400 lottery winners left out in the cold 100,000 drachmas, one passport Page 3, 8

By Enkel DEMI The residents of Sauk have taken to the streets. They are protesting because they have no water at home. They have been without water for a long time, and for years they have had to fetch it in containers from a kilometre away. At last, the residents of this suburb have taken to the streets and are protesting. Perhaps this is one of the few times someone has remembered that they lack water and electricity at home. At last, Albanians have begun protesting over the necessities of their everyday lives. Perhaps television news does not serve up visually appealing citizens, but the citizen is seething. Nobody in the world can endure being without water and basic living conditions for this long

. Albanians stay content with little. The ministers have water, so they are content. The deputies were content with Sude’s rent as well. Sauk is not. With the communists’ ration coupon, he protests; that is, he should be content with the socialists’ all-inclusive package. The protest in Sauk has begun to fade. Some of it is because of Poçi’s stick, some because of Prefect Dedja’s promises; the residents have decided to put up with it a little longer. In fact, they should come out again. Along with them, Kamza, New Tirana, Lapraka, Kombinati, the neighbourhoods of Tirana, the towns of Albania—everyone. Today they take to the streets for water, tomorrow for electricity, then for taxes, and so on. We will no longer be queues at rallies or names on voter lists, but real, clean citizens who don’t smell of sweat. They are not chanting rhyming slogans for the DP or patriotic slogans for the SP. They want water and are demonstrating with containers. They are asking deputy Poçi to come to their door and share their troubles, as he promised when he was asking for their votes. But deputy Poçi is the minister for the police. It is easier for him to send police to disperse them. [text continues outside the frame]

Photo: Armando Babani

How companies obtain the funds The Albanian government continues to suffer the consequences of the mismanagement of work in particular sectors of the economy. Road infrastructure is one such sector; in addition to abuses in tendering and failure to comply with contracts, it also suffers from a lack of projects. Ministry of Transport officials themselves have explained to the press the types of projects being used on Albania’s national road network. According to official sources at the Ministry of Transport and the General Directorate of Roads (DPR), these projects are not final, or, as they are otherwise called, “fidike”; they are carried out on the basis of the work progress report. Page 7

The killers of the 18-year-old must be sentenced “Impose the death penalty on the two kidnappers who executed and barbarically buried an 18-year-old, who failed to meet the kidnappers’ demand to pay 50 million lekë.” “The citizens of Gjirokastër protested yesterday in front of the Police Station. The protest will continue in the coming days, until the country’s highest authorities agree to the demand for the death penalty for the two 18-year-olds who executed their schoolmate. Gertian Blluci was laid to rest on Saturday afternoon, accompanied by hundreds of residents of the city. Page 5

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Bloodshed in Tropojë. 3 dead Jaho Salihi’s father is killed Page 2 CEC begins work without one member Nano elected chair, Zguri withdraws Page 4 Durrës beach, disease and epidemics Ecological catastrophe Page 23