Mediu represents Albania at the Conference on Southeastern Europe

P. 5

Begeja: The President is leading Albania toward chaos

P. 2

Çeku comments on the results of the Brussels meeting

Interview P. 3

Elections blocked, government in crisis. OSCE withdraws, Meidani insults Ambassador Ahrens

Nano puts his resignation on the table

One week before the deadline for discussions on the CEC, the OSCE ambassador in Tirana announces his departure P. 2

Ahrens drops a bomb at the President’s feet, as the electoral process in Albania enters a new phase of crisis, the most serious since the debates about it began. The OSCE ambassador in Tirana, Mr. Gert Ahrens, yesterday announced his withdrawal from the negotiations he was mediating to resolve the dispute between the government and the opposition concerning the formulation and composition of the Central Election Commission. Although there is no more than a week left until April 7, the date set as the final deadline for ending discussions in the group of ex-

perts, it appears that the head of state’s stubbornness in refusing to abandon the manipulative practice of appointments already decreed to the CEC aims to plunge this discussion, and even the electoral process itself in Albania, into an inescapable crisis, whose logical end could also be chaos in the country. The head of the OSCE mission in our country has spoken openly about the political nature of this debate, without denying that its resolution should not be viewed merely as a simple technical matter. Continued on page 2

Residence permits only for voting

The government decision being prepared by the Ministry of Local Government grants people who have come to Tirana from other districts the right to a residence permit in the capital only for the voting period Registering voters who will take part in the autumn local elections is making the government’s position more difficult. In search of a solution for registering the population that has moved en masse from the regional centers to the capital, the Ministry of Local Government has submitted the decision to the government. Thus, by government decision, all these residents who do not appear on the civil registry lists of the Municipality of Tirana will be registered as temporary residents of the capital, solely for the purposes of the voter lists. P. 5

The lek continues to depreciate further

The lek appreciated against the major currencies on the domestic market in February 2000, and this appreciation was particularly marked against European currencies. This news was reported by the Bank of Albania in its assessment of developments in the domestic foreign-exchange market. According to the BoA, the strengthening of the lek resulted from the “fall of the euro” against the US dollar on the international market. The USD/LEK rate opened at 140.70 at the beginning of the month, while the DM/LEK rate opened at 70.90, atr- [?] and by the end of the month one US dollar was exchanged for around 141.5 lekë. P. 9

OSCE

Council of Europe condemns the “death penalty” again

P. 5

Ministry — Shuli: We have time for the Pact

Ministry Shuli: We have time for the Pact P. 3

The outskirts of Tirana out of control

P. 6

The sea fills with illegal migrants

P. 7

50 thousand USD for the magical singer Demmis Rusos

P. 13

Press conference

Today, at 11:00, at the Central Headquarters, the leadership of the Republican Party will hold a press conference.