Evidence uncovered in the murder of Erieta Page 2

EDITORIAL By Adrian THANO One March afternoon in the distant year 1974, a group of students from the Faculty of Medicine would spend several hours in the cells of the brutal interrogation center of that time, after displaying “strange” behavior during an excursion to Mount Dajti: feelings of euphoria, sexual advances, signs of disrespect toward their lecturers, and even toward the police officers themselves, who bundled them into the terrifying State Security jeeps. Everything remained unexplained until two of the stu-[cut off] may be regarded as the beginning of mass drug use in Albania; the main reason for starting an experience with drugs can also be identified. It all begins like this... A little desire to escape reality, a little curiosity, and above all, a lack of information about the harm... And there you are, faced with a dose of drugs, ready to transform your body and mind. This is precisely where efforts to fight-[cut off] There is no state funding or institutions to treat them. Under these circumstances, anti-drug efforts should aim to prevent the phenomenon. Telling a drug user, “give it up,” is like speaking to a deaf person. To cure them against their will, you have to isolate them. Whereas telling a young person that “the harms of drugs far outweigh their benefits” is easier. An international day against drugs is not-[cut off] a feeling of euphoria, sexual harassment, signs of disrespect toward teachers, and even toward the police officers themselves who drove them in of the students confessed: They had stolen drugs from the school laboratory and put them in a dessert for all the other students. In this distant incident, the company, while its administrators have now and consider the calculation of the percentage coefficient by All of this, are, faced with a drug, where efforts to fight drugs must begin. In Albania, a drug addict is one more problem for their family. Society, immersed in theories of “transition,” is completely uninterested. To cure someone a young person that “the harms of drugs are far greater than their benefits” is easier. One international day against drugs is not enough. Dozens of NGOs claiming to fight social problems can show that they are not interested only in funding.

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Distribution of Silva’s money begins The money for the creditors of the borrowing company Silva is ready. Only 20% of the money will be distributed to creditors during this month. In 1996, around 5,925 people deposited approximately 28 million dollars in this company, while today its administrators have completed the balance sheet for the sale of its assets and consider the calculation of the percentage coefficient, on the basis of which its creditors will be compensated, to be almost finished. Page 3

Elections save corrupt ministers The Socialists decide to keep the incapable in the Government, giving as their reason that they should not compromise themselves in the eyes of the electorate before the local elections. The General Steering Committee of the SP, which met yesterday, three days before the Fourth Congress of this party, to discuss and approve the final report to be presented to the delegates from the grassroots, rejected all discussions of this kind. This was the position taken by the socialist leader himself, Fatos Nano, and by most of the socialist members of the Meta cabinet, who strongly opposed such an idea. According to them, the changes will be made at the appropriate time. Page 7

“Republika” continues publishing the lists Pages 16, 17

TVSH The “Golden Antennas” are being awarded to professionals Çobani, Radi, Pollo, etc. Page 22

USD 230 million in World Bank loans are being lost World Bank loans worth USD 230 million are being lost The money is disbursed, the state does not take it Page 8

Those who do not pay for electricity will be penalized Page 9

International Day of the “White Poison” Page 7