P. 7 Intellectuals: A discount... for our minds

Ilir Bushi Since entering government, the socialists, together with their successor and satellite allies, have been experiencing in just two years of rule a real ordeal of opposition status. Day by day, citizens express distrust and disgust toward the left-wing government. This is evidenced by the many passports prepared to leave for emigration, the continuous losses in polls and surveys, the demonstrations of students, drivers, etc. The socialists, increasingly alarmed by these daily manifestations, try to hide the situation through silence or the deceptions offered by their state television. However, Albanian citizens have clearly understood that the socialist government is taking the country toward complete ruin. The uncertainty about the future has pushed people to leave the peace of their souls to the mercy of the roads of exile. The result of this situation is also the rapid decline in citizens’ interest in politics. Indeed, the only motive that today draws people into politics is fear for tomorrow. In a state where, not to speak of the government, deputies, ministers, and parties, only two institutional figures truly represent the guarantee of the state’s existence. These are the president and the speaker of parliament. When these two figures lose the people’s trust, then the state itself is lost. It is precisely in such a case of misfortune that we have found ourselves with the parliamentary leadership duo Majko-Skëndaj. Regardless of how political developments continue, developments that are now expected to intensify, one of these two people has lost the affection of every Albanian. For a long time they have never been seen as such by Albanians, but were treated with indifference or contempt. Thus, the socialist government is clearly proving incapable of avoiding self-destruction and, through it, the destabilization of the entire country. Those slanderers who have come out to judge us and give us political lessons have always been strange, regardless of their preferences, with their overly tangled speech, without sincere words. Although today the entire upper political class in Albania is on the right, despite the disguises, even more serious is the participation in power of people without political culture, who profit by virtue of their right to occupy the chair of power. Even the leaders of the biggest parties until yesterday called one another cowards and tricksters, while today they are huddled in their offices with their wallets—there will remain shameful whoever is first on a street if the question is changing it for money. Everything is being emptied in this country, it is becoming poorer, more vulgar, human dignity and morality are being trampled in every relationship with democracy. In these conditions, participation in protests against the government is nothing other than an indicator of accepting the responsibilities that come with the time when we must establish the order of values and no longer need to fear everyday life. In a country where most voters are indignant and tired of political experiments, this government’s days seem numbered.

Prose by Ylli Kallçani, poetry by Demit Çegani and Adonis (Liani), essays by Borges, creations about Aleksandër Dumas, GRAZIA by Beccaria etc.

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P. 1 Ofline Albania

26 SEPTEMBER 1999 15 prizes of 1,000,000 new lekë each One car One tourist trip worth 500,000 new lekë 100 Mini-Bingo prizes worth 10,000 new lekë