Sude’s money in powerful companies. Charges filed. Face-to-face confrontation refused. Berisha: I did not say that all the money would be recovered. Two of the General’s soldiers are also arrested Sude’s money in powerful companies. Charges filed. Face-to-face confrontation refused. VEFA begins distributing its capital Berisha: I did not say that all the money would be recovered. Two of the General’s soldiers are also arrested

Dismissal—the best service that can be done to it to cover up its failures There is no doubt that the days currently passing for the Meksi Government are its worst days. The protests in the squares and in the offices of small local governments in many districts have left it with no reputation whatsoever. At rallies, enraged people chanted in unison: “Thieving government!” The conduct of this government has been severely condemned. The police were attacked where they least expected it. They were driven out of the squares and surrounded in police stations. Not infrequently, police officers sided with the demonstrators, because they were in the same predicament, victims of the pyramid schemes. Should this government still be kept in office? Those who have lost their money do not believe it should—they say “yes.” The squares say “no.” Most political parties also say “no.” The natural conclusion is: What is the point of keeping a government like this, one that does not enjoy the trust of most of the people? Perhaps merely so we can say that we are not without a government. That this government is to blame for the deep crisis the country is going through requires little argument. It is true that the government does not tell you to hand over this money, or to borrow money from someone. It does not tell you to sell your house and put the money into a pyramid scheme; but this government cannot remain silent when all Albanians have become debtors. If this government did not know where its citizens were putting their money, there was no reason for it to intervene by shutting down the money-lending companies, when de facto the foundations still had money. Citizens are angered by the government’s contradictory positions. Why did it let them operate for so many years? When the foundations’ depositors sponsored things, they were declared honorary citizens and schools were named after them. And when all this was being written about in the newspapers, why did the government turn a blind eye and a deaf ear? We do not dispute that the foundations operated pyramid schemes—especially since, besides the Transparency Commission, which reached its conclusions after their presidents were arrested, this was also confirmed by the chief bankers Ypi and Collaku. But the government cannot evade its responsibility. It had placed the police and many state resources at the foundations’ disposal. In other words, in a way, it served them. We are not addressing the compromising evidence that pyramid-scheme money was used for government officials. Nor are we addressing the responsibility borne by many of those whom the people had called on to enter government. For the governments could have made even a minimal effort to cleanse themselves of those who had undoubtedly become involved in the pyramid-scheme scandal while holding government portfolios. Why should we keep this entire government in office? Its resignation could leave the country in this condition. But worse would be the fact that we would not be doing this government—which, let us say, is guilty—a greater favor by freeing it from the shame of moral as well as political discredit. Let this government remain, in a sense, a hostage to the deceived people, because of its guilt. Perhaps one day we will return to the demand for its resignation, but that should happen only after we are convinced that the cabinet no longer owes the people anything.

… IS CONVICTED OF CORRUPTION!

Lots of passbooks and little money. Here is how the foundations’ assets will be divided. Law approved in Parliament. Page 2 The “Grunas” have nothing that can be seized from them. Page 5 The rally of the ten fails. Kurt Kola is imprisoned again. Page 3 The demonstrators’ arsonists organize in Tirana. They risk being sentenced to 15 years in prison and made to pay for the damage. Page 7

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