He needed money to go to Italy A three-year-old boy held hostage over his mother’s debts Page 9

What are we still waiting for?! Oil has embarked on an irreversible path of price increases, its price passing the four-digit mark—a level unimaginable even to the most pessimistic Albanian regarding the standard of living, or even to the most active speculator in this country’s many pockets of corruption. Uninterrupted electricity is an absurdity that would make anyone who mentioned it as a concept look ridiculous (those who have taken it upon themselves to supply us with electricity in order to somewhat reduce the long power cuts are excluded here; they have suffered just like us from this year’s “prolonged drought,” yet their electricity is never cut off...) On the other hand, people who lock their cars away in garages because of the rising cost of using them, but who choose to ... know how to deal with the shivering little ones... There are many, terribly many reasons to applaud. Not even half of them should be needed to allow a government, somewhere in the world, to survive even a single day... And yet, in Albania, they seem too few—still far too few—to get people moving, to bring them out into the squares, to pessimistic about the course of life, or even by the most active speculator in this country’s many corruption schemes. mentioned it as a concept look ridiculous (with the sole exceptions of politicians, and only during the election campaign). Meanwhile, the rare power cuts are turning into a distant memory and a beautiful dream that accompanies most of this country’s residents as they doze by candlelight, trying to get through the increasingly long nights with as little boredom and cold as possible. Albanian children have begun to be surprised when they hear that there are many countries in the world, even very close to us (so close that, although they too have suffered somewhat from long power cuts, drought”), where the lights are never cut off... On the other hand, there are people who lock their cars away in garages because the cost of using them has become more expensive, only to be no less disappointed when they get on public transport with its increased fares. Offices that suspend their operations, even their tourist activities, because their computers do not work; shops preparing to declare bankruptcy and people waiting, precisely for this reason, to occupy street corners alongside many other unemployed people; schools that do not know how to cover broken windows to keep the children warm, and kindergartens that do not There are so many, far too many to bear. Not even half of them should be needed to keep a government anywhere in the world from remaining in office for even a single day... Nevertheless, in Albania they seem too few, still far too few to to demand what is rightfully theirs, at the very least, to be called “normal people in a normal country.” What are we still waiting for? How many lekë do they have left to fleece us of?! When will we understand that we are entitled to far more rights than those we have mentioned (the most basic ones)?! No one among Albanians (except those who govern) knows how to say. And yet they wait, without even knowing themselves what for...

Witnesses of the bloodiest evening of 1997 speak exclusively to “Republika” For the first time, facts and testimony are published about the incident in which 18 gang leaders were killed, from Tirana to Tepelenë Witnesses of the bloodiest evening of 1997 speak exclusively to “Republika” THE LEVAN MASSACRE For the first time, facts and testimony are published about the incident in which 18 gang leaders were killed, from Tirana to Tepelenë

Government villas owe KESH 1.1 billion lekë Forty-five state kindergartens with at least 5,000 children aged 3 to 6 in Tirana are waiting for the power to go out, not knowing how they will cope with it. Thirty-three of them are kindergartens that provide lunch, and in addition to heating they must also ensure food for the little ones. Meanwhile, Government Services alone, which directly serve the highest echelons of the state, owe KESH a full 110 million new lekë. In addition to the electricity crisis, speculators and generator smugglers have also entered the picture. Following this, another scandal comes to light. It concerns the Government’s decision, according to which the power cuts had been planned as early as 12 July this year.

What happened 4 days before the Massacre Who the victims were and where they came from How Vlora was isolated and how the residents of Levan mined the Mifol Bridge Pages 12, 13

All PRSH branch chairpersons are hereby notified that by October 28 they must submit to the Central Headquarters, in person or by fax, the election results for all political parties, by commune and municipality. PRSH Presidency

The coalition Meta-Gjinushi, an alliance against Fatos Nano Page 11