The summons arrives at the Ministry Page 5

EDITORIAL Elections doomed to fail from the start It has often been said, sincerely or simply as demagoguery, that for the Socialists in power, more important than the election results is the way the elections are organized, their regularity, and their successful conclusion without tensions artificially provoked through the fault of the government and its actions. It has even been said that this is where the secret of the Socialists’ true victory lies, as well as the growth of their reputation, not only in the country but also on the international stage, before the orga- [continues outside the frame] ...tions, and that the entire electoral process, organized entirely by the government and its mechanisms, has failed completely. An old curse, as old as the post-communist period in Albania itself, which, unfortunately, has followed this country step by step, has “gotten into” our minds: that the evil of elections lies in bloodshed, beatings and clashes, hunger strikes, and challenges to the election result. ... and their authority has apparently gained a few more points on the political stock exchange. But what can be said about the failure of the process of registering and verifying voters’ names? And what about the CECs, which do not function even in Tirana, let alone in the districts? How can a Central Commission be called successful when it quietly admits that it has no authority to order the commissions under its vertical chain of command [text cut off at the bottom of the image] to work? Ultimately, can elections that begin with commissions unequipped with official seals be considered successful? The elections are already a failure, just like those who have (dis)organized them. and his activity. secret lies of the socialists’ true victory and but also on the international stage, before foreign organizations directly involved in political developments and the elections themselves in Albania. And if this is indeed so, then it can already be said that the socialists have lost the elec- Albania, which, unfortunately, has been following this country step by step, has “convinced” us clashes, hunger strikes and disputes over the election result. According to this view, if less blood is shed this year, if there are no mass clashes and beatings, and if the election result is not challenged with hunger strikes, then the socialists must have been successful

Applications open on October 1 The place where illegal forms are printed is revealed Page 7

LIVIA TURCO Italy’s Minister of Social Affairs appears under the name Abibe Tahiraj on election campaign posters in Albania Page 3 REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION Voter Identity Card: 1234567890 ABIBE First name TAHIRAJ Surname MUÇO Father’s name 15-10-1949 Date of birth F Gender Signature

Wanted man arrested. He abducted a 13-year-old girl The long-sought fugitive, Tajar Ymeri, a citizen born and residing in the village of Orizaj in the district of Berat, has fallen into the hands of the Gjirokastër Police Station. A 13-year-old girl from the town of Laç was detained along with him. He was handcuffed at the entrance to the stone city, at the roadblock set up on the Gjirokastër–Kakavijë national highway. According to sources at the Gjirokastër Police Station, the wanted man, Ymeri, made no attempt to escape by force from the police patrol, since, according to the sources, he was accompanied by a 13-year-old girl from the town of Laç. The suspicion surrounding this arrest arose precisely from his young age and his being accompanied by a little girl.

The number of Albanians who will study abroad is increasing Page 7

The Supervisory Council of the Bank of Albania meets Page 9

Agreement between academics from Albania and Kosovo Page 21

Housing Page, 8

Elections in anarchy. The KZQV commissions are not functioning A large number of candidates are not registered Republicans protest against the CEC Elections at risk The Albanian Republican Party protests the refusal by the Local Government Election Commissions to register its candidates in several municipalities and communes across the country. The pretext used by these commissions for not registering Republican candidates is the requirement that candidates’ declarations be signed by the chairman of the Republican Party, even though we have authorized all branch chairmen with the Central Election Commission. Page 2

Article 93 of the Electoral Code is not being implemented The Central Election Commission denies prisoners and soldiers the right to vote. At yesterday’s meeting, the CEC decided to leave them to their fate and, at the same time, acted against the right to vote of people who are currently performing compulsory military service or serving prison sentences. More than 6,000 people will be unable to vote in the local elections of October 1. Page 3