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By Arben ILIAZI The decline of humanity and its unwritten rules is becoming an everyday phenomenon. Albanian society has been placed under enormous strain in the face of this thuggery that has been evident lately. Are we living through a process of de-civilization? Just imagine: the military police have been put on alert to protect campsites throughout the country. After the incident in Vlora, the Kukës Airport, the Puka campsite, Peshkopi, Malësi e Madhe, Burrel and several other facilities have been robbed. A truck belonging to the Belgian military forces, carrying food to Kosovo, was attacked by women and children in an area of Kukës. Where has the outcry for our brothers in blood gone? The food was once again intended for our brothers in blood. Nevertheless, incidents such as these cannot be used as “raw material” to attack the values of Albanian society as a whole. The values of a society are found among its governing elites and nowhere else. The perverse reality of governance can produce only such phenomena. Glorified crimes certainly lead to the paralysis of civil life. The conflict between state authority and the laws of democratic society incites society to civil disobedience and moral dilemmas. Smuggling and government corruption are transformed in the conscience of many citizens into acts of moral terrorism, since the spirit of true democracy is nourished by equality. It is almost scandalous for a [illegible part] of Albanian society as a whole. The values of a society are found among its governing elites and nowhere else. The perverse reality of governance can produce only such phenomena. Glorified crimes certainly lead to the paralysis of civil life. The conflict between state authority and the laws of democratic society incites society to civil disobedience and moral dilemmas. Smuggling and government corruption are transformed in the conscience of many citizens into acts of moral terrorism, since the spirit of true democracy is nourished by equality. It is almost scandalous for a [illegible text]. Continued on page 3

The man who had evaded prison only because he had saved Neritan Ceka’s life TIRANA: Dritan Kateshi, wanted by the Albanian police for two years, has been arrested; he is the gang leader of the group bearing his surname. Edmond Kosen, the man who had been pursuing Kateshi for a long time, succeeded in arresting him yesterday at three in the morning, as he had spent the first night of his reunion at his mother’s home after a long absence. Kateshi was arrested in P. 2

TIRANA: The state’s inability to provide facilities and housing opportunities for the homeless should weigh on the shoulders of the owners of the homes where these people live today. None of the former owners of the homes in which the homeless have been sheltered can recover their property. A large number of files lie dormant in the Tirana District Court, awaiting enforcement so the property can be returned to its owner. The Albanian government has taken the former owners’ homes from them, leaving them to wait in hope until 2001. The figures P. 6

You are returning after several years; are you seeking to make a half-forgotten wish come true, or...? - Yes. I am returning from another reality to the reality of Peace, after what our nation has endured. Everyone will be surprised when they read my answer, but I tell them not to be surprised, because living far away in America has made me more patriotic than I was before. I am proud of this, and my very presence here shows that I have not forgotten my city and my country. And you are returning with songs? - Of course. Through songs I want to celebrate our peace and prosperity. I have received offers from various American charitable associations to give concerts in Albania, and I declined these offers, thinking it would be better to put on these concerts myself. P. 13

TIRANA: For some time, the capital has become a haven for people wanted and accused of committing very serious crimes. Tirana’s geographical expanse and its population of more than one million make it possible to “hide” and avoid being traced by the blue uniforms. Tirana has now become the place where scores are settled, where arrests are made P. 6

LONDON: Yugoslav opposition leader Vuk Drashkovic announced last night that his party would hold three [unclear] demonstrations in the city of Kragujevac against President Sllobodan Milloshevic. In an interview on British television BBC, Drashkovic, who leads the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), said that the time had come to take to the streets to bring down the Belgrade regime, “not only with demonstrations, but also by using all democratic and peaceful means”. He added that he hoped hundreds of thousands of people would follow his party and turn President Milloshevic into a thing of the past. P. 1

Inside: The Democrats at the beach From hot Tirana toward coastal Durrës and then in the direction of Shkodër. The coastal city of Durrës will host the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party, headed by its former number two, Genc Pollo. It is not known why this particular city was chosen for the group’s next meeting, nor is it yet known what the parliamentarians will discuss there today. P. 3

• Three kiosks near the DP escape demolition Mayor Brojka: We know nothing about what the Construction Police are doing P. 10

At the regular meeting of DBSH, its senior leaders discussed the grave situation in the country yesterday. According to DBSH spokesperson Agim Zeka, the leaders of the four parties participating in this political alliance analyzed the priorities of the Majko Government’s program, which P. 3

• The people of Dibër: The state must not violate the Constitution P. 3

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