adriatic. They were found by the local police and are now under the supervision of the mayor of Formia. The children, who are unaware of their own ordeal, remember their names and their parents’ names very well. Investigators consider this an interesting lead for advancing the investigation and uncovering the causes of this exodus of minors. It is known that in recent years the disappearance of children has affected not only the countries of the East, but has also become a major scourge for Albanians, who until yesterday were unfamiliar with such a phenomenon. The children in question are considered to have been abducted by mafia traffickers and then abandoned as a result of the failure of some deal or pressure from the local police. Italy reports that they are in good physical condition and show no came to Italy. It is thought that the local mafia may have had a hand in this kidnapping network, in cooperation with the Albanian mafia. Child abductions have begun to bring the first traffickers before the doors of our Justice system; they generally come from an “inferior race,” but do not forget to collaborate with established criminals. The latest trial held for this purpose brought many people before the dock who had not only sold their own children, but had also abducted and sold other children at prices similar to those of television sets. It is thought that the children found in the province of Formia near Naples were intended not only for disguised adoptions, but also for the organ mafia. It is hoped that the process of repatriating these children will now begin. The Republican Party is the only one whose program provides for the death penalty for traffickers and kidnappers of children. Adrian NDREU

Albanian prisoners in revolt again More than 2,000 Albanian prisoners serving sentences in four Greek prisons have begun another wave of protests against the failure to implement the agreement between the respective justice ministries of Albania and Greece for their extradition. Having spent four years in prison without being tried was the main reason that more than 500 prisoners at Korydallos prison adopted an Argentine-style protest to win their rights. They have made holes in the walls of their cells, sticking out only half of their bodies and protesting. They are not at all [text incomplete] the Greek police, and beatings with blunt objects in response to the violence that they—

THE VOTE The existence of the communist threat shows that LDSH is right P. 2

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