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Their accusations should be debated in Parliament Let their accusations be debated in Parliament P. 6

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Atalanta PASKO The Kosovars left, and politicians reflected this fact in their speeches: “The Kosovars returned to their birthplace,” they said. The world concluded that “Kosovars are very attached to their land.” Perhaps they compared them with us, the Albanians of Albania, who are somewhat “uprooted”... The world was astonished several times in recent months by the Kosovars, by their endurance and dignity, even in misery. It was especially astonished by their insistence on remaining as much as possible in the hands of that very same policy? And someone else, gentlemen, who finds it very hard to watch as the government usurper does as he pleases on his Father’s land, which the law grants him, but which he cannot take... Not even the Serb could commit this injustice over property in Kosovo. And even when the Kosovars had their property taken from them, they knew they were facing the shkja, that is, the enemy. Whereas here, even what had not been plundered during the years of dictatorship was plundered afterwards; many of the old roots were left hanging in the air. The same is true of those trying to become “new roots,” because morality does not sustain them. If someone were to tell me that it is not property that keeps people attached to their homeland, I would answer: sir, or comrade, let us not moralize and say what ought to happen, but talk about what actually happens among the battered masses of people. Because an immoral politics affects collective morality. And it is no coincidence that most of those who leave Albania, even when they are 40 years old, say: “I’ll start from scratch.” This is a kind of rebellion against the fact that in our country politics has turned the words “honesty” or “intellectual” into synonyms for poverty, which can also be called hardship. The Kosovars left, even though their land is sown with mines. They left so they could willingly get to know their bloodied land. Blood and sweat on property inherited from generation to generation, and the roots remain deeply planted—there is no shkja who can pull them out. Our politicians observe the Kosovo phenomenon from the outside. They are unable to understand the greatness of the Kosovars’ gesture. They are too communist to feel and nourish the roots of nationalism. that we are somewhat “disen[?]chanted”... the Kosovars, by their resis[tance] their determination to stay as close as possible to Kosovo’s borders, despite being endangered by Serbian artillery. Most recently, it was astonished by their hurried, spontaneous return, without asking about short- or long-term plans, without asking about the danger of mines. Ah, these villagers of Kosovo, who cannot be parted from their land, from the Land of their Father, Grandfather, Great-grandfather! Ah, these citizens of Kosovo, who set up a tent amid the ruins, in the place where they saw their home! Meanwhile, here we do not know what to do with the land granted by the state, the stolen land, the seized land, and not inherited land. In the past, landowners built schools for themselves, but knew how to give land for schools, too. Our Renaissance figures spent their wealth on a printing press, on primers, for Albania. This breed is now called “former landowners.” They are out of date. Today’s property owners build houses and apartment blocks, motels, bingo halls, and engage in commerce. The government officials, those who were and those who are, have a share in every profit. Many of them have now become “new property owners” themselves. On the other hand, there are those who feel it is their duty to climb the podiums and shed tears because Albania has fallen and is being abandoned by “Turks.” Who else is more upset than the “Turks” when they see what is happening in this Albania of ours? Where vice, anti-values, and anti-vigilance prevail over voting rights with the help of politics? And social integrity, so that it does not become a code?

A mountain of conditions and remarks for the Albanian Government P. 9

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The law on debtors lets the Government off the hook P. 16

The Dream of the Land

• Short story by Stefan Çapaliku and Luan Laze; • Interview with Milan Kundera; • Cartoons by Medi Belortaja

WINNERS ANNOUNCED The chances of winning the U.S. Green Card Lottery are fewer than one in two hundred. This is what 12 Albanians are doing by entering the DV-2000 program through the National Visa Service. The following people have won the right to apply for a visa to live and work in the U.S. for themselves and their families. Albanian Winners Dragu Lhazi Arapi.................... 200506057 Nikoll Vasil Blylku.................. 200505135 Adafi Fuat Blylku.................... 200503720 Suada Gjecovi....................... 200506192 Ediola Gjoka........................ 200507501 Tomorr Katal Godullia............... 200500110 Redi Jovan.......................... 200504301 Marinela Jovan...................... 200504393 Petro Demir Kokonoz................. 200507956 Donika Goxhaj....................... 200505881 Lucjan Dhimitër Xhano............... 200501022 Tare Zholi.......................... 200503867