Yesterday morning was a grim one for the family of the director of the Prison Directorate, Mr. Bujar Kaloshi. As he was getting into his car, Mr. Kaloshi was killed by two assailants still unknown to the Albanian police. Until late afternoon, there had been no new developments in the murder of Mr. Kaloshi, one of the best-known figures in Albanian justice. Although a statement by the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior announced that the police had been mobilized, there has been no concrete result in this serious crime. The killing of Mr. Kaloshi comes right after that of Mr. Gjyrezi, the chief of police in Pogradec. Both attacks took place within a peri- Interior Minister Mr. Shamata promised swift action to identify the perpetrators of Mr. Gjyrezi’s murder; yesterday’s crime has made the position of the institution he heads more difficult. Such an immediate failure by the crime-investigation authorities will inevitably also give rise to insecurity among business owners and ordinary citizens. This may also be one of the most serious threats that can be made against Albanian democracy, which for many reasons is now in danger. Drug, arms, prostitution and human trafficking have begun to flourish spectacularly in Albania. It is thought that the very mechanisms of this trafficking are punishing their sworn enemies, and there has been no concrete result. took place within a very short period and invite speculation. The way in which the two senior officials of the Albanian administration were killed could logically cause panic among ordinary citizens, who have become accustomed to such situations during this year. After the attack at the “VEFA” company supermarket, these are the two most serious incidents to strike the Albanian state. There is no doubt that one can now speak in Albania of terrorism with grandiose ambitions, which is also targeting the elite of our society. The attack at the “VEFA” company supermarket caused many injuries and three deaths. Although a long time has passed, no one has been identified, and this speaks to the myopia of the Albanian law-enforcement authorities. Although public opinion, as well as the highest levels of the political sphere, has reacted forcefully to these mysterious events, they remain a mystery. The killing of these two figures of Albanian justice is the most serious and threatening blow against the new state and its government. Although the minister of ... ... arms, prostitution and, at the same time, has enemies. It is no coincidence that one of the police chiefs in districts where smuggling is most prevalent, and a senior director of the prisons, a former senior official of the Financial Police, have been brutally murdered, unfortunately in a demonstrative and public manner. This leaves room to think of clans that have slipped out of control and are surely acting according to a plan, and which have begun to gain ground in our country. One of the ambitious aims of the new Albanian Government is precisely the fight against crime, which can now truly be considered organized. It is no ordinary reason that has led to the deaths of these senior officials. Such a reality can no longer be denied. This newly formed Government, already facing many problems, has been put to the test from the outset to demonstrate its determination against crime and lawlessness. Since it is built on the basis of an inter-party coalition, the strengthening of the republican idea of the death penalty is believed to raise its reputation considerably, a reputation already shattered by gunfire.

“All parties should take part in the elections; no irregularities like in May” Commissioner: we are waiting for the official invitation to monitor. Berisha: ready PHARE. In the coming years, significant sums will be spent within this framework. We will also provide another tranche of support for this country’s balance of payments, and, depending on developments in the second half of this year, or by the end of the year, we would like to see a proposal put before our Council of Ministers in the EU for a mandate to negotiate a higher-level cooperation agreement with Albania.” Local elections are decisive for Albania’s relations with the European Union. This was the core of yesterday’s statements by the EU Commissioner for External Relations, Hans Van Den Bruk, at a brief press conference before leaving Albania. “We have called for the continuation of the close cooperation we have with the country, which seeks our continued support,” Van Den Bruk said yesterday. “We will continue assistance programs within the framework of the overall local government program, [?] and thus also begin mobilizing, according to the assessment of of the year, a proposal to to negotiate a higher-level cooperation agreement with Albania.” But beware! The EU Commissioner warns: new advantages for Albania will come only if it conducts the local elections well. “I said by the end of this year,” the head of European diplomacy stated, “because we very much hope that the local elections and the way they are conducted, in accordance with the rules, freely and fairly, will prove that we are right to propose to our partners in the EU that this country deserves an increase in the level of support from the EC and the OSCE for the preparation of free and fair elections.” Continued on p. 2

On Friday, 26.7.1996, the Steering Committee of the PRSH met under the chairmanship of the Secretary General, Dr. Cerciz Mingomataj. The meeting analyzed the party’s electoral situation on the eve of the local government elections. The head of the Steering Committee’s electoral commission, Mr. Gjokë Beci, briefed the committee with a short report. In the discussion, alongside the need for a responsible analysis of the tasks undertaken during the preceding campaign and the reconfirmation of our candidates at all levels of local government, emphasis was placed [?] on the need for more intensive contacts between the central headquarters and the PR branches and their campaign headquarters. To this end, it was decided that Steering Committee members would make scheduled visits to designated branches. These visits will begin immediately, with the aim of exchanging views with their Steering Committees on the most effective program for the stages that will characterize this campaign. The Steering Committee directs the structures to begin mobilizing, according to their functions, with a focus on achieving a result worthy of our political subject in the upcoming local government elections. In this regard, the PR branches in their districts are instructed to establish their electoral archives (those that have not yet done so); the material in them will help establish the truth about developments among our electorate, and will also serve as a point of comparison from one campaign to the next. At the meeting ... Continued on p. 2