By Ilir Bushi Ali Baba’s thieves entered the Parliament some time ago, along with prime ministers, ministers and heads of institutions. They seem to have benefited well from corruption, which also gave them the opportunity to buy cars, villas, even submarines. Naturally, this was a golden age for the unmasked thieves, while for ordinary people it was bitter. One day in the corridors of Parliament I met an ex-policeman, to ask him a few questions; he told me: 'The Parliament corrupts, or some of its members do.' He works for the press office, organizes smuggling, and takes salaries. In any case, he accepts the need for a new orientation of the administration. A keen eye beside him saw the strange scene of governance. There are accusations that behind the government gates there are not the spirit of progress, but rivalries of the streets, over tenders and markets, with clamor and slander. There have been hawks, there have been the untainted, but the conversation has firmly turned to thieves. This old half-Albanian expression was initially coined specifically to personify a person without giving a name. It was later used by the American senator Boren, to mock the aggressive ones. By analogy, from the streets, I replaced the billions with the billions built and with buildings, the number of children with the number of the firm. 'Ready, don't waste time!' said the boss, unfolding the dazzling banner. They saw those who spin street chatter, we feel it, we admit it. We are not among those who bring governments to power through corruption, but we are among those who replace them. A very simple man, in work clothes, told us that this illustrative satire is borrowed from John Kinsb and from the era of the closures of eros. Therefore, it is not a whim of the boss in a government meeting, seminar, press conference, editorial office, firing line, electrical network, etc. Those who did it know this well. Nevertheless, they bring them out into the light again, not forgetting that an unpunished journey always encourages theft. In fact, if you look carefully, it is not an ordinary octopus: behind the tentacles one can clearly see the houses, buildings, roads, cars and their billions. The Trojan Horse, corruption in state structures and impunity are the place where trafficking, smuggling and crime survive and do their work. Our thieves, better than everyone else, understand and perform services; better than everyone else, they know what awaits them if the loot is taken away. Because the greatest fear for any thief is: 'Catch the thief'.

P. 5

P. 3

P. 3

P. 9

P. 2

P. 2

P. 6

P. 5

P. 6

ALBANIAN TELE-BINGO 28 November 1999 YOUR LAND, YOUR FORTUNE 100 MINI-BINGO with 100,000 Lekë each (new) 1 MACRO-BINGO with 1,000,000 Lekë each (new) 1 SUPER-BINGO with 500,000 Lekë each (new) 1 STAP-BINGO with 150,000 Lekë each (new) P. 9 Online Albania visit: www.albaniaonline.net P. 6