Local government is the most crucial point in a country’s governance. This is due to its role and position as an intermediate link between central government and the people who are governed. Local government is what determines state policy down to the most peripheral state bodies and, conversely, conveys to the centre the real picture of the situation throughout the country. In this way, local government is in contact with all the troubling problems that concern citizens; it therefore knows the situation much better than the narrow circle within which central government is confined. On the other hand, local government also feels the effects of government policies better than anyone, which gives it the exclusive right to judge competently what is positive and what needs to be corrected. For these reasons, the normal and efficient functioning of local government is a key point in achieving successful governance. Recognizing these specific features, PR has consistently valued the role of local government; indeed, it is now the only political force to have come forward with an electoral platform for local government. Solving the various problems in any country would be impossible without dynamic local government, characterized by free initiative and a continuous expansion of its powers. Disregarding such a reality has serious consequences, which soon become apparent. First and foremost, it paves the way for subjectivism, whose inevitable negative consequences create ideal conditions for authoritarian governments to take root. In fact, it can be said without hesitation that the way local government is conceived in theory and functions is one of the criteria that distinguishes a democratic system of government from a totalitarian one. Our 50-year experience shows that local government in the true sense of the word cannot coexist with a totalitarian state, whose basic characteristics include centralization in every sphere. In dictatorial countries, local government… More on p. 3

Albali unveils his electoral platform Just one hour before the launch of his election campaign, using the original cocktail-party format, Neritan Alibali had the courage to appear before print and mass-media journalists at a press conference. “It wasn’t only the civic encounter through the press that made me want to come before the press. No less important was my obligation to my fellow journalists: just as my public life before politics began with the profession of journalism, I wanted my campaign to ‘meet’ precisely with them,” the Republican candidate told the newspaper “Republika” after the conference. At the beginning of the conference, Mr. Alibali presented his electoral platform to the journalists. As he replied to a journalist’s question, it is based on the fundamental principles of his Party’s Platform, but also on his capital-city upbringing and his commitment to the problems that he, too, experiences. Publishing his slogan-call, “Everyone for Tirana,” Neritan Alibali concluded his remarks with the civic motto: “A city, more than anything else, must be governed with heart.” 7.5

. The level of interest rates has been the main factor in curbing inflation. 7.4

. 7.2

. 7.2

. Bajko holds the first training session. Medical tests reveal physical deficiencies in some footballers. 7.6

Newspaper “REPUBLIKA”, “Sami Frashëri” Street, near “Petro Nini Luarasi” high school, Tirana, Account No. BTK 986/110 Tel/Fax 259 88