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P. 5 Crime resurfaces, gangs on the streets P. 7 Scandal at the Maternity Hospital, investigations begin P. 6

By Arben Iliazi In the name of pockets swollen by this “transition” process, left-wing rulers continue to keep judicial power blocked. Although they like to perform their dance on unconstitutional ground, they declare that there have been achievements in the field of the judicial system. Indeed, the head of state himself and, at the same time, chairman of the High Council of Justice, Rexhep Meidani, at yesterday’s Conference on judicial and legal reform, instead of sounding the alarm about the atrophy of efforts to establish the rule of law, spoke of “notable successes” in Justice. The Albanian judicial system does not represent a real power, since it does not play the role of an arbitrator, but interferes in political affairs with a particular arrogance. It is presented with a crime and punishes the innocent while releasing the criminal; it is asked to remedy an injustice and springs into action only through the “power of money.” Political power grants judges the right to base their actions not on the Constitution and laws, but on deals and intrigues, so that state leaders can emerge “in the clear” and ... In every democratic country in the world, the Constitution represents an absolute will, whereas in Albania the articles that enshrine Human Rights, and especially the right to property, are not taken into account at all. Under these circumstances, the Constitutional Court, too, is merely a political ornament, with highly dubious authority. Instead of dealing with laws that directly contradict the Constitution, the Constitutional Court tries to find legal obstacles to implementing the death penalty law and provides for Criminal Codes. Thus, it represents not the will of the people, but only small political interests. Without respecting the Constitution as the supreme law, the judicial power will continue to violate the rights of the society in whose name it acts. Thus politics will preserve its privileges, while the laws will target only people who have no money. Imagine what moral authority such a state can have, where citizens hurry to hide in order to escape the laws they themselves have passed.

JUSTICE

200 intellectuals from Vlora appeal to the heads of State P. 9