2 billion lekë lost in tenders Corruption, scandals and abuses 4 enterprises sold for next to nothing

EDITORIAL Page 3 The roads of hypocrisy By Adrian THANO “The Government has finally opened its purse...,” observes a citizen in amazement as he opens his diary and sees that the muddy road below his apartment building, where he has worn out seven pairs of shoes, is suddenly being paved with asphalt. A few kilometers farther on, a villager stands stunned before the newly built bridge connecting his village to the town. “Well, when will that rascal get around to it...,” he mutters in confusion, watching the river flow downhill—the river his children crossed on foot all winter to get to school. And so, suddenly and unexpectedly, every day our eyes are treated to the sight of the eagerly awaited workers laying asphalt under the scorching sun and in Tirana’s characteristic dust. (Poor things—they could have been put to work in autumn or spring, too.) Meanwhile, our ears are hearing wonders. The Government approves one round of funding after another in hurried meetings that, oddly enough, coincide with party gatherings where candidates to represent the parties in the local elections are selected. Millions of lekë and dozens of “generous” promises have suddenly appeared from nowhere, while the Prime Minister’s furrowed brows “pronounced” “strict” 30-day deadlines. Where had all this money been hidden? And if roads can be built in a month, why haven’t they been built until now? Like all the citizens of this country, we too yearn for a little asphalt and clean shoes, so every day we hope that our Albania will be filled with bridges and paved roads. But this cannot be achieved through flashy pre-election campaigns. How much faith can we place in a public official who remembers the roads, bridges and people when the calendar in his luxurious office shows election dates? After October 1, when the first potholes appear in these roads and we strain our eyes in vain to spot a single worker, we will all remember that once again we became victims of the endless hypocrisy of those who govern us.

In 30 days, they will do what was not done in 3 years 5 billion lekë for the Socialists’ campaign Page 5

Vetting of public figures, government falsehood Milo and Poçi, not vetted Senior officials of important state institutions, vetted by the “Bezhani” Commission. It places greater emphasis on the failure to vet public officials, especially in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Order. According to Bezhani, vetting in these two institutions has encountered many difficulties. Bezhani says that “the lack of background checks in these two institutions has been obstructed mainly for subjective reasons.” Page 2

Elections in chaos, structures disoriented Yesterday, the Central Election Commission discussed how Albanian voters should be issued their voting cards. In the presence of Blend Klosi, number two at the Ministry of Local Government, the CEC members debated—[?] are expected to issue the “passport” for voting for the first time to 2 million and 400 thousand Albanian voters. It appears that one of the problems the CEC members have encountered is the question of why their institution should bear the responsibility for distributing these cards. Page 4

The price for a murder ranges from 500,000 to 1 million lekë Young children, no older than 14, are recruited to commit theft and other serious crimes. Murders are also among these crimes. The number of minors committing crimes on the streets is increasing every day. Even a simple robbery puts the names of minors in prosecutors’ and courts’ files; because of their age, they are able to avoid punishment. Page 6

Monuments Page 15

University/Correspondence system a problem Page 12 Corruption in the state is on the rise Officials, even trafficking ben zash [?] Page 9

Today, at 10:30, at the PRSH Headquarters, Chairman Mediu will hold a press conference