Work on the first phase begins in October The Ministry of Transport's tender for the company that will carry out the first phase of the project, Tirana-Vorë, has closed TIRANA — (p. re.) — It will be the first highway in Albania built to international standards. Soon, the two largest Albanian cities, Tirana and Durrës, will be connected by a new road, much wider than the existing one. Work on the new road will begin in October. At first, it will cover only the first phase of the project, from Tirana to Vorë, and will then continue in the direction of Durrës. So far, the government has allocated funds for the construction of the first kilometres. The new road will follow the same route as the existing road and will be built alongside it. Thus, when construction is completed, the road is expected to be about 19 metres wide. In this way, it will meet the international standards for a highway. Vehicles will travel on it at speeds of 80 to 100 kilometres per hour. To select the company that will carry out this important work, the Ministry of Transport announced a tender some time ago, which closed two days ago. Nineteen Albanian companies have registered, along with Italian, Czech, Kuwaiti, Austrian and Slovenian companies. By the middle of next month, the selection process for the winning company, which will begin work in October, will have been completed. The Albanian road network is in poor condition, but the Tirana-Durrës road is one of the routes currently bearing the heavy burden of traffic. Thousands of vehicles travel along it every day, especially at weekends, when Tirana residents visit the beaches of Tirana and Durrës.

Old and new owners oppose it Dispute over Articles 12 and 17 ANDREA STEFANI TIRANA — The property issue, which has recently been widely discussed in Albanian public opinion, has come back into the spotlight. In September, the Constitutional Court will consider the request by the Association of Free Private Owners to review the Law “On the Compensation and Return of Property to Former Owners.” The most heavily criticized provisions are Articles 12 and 17. The request was filed in April, but confirmation of the date of the proceedings was received only a few days ago. Another complaint concerning the property law has long been lodged with the same Court. This time, it is the former owners who disagree with it. The association “Ownership with Justice”—which also went on hunger strike some time ago—has not yet received a response regarding when its case will be heard. The law was approved by the Albanian Parliament in April and was opposed, article by article, both by those dispossessed by the communist dictatorship and by those who acquired property during the first steps in the creation of a market economy in Albania. Drafted as a way of balancing the interests of these two groups of owners, in fact it prompted their mutual hostility. “With the implementation of this law,” the head of the Association of Free Private Owners told the Gazette in ... “... the interests of forty thousand new owners and former expropriated owners throughout Albania, as well as those of twenty thousand people employed by them, are seriously affected. The matter was referred to the Constitutional Court after a series of democratic steps had been taken to persuade the Government and Parliament of the unconstitutionality of some of the law’s articles.” Their representatives will take part in the proceedings. In this connection, the case was based on the law on the confirmation and protection of private property, as well as all government acts deriving from it. Around 30 per cent of the premises were sold during the Government of Stability and around 70 per cent during Prime Minister Meksi’s government. Article 12 of the law—one of the most debated—recognizes former owners’ right of ownership over land purchased by new owners. Article 17 grants the former owners co-ownership of the land on which premises belonging to new owners have been built. Former MP Spartak Ngjela, who has undertaken to defend the interests of the Free Private Owners in the forthcoming proceedings, expressed his disagreement with the law to the Gazette: “It is an unconstitutional law that attacks the interests of Albania’s new bourgeoisie. The sales were lawful, and the law under which they were carried out is still in force. Article 12 of the current law invalidates the sales contract, which is the most essential element of the legal superstructure in a market economy. The exclusive right to rescind a sales contract belongs only to the judiciary. Asked about concerns over sales in other countries, which have been discussed at length, Ngjela replies briefly: ‘If there are contracts that were not made in accordance with the law, the Court examines them.’ Ngjela takes the same view of Article 17: ‘Compulsory co-ownership imposed by the legislative body is not possible. Co-ownership arises through a will, inheritance or voluntary agreement.’” Thus, the fundamental property issue requires the assistance of the Constitutional Court. Before the 1 September hearing has even taken place—and before the former owners’ request has been examined—the outcome cannot be predicted. “This is not about a fair trial for the new owners,” a member of parliament told the Gazette, “but only about a solution acceptable to all parties.” Today such an acceptable solution seems almost impossible, since the demands of the two different groups of owners have taken up extreme positions.

Waste is coming from the Montenegrin shore SHKODËR — (fa. ba.) — Pollution in Lake Shkodër has begun to increase. The well-known beach at Shirokë is now almost impossible to visit. The people of Shkodër no longer want to swim in waters polluted by waste from a Yugoslav aluminium-processing plant, which continues to flow into the lake. According to local residents, dead fish have begun to accumulate along the shore. This is a sign that the amount of toxic waste has increased significantly. There have also been cases of skin infections among many people who have swum in the lake. This, too, is suspected to be a consequence of the negative phenomenon. The first sign of toxic pollution was detected almost two years ago. According to Përtet Kalaja of the Shkodër Hygiene and Epidemiology Section, analyses conducted at the time showed a very high proportion of harmful substances in water taken from the lake. The issue has also been covered by the foreign specialist press. An Italian environmental magazine devoted an extensive report to the lake problem. Italian specialists, too, identified the source of pollution as Yugoslav industry located on the opposite shore, across the state border.

TIRANA — (Ed. La.) — Nexhmije Hoxha will appear before the court again today. This is the ... time that Hoxha is seeking to defend herself against the charge of “appropriation of state property.” Today, for the last time, the Court of Cassation will rule on her final sentence. Arrested at the beginning of January 1992, after a year in isolation, she was sentenced by the Tirana Court to nine years’ imprisonment. Calling the decision unjust and seeking a reduction in her sentence, the widow Hoxha took the case to the Court of Appeal. But the sentence was even harsher: 14 years. The decision of the Court of Cassation is still pending. Only after this final ruling can the isolated widow’s request concerning Gravec Prison become a reality.

Domestic builders will compete DURRËS — Only Albanian construction companies will compete for the first part of the reconstruction project for the Port of Durrës. The sum of 2.4 million dollars—a portion of the Kuwaiti Fund—has thus been entrusted to local specialists. The decision was made following a request from the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The start of the competition is now awaited, in order to select the Albanian construction company that will be awarded the rehabilitation contract. The entire Kuwaiti Fund project amounts to 8.7 million dollars and aims to increase the capacity of the largest Albanian port. The first phase of the project, entrusted to Albanian construction companies, provides for the repair of the port’s squares and roads, as well as work on the quay area. The project is also to be supervised by Albanian specialists. Foreign companies will compete for the remaining part of the project, worth around 6.3 million dollars. This concerns the purchase of machinery and equipment for the new port. The realization of this project has become even more essential following the considerable increase in cargo traffic over the last two years.

What Serie A will look like GIANNI ANTONUCCI Napoli’s sponsor is “Vellollo,” but it is “Parmalat” that is making it possible to reduce the Italian club’s huge deficit. Consider this: from the sale of players Crippa and Zola to Parma, Napoli received a full 22 billion lire, and from Bajatari in Copenhagen, Bla, worse than many. The purchase, which will be completed in the summer, is part of the openness of this club, managed by the Ferrara family, with Cragnotti and De Laurentiis still to play their part, and managed in this way in honour of Vesuvius. The departures of Careca and Galli have been offset by the arrival of Bordon and Golperti Talishta. They will each have a provisional season in Bari; Vieri Shkëlqej Tangalata was the club’s first target. Nevertheless, the decision over Crippa and Zola seems to have been made, and Caruso and Corini remain to be discussed. On the Napoli bench, Bianchi wants Marcelo Lippi to return, like the coach from Atalanta (a favourite of Vieri and Bianchi). He is the first expert among the coaches of a strong team. From Bergamo, among other things, Lippi also brought Bordin (nine years earlier he had made his debut in the second division with Taranto), who together with Volpino should build the shape of the centre of ... In the region of Corinthia and Tern. In attack, the Fonseca-Buso pairing could have Bresciani and Caruso as alternatives, while Ferrara and Francini provide security on the wings in defence. This is a Napoli that nevertheless knows it has plenty of technical ability, while keeping a payroll of 19 billion: it is the southernmost team in the top division. It has won two championships but has often dropped to the second division. SIGNINGS Corini and Buso (Sampdoria), Bordin (Atalanta), Caruso (Modena), Taglialatela (Bari), Bia (Cosenza), Di Fusco (Torino), Pocchia (Avellino). DEPARTURES Galli (Torino), Crippa and Zola (Parma), Careca (Kashiwaz), Ziliani (Brescia), Carbone (Milan). SQUAD Goalkeepers: Taglialatela, Di Fusco, Pogotto; defenders: Ferrara, Nela, Francini, Tarantino, Bia, Cornacchia, Corredini, Cannavaro; midfielders: Shorë, Bordin, Corini, Caruso, Policano, Altomare, Thern, Inetti, Ruggiero, Strizzi, Pocchia; forwards: Fonseca, Bresciani, Buso. Coach Marcelo Lippi (?).

TIRANA — A new faculty for Albanian university students. It is called the Faculty of Social Sciences and was approved as a university faculty by the Council of Ministers at the start of its first academic year, 1993-94. The measures had previously been proposed by the Ministry of Education to restructure the former Faculty of Philosophy and Sociology. The new faculty will operate with three departments: Philosophy and Sociology, Social Work, and Psychology-Pedagogy. The course of study at this faculty will also last four years.

IN SHKODËR, FORMER BISHOP REBURIED IN THE CATHEDRAL CHAPEL — In the Chapel of Shkodër Cathedral, after an interruption of many years, the remains of Monsignor Ernesto Coba have been reburied. He died in prison during the communist regime. Ernesto Coba was born in 1913 into a Shkodër urban family. In 1930 he entered the clergy at the Episcopal Chapel and was ordained bishop. He began working as a parish priest and continued until 1967, when religious institutions were closed. But he remained imprisoned. He was sentenced to 13 years. His path in the Church resumed in 1967. Now the bishop’s remains are in the Cathedral, where years ago they had been removed following the escape of the Bishop of Shkodër; they had previously been destroyed. A Holy Mass was celebrated for him. CONDOLENCE TELEGRAM OVER THE FUSHË-KOSOVË DISASTER — Prime Minister Meksi sent a telegram of condolence to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Dr Bujar Bukoshi, concerning the accident that occurred in Fushë-Kosovë, which claimed the lives of 20 people. The telegram expressed sorrow and regret over the accident. Prime Minister Meksi conveyed his deepest condolences to Bujoshi and the victims’ families. HUMANITARIAN AID FOR THE CITY OF PESHKOPI — Humanitarian aid for the city of Peshkopi from the US humanitarian association “God Loves Albania.” The aid is worth 350,000 dollars and consists of equipment and supplies for the city hospital. Installation of the equipment will be carried out by an American team from the association, two members of which have been in the city of Peshkopi for months.

Turkey: meeting on the hostages Water reaches Qeparo tomorrow Will the Mona Lisa “return” to Italy?

I RENT OUT a premises for use as a restaurant or shop, at Rruga “5 Maji,” 60 square metres, near the Medrese in Tirana. Those interested in renting this premises should call this number in Tirana: 22039. WE ARE SELLING A HOUSE in Himara, with two rooms and a kitchen, on the fifth floor. The apartment has been privatized and is located 30 metres from the seashore. The area where the apartment is located is called “Spille.” Interested parties can call: 00055 42 33734. ADVERTISEMENT: We rent out a shop at Rruga “Qemal Stafa” 81, 83, 85, Tirana. Dimensions: 4.30 x 10.00 metres, height 4.5 metres. Interested parties should contact: Ramazan Sarraci, Rruga “Shinasi Doda” shnica”, No. 5, Tirana.