We are for a contract signed not only by us but also by the people This difficult campaign ends today. The parties are giving the electorate their final words. The message of the Republican Party in this campaign has been that we should understand the importance of local government and give it the powers it needs to govern. Change, the development of democracy as a whole, the release of the people’s energies for economic progress, the establishment of the rule of law and the elimination of administrative stagnation have not been achieved. Unfortunately, the election campaign skirted the question of what local government is and what it should be. The debate shifted to other areas, which speaks to the parties’ lack of adequate political culture; the press also contributed to this shift in the debate. The Republican Party will continue to insist, even after 20 October, that the electorate and political forces engage with the fundamental issue of properly defining the role of local government, without which we have no future. Local government is directly connected to the people; democracy is implemented or broken there. Local government knows the needs of the community; only it can judge what needs to be done. Local government is the body that directly implements the laws, so only with strong local government can the rule of law be established and citizens’ problems resolved. During the campaign, each party has promised the electorate that, if it wins, it will do this or that for the commune and the municipality. But the question immediately arises: where will the candidate find support, and where will they get the money for the wonderful things they promise? That is why the Republican Party insists that the rights of self-government be assigned to local government by the constitution and parliamentary laws, rights that no one can take away, as well as a clear budget with fixed sources of funding. Page 4

The local elections to be held tomorrow are of particular importance, not because of which party or alternative will emerge victorious after the votes are counted, but because of the way they are conducted. We are all aware of the bitter aftertaste left by the previous elections and of their consequences for Albania’s relations with others, first and foremost with the West and, above all, with the USA. For these reasons, tomorrow’s elections should have been an example of civility and fairness in the way they are conducted. Since 26 May, Albania has been in the focus of the international community, the USA and European organizations. But, given the nature of these elections, 26 May has deprived us of the right to judge for ourselves, so these elections have for some time become the focus of encouragement from foreigners, first and foremost the OSCE and its structures, as the most specialized in this field, without minimizing the role of other observers, such as those from the Council of Europe and the two American institutions. But the OSCE’s refusal to take part in this operation is truly a great blow to the reputation of these elections. In the situation that has arisen, even if these elections are normal, the slightest complaint would be enough for Albania to feel the weight of the consequences in the international arena very soon. The leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should admit that they acted wrongly, deepening the conflict with ODIHR as a result of its observers’ assessments of the 26 May elections. At a time when Albania is in great need of consensus from the entire international community for the advancement of democracy, the OSCE’s withdrawal from election observation is bad news. It cannot have gone unnoticed that, since 26 May, visits to Albania by heads of state and governments from the West have been absent; this should make our government officials think more carefully about how to act in relation to ODIHR. Specifically, according to reports, the German observers, for reasons still unknown, will also not be in Albania tomorrow. Meanwhile, the US Congress Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, chaired by Senator Smith and D’Amato, has issued a statement supporting the OSCE’s recent decision and sharply criticizing the position of the Albanian government. Now, with around 40 observers from the USA excluded, it can be said that Albania’s grade has been left in the hands of 150 Italians, for which the Italian government should be thanked for closely following developments in Albania. Nevertheless, we must hope that Albania passes the dangerous test of this vote, so that we do not face a boycott that could come from others.

Photograph of an overturned car in a roadside ditch.

The Korçë couple: We were involved in drugs Head of health department struck P. 2

The CEC knows nothing about the OSCE’s withdrawal DP rally; leaders without gains P. 3

After the intervention of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, neither a rally nor a match is held Turkish fan kills his sister P. 8