A rare event on the first international anti-smoking day Page 5

Pity anyone who takes our judicial system seriously. Even more mistaken is anyone who expects a solution from this completely incompetent system, which is easily manipulated and under strong political influence. Setting aside for now the great scourge of taking the law into one’s own hands, caused precisely by the sham justice served up by our courts, let us focus on the role of the judiciary during the electoral process in Albania. The ruling party’s fraud against the opposition is now well known; it began with the drafting of an electoral code entirely in favor of the majority’s interests. Anyone who believed for a moment that they could remedy the injustice “through legal channels” was sent from one level of the judiciary to another, and from there to the Central Election Commission, until it became clear that the “blockade” was not legal, but political—a continuation of the majority’s actions against the opposition, using the “independent courts” as a tool. The case of the Republican Party’s complaint not being examined—the party was excluded from several voter lists because of negligence by the Local Election Commissions and their “mother” in Tirana, the Central Election Commission—is an example for all those who still believe in the Albanian judicial system and in those who use it. Also involved is the highest level of “justice”, bearing the impressive name “Supreme Court”. By deciding not to examine the complaints of a political party, these courts openly took the side already adopted by the majority and the Central Election Commission: the side of attacking the opposition by every means. Exclusion from the lists, institutional runaround and, finally, the denial of the legal right to a hearing have no other name than manipulation of the electoral process and theft of the vote—a theft that began with the drafting of the Electoral Code, under which it is impossible even to contemplate the conduct of future voting processes.

The CEC continues printing ballot papers The Central Election Commission is making various claims regarding political entities’ statements about withdrawing from the second round of the local elections. Although they differ, their essence is clear: no political force may withdraw, because the deadlines have now passed. Deputy Chair Mimoza Arbi has stated that, following any result or decision announced by the CEC, a candidate must withdraw from the election within 24 hours. Arbi’s statement is based on the Electoral Code, which says that once this time limit for withdrawing a candidacy has passed, the CEC and the relevant commissions shall take the appropriate measures. Page 3

Through legal channels, the case was passed from one level of the judiciary to another, and from there to the Central Election Commission, until it became clear that the “blockade” was not legal, but political—a continuation of the majority’s actions against the opposition, using the “independent courts” as a tool. The case of the Republican Party’s complaint not being examined—the party was excluded from several voter lists because of negligence by the Local Election Commissions and their “mother” in Tirana, the Central Election Commission—is an example for all those who still believe in the Albanian judicial system and in those who use it. Also involved is the highest level of “justice”, bearing the impressive name “Supreme Court”. By deciding not to examine the complaints of a political party, these courts openly took the side already adopted by the majority and the Central Election Commission: the side of attacking the opposition by every means. Exclusion from the lists, institutional runaround and, finally, the denial of the legal right to a hearing have no other name than manipulation of the electoral process and theft of the vote—a theft that began with the drafting of the Electoral Code, under which it is impossible even to contemplate the conduct of future voting processes.

The Supreme Court rejects the Republican Party’s complaint against the CEC In breach of the Electoral Code of the Republic of Albania, the CEC excluded the Republican Party’s candidates for municipal heads and its multi-member lists of candidates for municipal and commune councils from the local elections of 1 October. This was the substance of the Republican Party’s request to the Supreme Court to examine the cases of irregularities committed against the party by the CEC, but the Court refused to undertake the case. Page 2

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The telephone exchange just inaugurated by Meta is crushing people Although the new telephone exchange in the city of Sarandë has only recently been put into operation, and every telephone is equipped with contemporary technology, the citizens of Sarandë are still forced to “abandon” their homes to make calls at the post office, or at the place known as “the Sarandë bridge”, the mobile-phone spot. Here, people equipped with mobile phones are ready to provide a service at any time. Page 6

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FAILURE The project’s creators disappear Skanderbeg’s horse becomes “pullali” Pg. 15

How the bosses of clandestine trafficking get started and how much they earn Pages 8, 9