Those accustomed to barking among dogs know only bones as food The dense fog hanging over the May 26 elections is naturally putting fossilized politicians, who cannot adapt to modernized principles of politics, in a weak position. As often happens in such cases, amid this fog they look for hands to receive the “good fortune” God sent them through the DP, calling it confusion and chaos of hysterical outbursts, which serve at least to cover the shame brought by total failure. It is no surprise to see Skënder Gjinushi’s female voice take the stage, known until now as a man who tails alliances, in an interview given to “Voice of America”; nor does Petrit Kalakulla’s [??] outburst in the pages of the newspaper “Koha Jonë” shock you that much. Ultimately, sniffers around tables where leftovers on half-empty plates await geniuses to lick them, although in principle they say nothing new about resolving the crisis currently being experienced by Albanian politics beyond the version proposed by the Republican Party, and tend to deny its proposals, resemble more whiners who demand authorship and originality at all costs (things they have lacked throughout their existence as mini political parties) than participants in an open, reasoned political debate. Mr. Gjinushi does not even observe the most basic elements of civic ethics when he uses terms such as “handing out bones.” Although this is dog language, we are obliged to answer him in the same vocabulary, because someone accustomed to barking constantly among dogs knows only bones as food. If Mr. Gjinushi had the wisdom to review his past, it would be easy for him to learn to recognize his own voice in the pack of those barking. For years accustomed to doing mathematical calculations, Mr. Gjinushi managed to balance the sides of the equation of his life, sometimes as a minister to Ramiz Alia and sometimes as a member of parliament, constantly securing a bone for himself. Apparently, licking it all the time has often been far more important to him than principles, democracy, reforms, etc., about which he continues to talk so much. For him, the anti-communism of ’92 was a plate where he could find the bone of survival for his party, but in any case it had to be maintained as an antidote to communism, with which he communicated through the back door. Unable to resist the temptation of a parliamentary mandate,

Parliament may begin work in a month. The Central Election Commission stands by the results published so far for the May 26 elections. At a press conference lasting about an hour before Albanian and foreign journalists, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Mr. Ermir Kapidani, officially announced the results of the runoff elections held on May 26, and also defended the published results showing the undisputed victory of the DP. Following the examination of the documents received from the 9 runoff constituencies, it emerged that 115,324 voters took part in the voting, representing 59% of those registered to vote. The DP won parliamentary seats in 6 constituencies, the PR in two, and the PBK in one. Asked why the Commission had remained tight-lipped with the press and why it had not appointed a spokesperson, Mr. Kapidani replied: “We have been extremely busy and could not contact journalists.” The final election results, and particularly the rerun of elections in the constituencies where they are to be repeated, will await the presidential decree. The selection [wording unclear] by the electoral subjects will likewise be addressed, while the 25 seats in the new parliament will require more than a month, until elections are held in the constituencies to be determined by the Commission. So far, the parties have submitted complaints to the Commission, but none of them has been detailed or supported by concrete facts.

In constituency 20, Mr. Gjon Markagjoni... In the voting in the Mirditë district, the Republican Party candidate, Gjon Markagjoni, won with 80 percent of the votes, the chairman of this constituency’s Commission, Dodë Pepkola, informed ATSH. The other candidate, Mark Ruci, representing the Social Democratic Union Party, won 20 percent of the votes. The turnout in this election was 60%, and the voting was normal and in accordance with the law. ... in Constituency 99, Isa Sinani As reported, in electoral constituency 99 in the Pogradec district, in the second round of the elections, the Republican Party candidate, Isa Sinani, won with 55 percent of the votes, against the Legal Movement Party candidate, Riza Berberi, who received 35 percent of the votes. Of the 21,326 voters registered in this constituency, 55 percent voted.

The Kalivaç hydroelectric plant on the Vjosa River and the one at Banja in Gramsh will be built by private companies. This is what the Council of Ministers decided yesterday regarding the continuation of work on these two hydroelectric plants. Although work at Banja began more than 10 years ago, the day it will be completed is still far off. The Meksi government has made several attempts to inaugurate some of its sections, but these are parts that are still far from completion. Perhaps the method to be used to continue the work will lead to its inauguration. It is thought that foreign companies will continue the work, since Albanian firms cannot undertake high-level engineering projects. Everything said about the Kalivaç hydroelectric plant on the Vjosa River is entirely true. So far it seems like an electoral slogan, since its construction requires many processes that are beyond the capacity of the Albanian state as well as Albanian private companies. It is not known whether the government is serious about undertaking such a project.

Can the elections be held again under the existing electoral law? p. 2 Islamists win in Turkey p. 5

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