One million 900 thousand Albanians at the ballot boxes From 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 p.m., the first referendum in the country’s history is being voted on ■ The official results will be made known 48 hours later, but approximate data will probably be announced as early as tonight ■ If fewer than half of the registered persons vote, the referendum is not considered valid. “Yes” wins only with more than 50 percent TIRANE — Nearly 1.9 million Albanians will be able to cast their vote today for the Draft Constitution. After the rallies and opposing appeals of the political parties, everything is now in the hands of the people. For 12 straight hours, 6,14 polling stations across the country will collect their votes, the only votes that can finally and decisively determine the fate of the proposed draft Constitution. And for the first time in the two-century history of the Albanian state, it will be decided by referendum. 8:00 p.m. tonight will mark the closing of the vote. From that moment on, every minute will be accompanied by the anxiety of the final result — officially it should be known 48 hours after the polls close — which must nevertheless still go through a long path before being announced. The commissions of the polling stations — which cannot have more than 7 members — will begin counting for their area. Once they have finished, they will draw up a report recording, among other things, the results and any objections by the members. From there, the report in two copies, together with the ballot papers, the seal and the voter lists, is sent by the chairman and the secretary — two from opposing political forces — accompanied by a police officer, to the municipal or commune commission. Here they are combined with the results from the other stations and, after being entered into another report, they are sent — again together with the seals, lists and ballot papers — to the district commission. In this commission they undergo another procedure, and a new report is drawn up containing the data for the entire district. And finally one copy of the report ends up in Tirane at the Central Commission, where it is completed with all the final definitive returns. Although the official results will only be known two days later, the first approximate data will begin to be released perhaps as early as tonight. The Draft Constitution on which Albanians will vote today will be considered approved only if it receives the “For” vote of more than 50 percent of those taking part in the vote. But if fewer than half of the number of persons registered as voters take part, then the referendum will be considered invalid. After days marked by the tension and momentum of the propaganda of the political parties, the one-sided declarations and appeals, whether from one side for “Yes” and from the other, with almost equal force, for “No” to the Draft Constitution, have remained only as an echo. Today the decision will not be the parties’ but the people’s own. For this project, for the new Constitution, the hour of truth has arrived today. Moments from the rally in Skënderbej Square, in the city center of the capital

The bar burns down TIRANE — Giant flames engulfed the bar-restaurant “Studenti” at midnight on Thursday, and the students’ city was suddenly put on high alert. The warehouse next to the restaurant building caught fire. Several people working there raised the alarm. For the newspaper, the source of the fire was the presence in the warehouse of a bundle of old mattresses outside the refrigerator. A short time later it burst into flames, after being dampened by humidity. The flames were extinguished in the late hours of the night. News of the blaze became known after thick smoke was seen across the entire area. The material damage is considerable.[?]

Chairman Gjata TIRANE — “The stance and actions of the judges left have created a perception in public opinion,” declared the president of the Constitutional Court, adding that some judges cannot take decisions on cases about which statements have already been made by judges. In a conversation with Gazeta shqiptare, the president of the Constitutional Court stated that a judge may not be part of the bench “if he or she has publicly expressed an opinion on the case.” “In this sense,” Gjata said, “judges who have expressed public positions should resign.”

Fier, policemen under accusation FIER — With cholera, but outside the prison bars. This is the fate of 28-year-old Namik Idrizi — sentenced to 12 years in prison — who has just escaped from the city hospital of Fier, where he had been taken after suspicions of cholera. Yet his “freedom” has been exchanged for that of the Public Order officers who had been assigned to guard the sick prisoner. A search has been immediately launched by the Public Order authorities, while it is believed that the escaped Idrizi may have headed toward Greece. Namik Idrizi was sentenced on charges of “kidnapping a person for profit.” The court ruling was issued on 22 August of this year. And after only 45 days of his sentence and one week of treatment in hospital, Idrizi managed to escape from the police officers. They are now accused of “abuse of office”. (En. My)

YESTERDAY IN ALBANIA There will also be a delegation of the Albanian Bought Party in the work sessions of the international group in the part of na[?] of more Bulgaria, of the initiative of the European Bought Federation and of groups from the European Parliament. One of the tasks of this working group will also be the preparation of the ecological map of the Balkans, writes and the new leadership of the Balkan Federation. The Albanian delegation has been invited to discuss the “international authority”, which will [??] the creation of green territories and the banning of [??] Western and Eastern Europe with Asia and Africa. The 50th anniversary of the first Albanian Bahá'í is commemorated Honors have been paid to Rëfo Çapari, the first Albanian to dedicate himself to the Bahá'í faith, as he had done 50 years ago in Korçë. And it was the Bahá'í Spiritual Assembly in Albania that organized the commemorative ceremonies for Çapari at the National Library of the capital. The first Albanian Bahá'í had been born in 1894 in Markiç of Çamëria.

Where will the sick, soldiers, embassy staff and sailors at sea vote? All patients who are hospitalized will vote at the polling stations set up in the hospitals. Soldiers will vote at the polling stations in the area where their unit is based. Sailors who are at sea will not vote. Embassy staff are excluded, since Albanian diplomatic missions abroad do not meet — according to the law — the threshold of 15 people needed to set up a polling station. Severely ill and paralyzed people staying at home will also not take part in the vote. This time there will be no mobile ballot box. What documents are needed to vote? Every person must present an identity document. Those who do not have an ID card must have the special certificate issued by fals Ushtrët must have an identity document issued by the command. What proves that a person has voted? The stamp of the polling station commission is placed on the identity document presented by the voter. When is a vote invalid? When no mark has been made for either of the two options. When both have been marked or the ballot paper is damaged so badly that the voter’s choice cannot be determined. When does voting open and close? Voting begins at 8:00 and closes on the same day at 20:00.

GAZETA TV PAOLO FOR SUPERVISION IN ALBANIA [?] PAOLO FOR SUPERVISION IN ALBANIA [?]

SOMETHING TO SELL? SOMETHING TO BUY? This space is free for your economic notices. Send your message, no longer than 15 words, to one of our addresses: In Tirana: Rruga Bajram Curri, 370, or in Bari: Viale Scipione l'Africano, 264. State in your message what you are looking for and offering, your name and address RENT — A two-story house with 16 rooms, 7 basements and about 800 m2 of yard. The house is located at Rruga Ramazan Shijaku No. 57, Tirana. Interested parties should contact the phone numbers: 3336 or 42038. FOR SALE — Two stamp albums starting from 1934, including the years 1949-67-69-84. Interested parties should write to: Ludovik Mirdita, Lagja 2, rr Fadil Veliu, Ap.69, Durrës. RENT — A warehouse at 21 Dhjetori with an area of 15 m2 and a height of 3 m. It is tiled and damp. Interested persons may present themselves at the address: Mustafa Romano, Rruga Kongresi i Lushnjës No. 13 Tirana. RENT — A new two-story building at 21 Dhjetori. The first floor has an 80 m2 hall, a 16 m2 room, bathroom and corridor. The second floor has four rooms. Water, electricity, paved road and garage for 3-4 cars are guaranteed. Destin. Kopsht, Rr. Kongresi i Lushnjës No. 22 Tirana. FOR SALE — We are selling a transport trailer 12 meters long, with canvas cover, in good technical condition. For detailed information contact Albaniasped, shpk, Rruga Budi 76 Tirana. Tel. 23921, Fax 42033, Telex 2267 FOR SALE — 3+1+annex apartment, near the Army Ensemble, fifth floor, 2,500,000 lekë. Contact Rruga “Luigj Gurakuqi”, No. 6, tel. 42515. FOR SALE — 2+1 apartment near the school “Vasil Shanto”, fifth floor, 1,800,000 lekë, contact Rruga “Luigj Gurakuqi”, No. 6, tel. 42515. FOR SALE — 1+2 apartment, on the second floor, on Rruga “Myslym Shyri”, near the “Rilindja” printing house, interested parties should call tel. 20066. RENT — A villa on the beach of Durrës (at the Railway, near hotel Durrësi) with two bedrooms and other rooms, two-storey. For more detailed information you can call in Tirana at no. 25722 at any time of day and at no. 32466 after 16:00. FOR SALE — A house with a yard in Durrës, near the cinema “Iliria”, on Rruga “Vaso Pasha”. Contact in Tirana at phone number 25722 throughout the day and 32466 after 16:00. FOR SALE — A local — made of wood and located on the hillside near [??] P. Interested parties may contact the owner of this establishment — with regular painting — at any time of the day.

New commitments by Italy and Greece for the Balkans Visit of the Italian president to Athens ON PAGE 2 Foreign investments reach 80 million dollars Now 24 dollars per capita ON PAGE 3

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