Defects in the Electoral Code put the CEC in difficulty On October 1, Albania is at risk The deployment of the Army is being discussed Page 3

The stories of 5 women from Kosovo, driven mad by Serbian rapes (In the photo: The abandoned Serbian-Albanian child, the product of rape) Page 9

EDITORIAL By Adrian THANO A former minister accused and dismissed for corruption (usually, “those punished” are the ones who try to do precisely the opposite) describes the efforts of international organizations to fight this phenomenon in the Albanian administration as follows: “they come, teach us how to fight corruption, and we publish books with their advice...” At present, bribery is the most rotten sore in the dismembered body of this quarter-century, one that profits every day from the legal ignorance of Europe’s poorest citizens. Fully legalized in all state institutions, it is becoming, among other things, a phenomenon that directly affects the moralization and degeneration of society—not only of officials, but also of their victim-beneficiaries. Foreigners never tire of telling us this, but they enjoy the comfortable status of observers and leave behind nothing but regret. The real victims are those who spend hours in front of the dusty doors of customs offices, inside the unpainted corridors of courthouses, facing dirty uniforms with pockets bulging with bribes. And the paradox takes no particularly keen eye to spot. In these neglected offices, people with increasingly healthy appearances and ever more luxurious clothes are, curiously, at work. The courtyards of these institutions, which represent the state’s “outer shell,” are becoming too small every day for the fleet of officials’ cars, although those officials earn no more than 15,000 lekë a month. So what investigations are needed to uncover corruption? Why are committees set up one after another to find the wolf, when the tracks are deeper than the potholes on Albania’s roads? There is an answer to that, too: The fish stinks from the head!

The speedboat carrying 30 undocumented migrants disappears War in Vlora “Guardia” forces hit with grenades The forces of the “Guardia di Finanza” naval mission were fired upon with grenades. At dawn on Friday, a speedboat with powerful engines and around 30 undocumented migrants on board set off from the Albanian coast toward the Italian coast. As it fled into the open sea, “Guardia di Finanza” patrol boats pursued it, seeking to make the Albanian speedboat return to its point of departure. After they had gone a few miles, two of the Guardia’s rubber boats were hit with bombs and weapons by the migrants, who, according to police sources, were all from Albania. Page 6

EC experts examine Albania

The Albanian Socialist leader threatens the judiciary Page 3

The commissions lack electricity, guards, and telephones The Local Government Election Commissions are still without records. Even if the LGECs have all the necessary information urgently needed on the eve of the elections, there are no guards. The Commissions’ documents are left to their fate every day after the end of the 11-hour workday. For the first time, Administrative Unit No. 9, at “De Rada” school and the “Polytechnic,” reported the lack of security. Page 4

PR presents its candidate for the Municipality of Kruma The Republican Party yesterday presented its candidate for the Municipality of Kruma, Avdyl Sheta, in the northern district of Has. Present at the event were the PRSH Organizational Secretary, Aleksandër Garuli, and members of the PR Presidency, Has Branch. “The Albanian Republican Party is the third alternative for the Albanian electorate in these elections,” said Mr. Garuli, PRSH Organizational Secretary, in his opening remarks. Page 2

The closed doors of the Ministry of Culture Page 21

Today, at 10:00, at the PRSH Headquarters, the Presidency and the candidate for the Municipality of Tirana, Mr. Maksim Haxhia, will hold a press conference. The Presidency