The government’s restrictions had created room for speculation Yesterday, at its meeting, the government decided to liberalize the price of bread. For some time it had seemed that such a measure was in the air, but the authorities could not take the step they had planned because of the elections, since it was clear that a decision such as yesterday’s would certainly benefit the left-wing opposition, which has always played the card of social problems and the protection of underprivileged groups. The government decided to liberalize the price of bread, flour and wheat as a result of speculation carried out by entities under a certain ceiling. Within the ceiling created by the government’s restrictive measures, some “nimble” entities were benefiting; according to government experts, they bought wheat from the state at a lower price and then resold it to the state, but at higher prices. However, the measures taken by the state to prevent the price of bread from rising were a remnant of egalitarian thinking and openly contradicted the principles of a free-market economy. Above all, they were also detrimental to businesspeople, specifically bread producers, who, on the one hand, were forced to make sacrifices under the state’s restrictions, while on the other, they faced the tricks of various speculators, who exploited the conditions created by the state’s measures, which were characterized above all by subjectivity and an inability to coordinate them. In such a situation, the action of reducing the weight of loaves was also fully justified. But while the state had long turned a blind eye to the actions of speculators, Continued on p. 4

President Berisha takes part Yesterday, the multinational exercise “Pacific Eagle ’96” began with a ceremony at which troops from the eight participating countries paraded before Albania’s highest-ranking dignitaries and senior civilian and military officials from the participating countries. President Sali Berisha, who greeted the troops taking part in the exercise held at the Biza Training Center, 75 km north of Tirana, said: “With Albania committed to the path of democratic consolidation, a market economy and its integration into Euro-Atlantic structures, it is once again becoming the host country for this multinational exercise, which comes soon after the Balkan ministerial meeting. I thank the American minister, all the American commanders and experts for the persistent work they have demonstrated in preparing and planning the exercise, and the American side for the generous assistance it has provided and continues to provide in building the training center. ‘The result of the joint work of Albania and the USA is not only the construction of the camp and all the necessary facilities, but, in particular, the establishment by American military experts of the firing ranges, thus marking the beginning of the construction of a modern training center here in Biza,’ said Berisha, who added that this center would serve both for the training of our troops and for those of NATO- of democratic consolidation and once again becomes the host country for this multinational exercise, which follows soon after the South Balkans ministerial meeting, thereby giving concrete form to the spirit of cooperation among the armed forces of our countries.” The countries participating in the exercise are Albania, the USA, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania, Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and Slovenia, which is taking part as an observer. Continuing his remarks, President Berisha called the exercise “a real contribution by the participating countries.” He thanked US Secretary of Defense William Perry, Minister of Defense Safet Zhulali, and the joint Albanian-American staff construction of a modern training center here in Bizë,” Berisha said, adding that this center would serve both for training our troops and those of NATO. “Your presence in the mountains of Bizë is a notable event for Albania and for the friendly countries you represent,” Berisha said to the soldiers from the eight countries participating in the exercise. Around 2,000 soldiers will take part in this exercise, the largest held so far in the Balkans. Those attending the ceremony included Minister of Defense Safet Zhulali, Greek Minister of Defense Gerasimos Arsenis, Bulgarian Minister of Defense Dhimiter Pavlov, and military officials from Italy and the former Yugoslav Republic. More on p. 4

Yesterday morning, under the direction of Deputy Chairman Mr. Fatmir Mediu, the PRSH Steering Committee met. The meeting discussed the following agenda items: the Party’s preparations for this year’s local elections; better incorporation of intellectual opinion and the involvement of prominent intellectuals during the parliamentary election campaign and in the party’s internal life; as well as several of the party’s financial and organizational issues. After extensive discussions, the Steering Committee decided to organize reviews by the branches of the May 26 elections, with delegates who are members of the Steering Committee; to review the existing candidates and select Republican candidates for local government; and to complete the relevant documentation, etc. The Steering Committee also discussed the possibility of reorganizing the party’s structures from the central level down to the grassroots.

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