EDUCATION The government meets the demands. There will be no military service for another three years for the five-year program. Talks are under way about the other conditions The students' victory New scholarships approved ARMAND MERO TIRANA — A victory for the students of Tirana's universities. On Monday, the government accepted their request regarding scholarships. At last, more than 7,000 students from the Polytechnic University of Tirana, the Agricultural Institute of Kamza and several other faculties returned to their lecture halls. “Pupils and students in the second year and above will receive a half scholarship or a full scholarship according to last year's criteria. The value of the scholarship for this academic year has been set taking the price index into account,” the government decision states. In this way, the principal demand that had prompted university students to go on strike for several days in a row has been met. At the same time, the government decision also provides for the corresponding compensation for the entire October-November period. Meanwhile, Parliament approved two new amendments to the “Law on Students' Military Service,” which was another demand set out in the petition sent to Prime Minister Meksi. Under these amendments, students in the five-year program who have completed or will complete their studies by 1995, and those who completed a pre-university year by 1996, are exempt from compulsory military service. “Now we will return to classes,” Altin Gjino, a representative of the Polytechnic University, told Gazeta Shqiptare after the government announcement. “The scholarship issue was our most important problem, and it has now been resolved.” In fact, the first to signal their concern and express their wishes on this issue did so by means of a protest in a hall at Tirana's secondary schools. Their action was then followed by students of the Agricultural Institute. A one-hour strike on December 2 was followed on December 8 by another action, which completely boycotted classes. On December 8, Wednesday, Polytechnic students also went on strike. Their demands were discussed at a meeting with Xhezair Teliti, Minister of Education, who promised to present them to the government. Monday, December 13, had been set as the deadline for resolving these problems. The student representatives' hours-long wait by the steps of the Prime Minister's Office to learn the response was crowned with success. University of Tirana Achievements and promises TIRANA — Here is the extent to which the students' demands have been met: Compensation for all students living in dormitories, amounting to 50 percent of the full scholarship, and the new criteria for a full scholarship were approved at a government meeting. The current scholarship payments will also be increased by the price index. The request to amend the decree on military service for students who began the 1990-1991 academic year was met with Parliament's approval of two new additional amendments to the law on military service. Regarding the improvement of living conditions, the students have held preliminary talks with Tirana Municipality and the Ministry of Trade, during which specific measures to be taken for this purpose were identified. As for improving conditions in lecture halls, student representatives told Gazeta Shqiptare on Monday that they would discuss this issue together with the dean's offices of the relevant faculties.

TIRANA — (Ed. La.) Once again, counterfeit foreign currency has turned up on the capital's free market. A citizen from Vlora was detained on Sunday at 2 p.m. by Criminal Police officers while trying to sell 1,400,000 counterfeit Italian lire. The world of currency exchange had been shaken just a day earlier: unidentified robbers had snatched 23 million lekë (old lekë) and 4,000 dollars from a money changer from Tirana, after first causing him to crash by hitting him with a car. According to the account of Tirana Police Station 3, Ahmet Ahmeti, a driver at the New Port of Vlora, was found carrying 14 counterfeit 100,000-lire banknotes from a single series—manufactured in Italy—which he was selling on the capital's market. The investigation into Ahmeti is continuing and, after initial checks, he was immediately sent to Tirana Prison. Meanwhile, Bujar Abazi, who worked as a money changer on behalf of a private company, is now out of danger after the accident. According to the first accounts, Abazi was unable to see either the car that hit him on the sidewalk near the Red School or the people who later snatched 27,000 dollars from his bicycle's handlebar basket. By Monday evening, despite intensive investigations, the perpetrators of this robbery had still not been identified.

Water, roads, reconstruction: a university also promised Meeting between the President and local authorities VLORA — (p.re.) The city and its problems. Vlora has dozens of problems: lack of water and electricity, damaged roads, insufficient police forces to curb crime, and no university. These problems are often the same throughout Albania, but in Vlora they are made worse by the distance from the capital. A distance that sometimes cannot be bridged because of the tortuous roads (or those blocked by a simple road incident), as well as telephones that do not work: even today, a phone call between Vlora and Tirana is impossible. Seeking a solution, the city's authorities met with the President of the Republic. The lengthy conversation took place on Sunday, taking advantage of President Berisha's arrival in Vlora for a working meeting. And after the long list of problems had been presented, the first results came immediately. “During 1994,” the President assured district chairman Agim Kadiu and Mayor Thanas Sharra, “the necessary funding for the water-network infrastructure will begin.” The water problem is particularly serious, and action will be taken for Vlora: speaking before the Democratic Party Congress last week, Berisha had called “intolerable” the delay with which the Ministry of Construction was taking measures to rebuild water supply systems and water plants. A view of Vlora Another important promise concerned education: the Ministry of Education, the President assured them, is preparing a project to open a university in Vlora. If implemented, the initiative was described as essential for all those students who are now forced to move to Tirana to pursue their studies. Promises were also made regarding reconstruction of the former district Party Committee headquarters—destroyed in the fires of the democratic revolt—and the Llogara road. Berisha urged the local authorities to submit projects, assuring them that the government would take measures to provide the funding. The final request for assistance concerned the hotel project, begun in Vlora but then halted because the Italian company involved in the project had run out of money. President Berisha also guaranteed support on this issue, and the Tourism authorities have undertaken to find a solution. The citizens of Vlora hope for a swift solution, because tourism is certainly the most important industry for this beautiful southern city. And it was precisely the residents of Vlora who made the final appeal: “Do not forget us.”

Investment TIRANA — (p. re) — 200 billion lire will be invested in the design and construction of a reservoir dam on the Erzen River. This project—financed by FAO and the World Bank—will be carried out by the Irrigation Authority of Pullias, Lukanias and Irpanias from Italy. The dam will collect the waters that will be released to meet the needs of industry and to irrigate more than 18 hectares of land around Tirana and Durrës. A delegation from this Authority's administration will arrive in Tirana today to meet representatives of the Albanian government. They will also meet with Albanian specialists to explore the possibility of drawing up a joint irrigation plan.

The property is granted to the heir NAMIK MEHMETI SHKODËR — The ownership saga has come to an end and at last it is reopening

The property is granted to the heir Built in 1920, this café has now become—like Rozafa—a symbol of the city. After many court hearings and the discovery of the correct title deeds, the heirs to the “Kafja” won ownership of it. Tired of the café, one of the largest in the Balkans, the owners preferred to rent it out for three thousand dollars a month. The initiative to restore life to the city's symbol was taken by citizen Muhamet Vella, who is now equipping it with valuable amenities. “Kafja e Madhe” is known to the people of Shkodër also as a place that has welcomed and farewelled singers and ambassadors, diplomats and writers, merchants and businesspeople; besides “playing” politics there, poker was also played by guests from Europe. During the years of the communist dictatorship, the “Kafja” was refurbished inside several times, but its valuable furnishings were looted and sold. Among the grandest banquets laid on by the regime, the one for Çu En Lai, the former Chinese Prime Minister, in 1962 is remembered. The establishment will no longer belong to heirs amid the naming and dismissal of Communist cadres, but will be a peaceful place for merchants, Shkodër jokes and humor.

More than 300 witnesses to testify Fatmir Koçi is being sued for 400,000 dollars More than 300 witnesses to testify Proceedings begin in the case of the “Koçi” firm Fatmir Koçi is being sued for 400,000 dollars EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA — The “Koçi” firm is in the Tirana Court. Proceedings against Fatmir Koçi, one of the three Koçi brothers, began on Monday morning on charges of “fraud committed in collusion.” The criminal case against the defendants Shkëndër and Shkëlqim Koçi—the defendant's brothers—has been separated by the Prosecutor's Office, since they have left for an unknown destination. The amount involved in the fraud of which Fatmir Koçi is now accused is around 40 million lekë, or 400,000 dollars. More than 300 people have been summoned as witnesses in this trial; according to the indictment, they “were defrauded by the defendant, who first obtained various, very substantial sums of dollars from them.” The Koçi brothers—immediately after the fall of the dictatorship—were among the first businessmen in Albania to invest, including in many different districts of the country. One of them, Shkëlqim, was also declared an independent candidate in the March 22 elections for a seat in the Albanian Parliament. All three brothers are now accused of defrauding many citizens, like Hajdin Sejdia, by promising them that sums of dollars they handed over would be returned with a higher rate of interest.

FIER — (p. re) - Reconstruction of the “Jakov Xoxa” arts secondary school in the city of Fier will begin soon. — (p. re) - Reconstruction of the “Jakov Xoxa” arts secondary school in the city of Fier will begin soon. This time, the necessary funds will be provided by an association of Dutch painters based in Abeldor. Among those organizing the collection of this aid from Dutch companies, families and associations is also the director of Dutch state television. For the first phase of the work alone — reconstruction of the electrical circuit and plumbing system — 200 thousand dollars will be invested. In recent days, a Dutch delegation met with representatives of the city municipality and the management of the arts school to discuss this issue.

Sejdia’s mysterious gift to the Justice Department A computer disappears from the Investigation Department The Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case TIRANË — (e.l.) - “Theft of state property in large amounts” inside the Tirana Investigation Department. A computer donated by Hajdin Sejdia disappeared from the office of the Chief Prosecutor of the Investigation Department during the first half of 1992. A criminal case has now been opened, although the key witness is missing: Maksim Çollaku, former Head of the Tirana Investigation Department, who, after going on assistance, left for Germany. But the subject of the Prosecutor’s Office investigation is not the computer donated by Hajdin Sejdia — the man extradited from Albania and expelled over the large sum involving local traders — but rather the mysterious disappearance of this computer. Many Investigation Department employees have acknowledged seeing the computer in Head Çollaku’s office, while the deputy prosecutor of Tirana who replaced him says he found nothing of the kind in the office. The checks carried out to inventory the offices and property of the Investigation Department show no reference to it, even though there is no document for Sejdia’s computer. In any case, the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office is continuing its investigation into Sejdia’s mysterious donation and its disappearance from the office of the Head of the Investigation Department.

A phenomenon involving the young and the elderly The superstitious: believing in demons? ON PAGE 3 Austria, a building in flames Three dead (2 are Turks) Perhaps a new action by neo-Nazis ON PAGE 2

BERISHA RECEIVED THE CZECH MINISTER OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE — On the 17th, the meeting between President Berisha and Vladimír Dlo... was fully... The Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, who, as soon as he ... Albania. The two senior officials supported the view that economic cooperation in areas such as tourism, agriculture, mechanical industry and the glass industry would be mutually beneficial to both countries. The Czech minister said that the Albanian side’s requests to provide Albania with experts and to bring them into the field of production were entirely feasible. The conversation also focused on trade. President Havel also showed great interest in the road to Albania. A MEMORIAL TO THE TOPPLING OF DICTATOR HOXHA’S BUST IS INAUGURATED IN SHKODËR — In the presence of thousands of citizens and government officials, a memorial dedicated to ... was inaugurated in the city of Shkodër. A memorial was inaugurated featuring the symbol of dictator Hoxha, to whom ...; a bust of dictator Hoxha from 1900 was mentioned, where the memorial was erected. ... THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD MEETS...