ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT The police record the names and issue a wanted notice The killers’ trail leads to the Ministry 15 million lekë to kill Altin Hoxha Page 5 EDITORIAL The Albanian state recognizes no evidence that comes from its own offices, or that has been obtained from any legal or government body. In addition, the state recognizes neither the signatures nor the seals of its own officials. These are the latest facts confronting Albanians, who are surely astonished, although by now everything is in complete chaos. It seems that this state does not even trust its own officials; otherwise, it would not see any “ar- ...the evidence.” Although the case file contained, one by one, all the materials and documents, signed and sealed by the commissioners—that is, state officials. Thus, the Republicans, who had the courage to trust the law and apply it by reporting the CEC’s violations to the Supreme Court, were punished for this noisy [unclear], for the serious violations that this Commission has signed off on during its existence. What happened yesterday at the Supreme Court is just one example, because in Albania nothing has evidentiary value... Neither poverty, nor the lack of electricity, nor official documents submitted in court—in short, nothing, although with complete calm... astonished, even though everything is already even trust its own officials, since it sees no “reason” for its bodies to recognize evidence and signatures submitted by its own officials, even in cases when the state’s own institutions have been taken to court. Yesterday, a judicial panel of the highest level of the judiciary dismissed a PRSH lawsuit on the absurd claim that “mun- [Text is evidently missing or corrupted in the source.] ... submitted by the commissioners, that CEC’s violations to the Supreme Court, were punished for their respect for the law—not by the street, but by the very crooked people of Justice. The latter did not want to “spoil the mood” of the people of the vote, against whom an accusation had been brought. On the contrary, to be as close to them as possible, the Supreme Court threw a smokescreen over a fact, making the absurdity look like the truth. ... so that what happened would not happen. The Supreme Court is only one case, because in Albania nothing is accepted as evidence... submitted in court—in short, nothing, even though we all calmly accept all these things as if nothing were wrong...! It seems that when one hears such facts, what best suits suffering Albanians are notes of pessimism and blindfolds, keeping them within the circle of lost hopes for change, or for a different life...

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The ruins of old Kukës emerge at Fierza. Lowest level in 22 years Today, October 25, “Festival of Lights” Electricity prices rise Page 6

66 billion lekë have been lost from the State Budget The ’99 budget: a failure. In absolute figures, as presented by the Supreme State Audit, this failure has cost the national economy 66 billion old lekë. The budget deficit recorded at the end of last year was presented yesterday at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Economy, Finance and Privatization, whose members reviewed the final report prepared by Mustafa Kërçuku’s team following the relevant audit. In a sense, this means that all Albanians together will have to carry an additional 20,000 lekë of domestic debt. Page 3

Special report Pages 12, 13

400 tons cross in one night Yesterday in Tirana/1 liter of diesel, 1,020 lekë Page 9

The Supreme Court dismisses the heads of the KZQV commissions Page 2 Police / Police stations and directorates are being dissolved Page 4