Hunger strike and street incidents Kukës, many injured after clashes with the security forces FATOS BAXHAKU KUKËS — The hunger strike begun by a group of residents from 26 flooded villages, whose lands were long ago submerged by the artificial Lake of Fierza, ended in fierce clashes between the strikers and the security forces. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, police forces intervened to clear the building of the District Council, which had been occupied by force by the protesters. This intervention triggered a chain reaction, ending in minor injuries to 18 strikers and to many members of the special forces urgently called from Tirana. Until Friday afternoon the situation in Kukës remained tense. Even after the clashes, the strikers refused to leave, insisting on the fulfilment of the demands they had previously submitted. Rapid intervention forces have been concentrated in the Fushë-Arrëz area, awaiting any possible orders. Today, in the political and public background, the Council is expected to issue a decision. The chronicle of this strike begins on May 1. That day, residents from the village of Kënetë, now flooded by the waters of the Lake, went on hunger strike to secure the demands they had long presented to the highest state institutions: payment of rent for the flooded land, compensation for flooded houses, payment for the structures they had built, resettlement of the population with little land to lowland and hilly areas, as well as long-term loans. A day later the strike was supported by residents from many neighboring villages. On Wednesday, the strikers forcibly occupied the District Council building. It was precisely this event that alarmed the government. Then part of it: ministers Musaraj, Manushi, Xhafa and Halili had arrived in Kukës by helicopter, along with other state administration officials. After a long discussion until the late hours of the night with the strikers and representatives of the main parties — all of whose representatives fully sided with the strikers — it seemed the issue was heading toward a solution, but apparently most of the strikers refused to come out of confinement. Special forces from Tirana then intervened and thus began the three-hour battle which later spread through the streets of the city. It was precisely during this clash — in which stones and other hard objects were used — that members of both sides were injured, stone by stone. Dissatisfied with developments up to Friday, the strikers requested a meeting with the highest state authorities. On Friday President Berisha called on the government, which “must be more active”, while describing the demands of the “striking” villagers as intolerable. But “Berisha stressed” the financially absurd and unsustainable demands should not derail the resolution of legitimate claims. A number of associations and political parties in the country reacted immediately as well. Rrapo Danushi, Chairman of “Pronësi me drejtësi”, stated that he fully supports all the actions and demands of the strikers, including the forcible occupation of the local government headquarters: “It was a strike announced long in advance and I fully stand in solidarity with it. I consider their occupation of the building entirely justified.” Meanwhile, the Socialist opposition until Friday preferred to wait for further developments. “We have not yet made an official statement — said to Gazeta Shqiptare the Deputy Chairman of the Socialist Party, Servet Pëllumbi — but our position, as in other such cases, is clear. We have supported the demands of the Kukës strikers. It remains for us to solve the problems through dialogue and reconciliation.” Perhaps today’s meeting between Berisha and the villagers of Kukës will help normalize the situation.

TIRANË — The story of the lands flooded by the artificial Fierza Lake began in 1978. Then, with the completion of a hydroelectric dam, the waters of the Black Drin and White Drin rivers — 2.7 billion cubic meters of water — surged in, flooding thousands of hectares of land that had sustained the population of 26 villages, which today — left with almost no land — are seeking compensation for relocation. The new artificial lake covers a vast area: 72.5 square kilometres. At its bottom lies the old Kukës as well. Three-quarters of a metre of inhabitants, pushed into the depths, could see the water level fall when the lake drops during the dry season. The confined flooded residents have moved to other nearby settlements or to new Kukës, the town that has been under construction since 1962 and that has a length of 40 or so, like the “guilty” lake. The population had survived until then through a newly built industry and through copper and chromium minerals. Now it is one of the poorest and most devastated districts after decades of communist rule and the current crisis. The property issue at the bottom of the lake began to emerge earlier, when the villages began asking for relocation. (fa.bax.)

“Here is the reason for the decision” Andre Vjeli, UEFA official, speaks Albania risks being excluded not only from the Champions Cup but also from the Cup Winners' Cup. This sensational news, reported last week in Gazeta Shqiptare, is confirmed in Bern, where the headquarters of the UEFA Commission dealing with the organization of European cups is located. We interviewed Andre Vjeli, head of the official bulletin “UEFA Flash” and of the press office at UEFA headquarters in Bern. “The standing committee called Task Force, created by UEFA Secretary General Gerhard Aigner — Vjeli told Gazeta Shqiptare — has decided that the whole country, between the two clubs and Albania, cannot send its representative to the UEFA Cup. In Albania, where this is not the only problem, the issues of security, stadiums and transport remain. We have authorized international football matches only at Tirana’s “Q. Stafa” stadium, where only two Albanian teams can play. In this way, last year the 3 Albanian teams would have been left out, and the exclusion begins precisely from the UEFA Cup. Is this a final decision?” “The final decision will be taken on 18 July, there is time before the start of the cups, but of course, in the absence of preparations by the Albanian federation, the decision remains final. As for it, as you told us, nothing has changed in Albania compared with last year, when Teuta was the one excluded from the UEFA Cup?” Is it true that Teuta may not be admitted to the Champions Cup? “Yes, the Champions Cup has undergone a major reform. In general, the classification, which will be made using criteria different from the usual UEFA ranking, will determine the 24 nations that will have the right to participate. Albania risks exclusion because in the ranking we have had declines and criteria of value, sporting history and the economic strength of each club. To be excluded from the Champions Cup, Teuta could, in this case, be counted as admitted to the UEFA Cup. Naturally, this is a declassification. How is it that all these problems are coming to light now that Albania is a recognized democratic country, whereas they did not exist at all during the communist regime? “That is not correct. Until 3 or 4 years ago, UEFA had 32 member states, so Albania’s problems alone did not matter much. Now, with the expansion of participants, we at UEFA are forced to choose. However, to solve the problems of the former communist countries, we have created a special office in Nyon, near Geneva. Clearly, the great sacrifices of Albanian players and teams over the last three years risk being in vain because of UEFA decisions. A risk that perhaps can only be avoided through the intervention of the leaders of the Football Federation and the government. Pino Montagna UEFA Cup

SOCIAL DEMOCRATS STAY IN THE COALITION “The Social Democratic Party will continue to remain in the government coalition.” This is also the conclusion drawn from the latest meeting of the National Council of the PSD held in Tirana. The assessment of the coalition’s situation also reviewed the main issues discussed by the council. “Our position in the coalition is purely within a political framework — Skënder Gjinushi, chairman of the PSD, tells Gazeta Shqiptare — however we are prepared for both alternatives, even though our departure would not create any government crisis. Even the PD itself, although it is losing its allies, has used this coalition for political convenience,” Gjinushi concludes.

State Control denunciaion TIRANË — Numerous financial irregularities and violations of legality in the activity of the Pharmacy Enterprise in Durrës. Trade in expired medicines and prices 10 times higher for drugs have been noted — according to an inspection carried out by the State Control — in the activity carried out by E.V., the director of this institution. In violation of all legal rules and procedures, she privatized a unit from the city pharmacies — no. 5 — to which she had been transferred and became co-owner. Therefore E.V. — according to State Control — supplied this pharmacy with better medicines by passing to other state pharmacies, expired drugs which had deliberately been taken out of use long before. In carrying out this private activity, the prices applied were also many times higher than those of state pharmacies. From this alone, for just two months — November-December 1993 — State Control found that the value of the supplies carried out reached 410 thousand lek. For all these irregularities the director of the Pharmacy Enterprise was removed from office — by order of the Ministry of Health — together with the head of the Finance branch. Ar.Me

— Yet another group of young people seeking to make their way to the West through the city of Vlorë has been uncovered. This time it was the organizers in the order section of the Lezhë police station who intervened and detained three people — suspected to be Yugoslav citizens and one Albanian woman — who are suspected of helping people illegally arriving in Albania from Yugoslavia to pass through the area and then be escorted to Vlorë, with Italy as their final destination. Just last week in Vlorë a group of 36 clandestine migrants from Pakistan had been discovered. (el.)

TEPELENE, OVER 800 THOUSAND LEK IN FINES AND SEIZURES BY THE FINANCIAL POLICE — More than 800 thousand lek in fines and seizures over a long period were imposed by the Tepelenë Financial Police. This police force carried out over 300 inspections and issued more than 220 decisions to prosecute many private commercial entities in the district. Cash irregularities were noted in the trade of fuel and medicines, where discrepancies and evasions were found. IN LAC THE OPENING OF HOUSING WORSENS AN ALREADY SERIOUS PROBLEM — The problem of building housing in Laç remains unresolved. Although the firms that will work on the construction of the apartments have already been designated, work has not started because many plots allocated for construction are occupied. Meanwhile, the issue of the 150 apartments whose construction was left unfinished remains unresolved. For these apartments, the Housing Agency has cancelled the contract with the Construction Enterprise for poor quality and failure to meet the handover deadline. AID ARRIVES FROM ITALY FOR DELVINA — Residents of the Italian city of San Giovanni di Mariano have this time brought a quantity of aid for Delvina. This aid consists mainly of food and clothing, which have been distributed to families with sick members.

Fuel toward Montenegro SHKODËR — Fuel smuggling continues, as does the response by state authorities. Twice within a few hours — on Wednesday — two separate incidents in the Shkodër district send opposite signals. A group of fuel smugglers with Montenegro continues its illegal activity, while at the same time checks against this trafficking are being intensified. This time, a small truck was blocked and four people were detained. According to the Shkodër police, the vehicle with foreign plates was loaded with fuel and was heading toward the border. Investigations continue. (el.)

INSIDE Greece “Investigations on Micotaqis should be carried out” Requested by Socialist deputies ON PAGE 2

TIRANË — Continues to make appeals to Gazeta Shqiptare regarding the contact section of the news that will receive a response and the transmission dictionary of “Pipo” Radio Tirana and the radio staff, saying that because of family reasons it is not certain that it will be in TIRANË. UNO for the closing of 28 May, when at 20.30 the direct broadcast lesson can be gathered from their meeting and in Albania. Read so that they are more ... the last data and data of the end of April are sent. You, for that appeal, we cannot open it at all. FOR RENT or FOR SALE — a house with three rooms and a kitchen, bathroom, storage room and a small garden in a central area on a paved asphalt road by an Italian company. The house is completely built with very good Italian materials and fully finished. For information call: 22039. FOR SALE OR RENT casa di tre stanze, cucina, bagno, ripostiglio e piccolo giardino, in ottima zona centrale, in strada e cemento asfaltata da ditta italiana. La casa e internamente costruita con ottimo materiale italiano e rifinita su ogni dettaglio. Per informazioni Tel. 22039. SEEKING cooperation for activity for the “Kruja” restaurant on Durrës beach. Closed area 300 square metres, interested parties may call 20516 in Tirana.

DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL? DO YOU WANT TO BUY SOMETHING? This space is free for your classified ads. Send your message, no longer than 15 words, to one of our addresses: In Tirana: Bajram Curri Street, 370. Or in Bari: Viale Scipione l'Africano, 264. State, if applicable, what you are looking for and what you are offering, your name and address. FOR RENT — a one-room apartment with a kitchen. Interested parties should call 26587. FOR RENT or FOR SALE — a house with three rooms and a kitchen, bathroom, storage room and a small garden in a central area on a paved asphalt road by an Italian company. The house is completely built with very good Italian materials and fully finished. For information call: 22039. FOR SALE OR RENT casa di tre stanze, cucina, bagno, ripostiglio e piccolo giardino, in ottima zona centrale, in strada e cemento asfaltata da ditta italiana. La casa e internamente costruita con ottimo materiale italiano e rifinita su ogni dettaglio. Per informazioni Tel. 22039. SEEKING cooperation for activity for the “Kruja” restaurant on Durrës beach. Closed area 300 square metres, interested parties may call 20516 in Tirana. FOR RENT — a building with 40 rooms for a hotel or offices, four floors, with a total area of 500 square metres. The building has a café and restaurant with an area of 160 square metres, with additional unused space. Inside the building there is the building kitchen with an area of 162 square metres for government cooking/preparation. Address: in the centre of Tirana, opposite the Albanian Parliament. Interested parties should contact 42319. SEEKING — cooperation for activity for the “Kruja” restaurant on Durrës beach. Area is 3,200 square metres. Interested parties may call 26516 in Tirana.

INTERNATIONAL CONSULTING Economic and Social Advisory Agency CONSULTING FOR LAND AND BUILDING OWNERS This agency has been commissioned by a group of Italian entrepreneurs to find investment opportunities in land or buildings. Owners of land or buildings, with ownership documents, interested in cooperating with Italian investors may contact this agency. Address: TIRANE - Rruga “Islam Alla”, Palace 72/1 Staircase 2. Apartment 36 (near the street intersection where the restaurant “Rugova” is located) - Tel: 042/23501