Meksi: DP within the DP The Democrats’ faction reveals the “status” P. 3

Ylli Vejsiu: I too could become chairman… if they propose me P. 3

Former minister Koçi: They are putting on a show with law and order Albania in conflict P. 5

P. 2 declared that they would not take time off. This turn of events seemed lights on” than a sign that they would be at their posts as they should be and when they should be. For anyone who works, it is perfectly normal to have time off as well. But in Albania, when the head of a department takes time off, it is as if the department’s entire seriousness is taking time off—in other words, the state is taking time off. This fear is itself evidence that we have not built a state and that we continue to live with the communist idea that the head of a department is the department itself, and that if he is absent, the work has no meaning. All this is reminiscent of departments built on the basis of clans and party affiliations, where everything must be referred to the head of the clan. The ministers themselves, and especially the prime minister, must clearly understand what their choices reveal: none of it has had anything to do with professionalism, but rather with party loyalty. It is not important to Albanians whether politicians take time off or not; what matters to Albanians is whether crime, corruption and smuggling will be stopped. It should not matter so much whether the department head is absent, if the deputy, the head of [the] relations department or an ordinary employee is there. If we remove the ministers

By Agim BAÇI After accusations of taking holidays at an inappropriate time were made against Albanian politicians, opposition politicians and especially government officials hastened to declare that they would not take time off. This was more like a Mao Zedong-style Chinese practice of “leaving the lights on” than a sign that they would be on duty and at their posts. Other state leaders being in the office while they are filmed by TVSH or by other “orders” solves none of the problems facing Albanians. It resembles only a Chinese spectacle, in which Albanians continue to be told that work is being done and that their problems are being addressed. It is quite true that Albanians do not have time to rest if they are to reach the European level they aspire to, but we need not remain stuck at “The Party is Enver, Enver is the Party.” To avoid this, the leaders of the Albanian Government must be the first to act. This starts with choosing professional people, people who believe in what they do and say, rather than people who are spurred on or held back depending on whether the head of the department is present or absent. …Albanians have had enough of the Chinese-style practice of “leaving the lights on.” It is time to understand that we must build a state—a state that does not depend on the names of politicians. The latest Chinese-style stunt by Albanian government officials, refusing to take time off, is the price of their failure to build a reliable administration that can work calmly even when someone needs to rest. Prime Minister Majko, especially after the accusations made by the International Community, and particularly by the “Friends of Albania,” can launch a project to create an administration outside this Chinese-style practice. If Majko does not act to change this situation, it will appear that he has blessed such an administration.

The Minister of Justice, Panda, exclusively for “Republika”! P. 7 Business Community representatives speak Koço

The death penalty prevents the monopolization of crime Law and order officials are empowering gangs with the absurd justification that, by attacking one another, they are helping the police do their job. According to the police chiefs’ way of thinking, “vigilante justice” is what enforces order. Tirana has been turned into a place where all the criminals come to settle their scores. “By settling their scores, they are helping the police,” said the capital’s police commissioner, Havar[i]. Our top police officials are so “tolerant” that they base the fight against crime on laws, but also on vigilante justice. This is a novelty that has never been seen before in any country in the world. Disregard for the law amid the country’s worsening criminal climate was also strongly criticized in point 9 of the “Friends” Declaration. They called on the Office of the Prosecutor General and other state authorities to take all necessary legislative and administrative measures to pursue criminals so that public confidence in the administration of Justice can be restored. Judging by the statements of police chiefs, it seems that criminals are being sacrificed for the sake of sham justice. It is precisely this logic that forces Albanian society to suffer the consequences of criminal activity. To prevent crime, we must view the state first and foremost in terms of legitimacy, which derives from the expression of the people’s will. For this reason, the Republicans insist on applying the death penalty, a measure that most Albanians have endorsed through petitions addressed to the President, the People’s Assembly and international organizations. No one can stand outside the law in a modern state. Only the death penalty prevents the political monopolization of crime and imposes the peace that is desired.

Koço Kokëdhima: Fiscal amnesty, disillusionment and revolt P. 9

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