EPIDEMIC A tragic reappearance of the vibrio. The disease hits the psychiatric hospital. Another 80 patients are also at risk. A team of infectious disease specialists and resuscitation doctors arrives from Tirana. The causes of the rapid spread are still unclear Cholera, a massacre in the madhouse In Elbasan 10 dead, 40 affected ELBASAN — A tragic cholera massacre. This time it has arrived dead into another world, far from the normal, everyday one, into the world of innocent and unaccountable people, the mentally ill. With frightening speed it has broken out in the wards of the psychiatric hospital in Elbasan, taking the lives of 10 patients over the past few days. About 40 others affected by the epidemic are now completely isolated. The hospital is in emergency mode and, because the psychiatric medical staff — without the proper experience for such cases — was unable to cope, infectious disease specialists from the city were immediately sent there. Albania’s top health authorities are also on alert. On Monday morning the Deputy Minister of Health, Zamira Kolci, was there, as well as other specialists from Tirana. The epidemic has quietly spread among the painful misery of the hospital’s roughly 140 patients. Its outbreak became clear only the previous day when the medical authorities... On that day alone, 5 patients of different ages, after many struggles with vomiting and falling blood pressure, fell victim to the epidemic. Meanwhile many others have taken to their beds with the same symptoms. The shadow of death has also hovered through the wards and appears to have struck four more the next day: all of different ages. The epidemic seized them immediately, leaving even the doctors no time to do anything. While they tried to keep the patients alive through the wards and move one next to the other. “Another patient has worsened.” Terror and anxiety also accompanied the third day. Again a death. Meanwhile the number of those affected by the frightening wave of the epidemic has reached more than 30. By Monday no exact answer had been given about the causes of the dizzying spread of the disease. Doctors are reluctant to express any suspicion. According to them, there may be many and various sources. “Our hospital is at a national level,” says one of them to Gazeta Shqiptare, “people come here every day from all over the country... the old age of this institution and the illnesses they have, as well as their weak resistance, have meant that they could not withstand the fury of cholera. The epidemic outbreak has put health services on alert. Strict sanitary measures were immediately taken, but in this hospital they seem unable to work properly. “There can be no talk of any hygienic measures being implemented by the patients to stop the spread of the disease,” explains Lavdie Sharri, the hospital director, to Gazeta Shqiptare. Nevertheless, materials to dress the sick and other heating equipment arrived from Tirana on Monday, together with a team of resuscitation doctors. Each patient has been isolated in his or her own room; gathering them in a separate ward is impossible because of the lack of conditions. And on Monday afternoon the first signs of improvement were reported. There has been no new case. Only over five days are there 18 patients in serious condition. The battle with death continues. It may also have been contracted through personal contact. The samples of the deceased, from food samples onward, have been sent to Tirana, where the cause of this tragedy on such terrible proportions is expected to be discovered. Meanwhile, the various branches and districts; what has favored the murderous spread is also the condition of the patients themselves. All those who have died and the majority of the patients are residents

Today Albania-Germany PEQIN — The march of the vibrio in Peqin has not yet stopped. Its spread is accompanied every working day by the same fear among the doctors and nurses of the hospital in Elbasan. Only in recent days more than 30 people have been brought by ambulances from their villages — there are now 9 areas infected by the disease — to the Infectious Diseases ward. A large part of them are in serious condition and among them there are also children: these days 14 little ones have been added to the total number of patients. While the number of patients continues to rise again, many of the patients admitted to the department have been urgently sent to hospitals in the capital. Only on Saturday and Sunday there was a real influx at the Infectious Diseases hospital in Tirana. About 20 sick people from the villages of Peqin arrived here, while many of them were in difficulty. Some of them are now being treated in intensive care. M. K. Milto, the last player to arrive at the national team training session (Photo H. Pustina) □ Bajko: “I prefer the result to beautiful play” □ The Albanian national team with its best lineup Articles on page 3

AQUILA — An Albanian and two Italians have been arrested in Ancona near Aquila on charges of smuggling explosive materials. The three were considered key figures involved in this illegal traffic into Italian territory, mainly detonators, produced at low cost in Albania and exported to other Balkan countries. The material was then used to manufacture fireworks. The trafficking route ran from Albania to Puglia and then on to northern Italy On page 2

Appeal by the Helsinki Committee TIRANA — The hunger strike declared by Kurt Kola, Chairman of the Association of former politically persecuted persons, has prompted another statement from the Albanian Helsinki Committee on this issue. And considering the holding of Kola under house arrest for 3 months to be inexplicable and illegal, the Committee has demanded his immediate release. The statement also expresses the concern of the Albanian Helsinki Committee over the Public Prosecutor’s failure to fulfill its commitment, made during the November 2 discussion, to send Kola’s case file to the Tirana Court. Kurt Kola was arrested immediately after the distribution of the questionnaire and the hunger strike organized by the association he leads in many districts of the country. Since he has been kept under arrest for 3 months without any notice of the charges reserved against him by justice, he has declared a hunger strike again, this time supported by his association.

TIRANA — Under the leadership of two young people dressed in traditional costumes, to the martyrs’ cemetery where commemorations will be held at 11:00 a.m. From there everything will continue with visits to the families of the martyrs and in the evening a joyful closing with the burst of fireworks. The work of the municipality, however, has not been limited to these activities. Various sections of it have taken measures to repair, light and decorate the city. In all commercial units in the country which have long been fully active and in the artistic institutions of the capital. Today the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of liberation begin — by the Municipality, the Culture section — followed by a concert of the capital’s artistic groups on 17 November in the morning — 9:00 a.m. — the Mayor will raise the national flag in Skanderbeg Square. Afterwards an illuminated procession will be accompanied

Discussed in committees Parliament TIRANA — At last it seems this important issue is coming up for discussion and approval by the deputies. On Monday — Parliament worked only in committee meetings — the new draft Penal Code was examined by the Committee on Economy and Finance. The deputies who are members of this committee studied the part that concerns their activity most: the general part of the Code and those with nuances related to economic affairs. On the same day, after passing to the issue of the concealment of transport crimes and the mention that is made — there was an initial discussion on the content of the Penal Code and the deputies of the Public Order Committee.

Conditioned by referendum TIRANA — It now seems fully decided. Albania’s new Constitution will once again go through the difficult test of the referendum. On Monday, President Sali Berisha himself spoke in favor of this path. In the same words, and even before this thesis, the two main parliamentary forces were also in favor: the Socialist Steering Committee and the Chairman of the Republican Party, Sabri Godo. Left at the center of harsh criticism from many sides toward the Government. At Monday’s meeting with the press, Berisha once again reiterated his option for overcoming the situation created after the victory of the No vote in the referendum on the draft constitution he supported. “The new draft constitution cannot be ratified now only in Parliament. How can we tell the people to leave this matter to us, since you made the mistake the first time?” he said. It seems that Berisha does not consider it a mistake — as surely seen by his political opponents as well — his participation in the pro-Constitution rallies. “I did it because I considered it right for the country to have this constitution as soon as possible, and I will do the same in the upcoming referendum,” Berisha said on this point. The most important new element Berisha presented this time, in a meeting longer than the previous one, held two weeks earlier, was that he presented as one of the important factors of the referendum result the dissatisfaction with what he called the way of governing. “This showed us that there is a stratum of the population dissatisfied with the way of governing — Berisha said — I assure this stratum that all measures will be taken to ease the reform, the functioning of the administration will be improved and measures will be taken to fight corruption.” The press conference at the Presidency coincided with a meeting of the PS Steering Committee. The Socialists were urged and encouraged in their position regarding the new project that will be prepared: the drafting and approval of the Constitution on a legal basis in Parliament — if it sees fit to take it to a second referendum they will not be against it — and if the current Parliament is not able to achieve the necessary consensus, then they will demand early elections. However, the PS has also asked for the cancellation of all legal acts approved in these cases on 6 November. A referendum on Parliament has also been requested by Godo, the Republicans’ chairman, except that he has taken his criticism of the Government further. “The referendum proved the urgent need to take emergency measures to change the government. No, the Government must be remade,” was one of Godo’s demands. (vat, bax.)

YESTERDAY IN ALBANIA He had kidnapped a 13-year-old girl in order to sell her abroad. This was the offense for which he was later sentenced by the Tirana Court, Ndorja Olesha from Moglicë, in Peshkopi. According to the official news agency, Olesha had been detained several months earlier by law-enforcement forces while trying to take his new “prey,” whose full name was written on his head, out of the country. According to the police, at the arrest. During the trial, this was double what the prosecutor had requested.

In Berat, apartments have started to cost less. A report from an official news agency states on page 3. According to these sources, an apartment in our city now costs between 20 and 37 thousand dollars, whereas two years ago... In apartment prices, there has been a reduction of 20 thousand to 500 thousand lek for two-room units. Because of the situation in Berat, other citizens have started to settle there, yet in the units the price reductions have not yet taken effect. As cited in the report, this fall in prices has been created by the influence of other phenomena such as the decline in circulation, the reduction of state funds, and speculation. Now, according to them, the value of building an apartment is being balanced with a reasonable profit margin and cost.

A decision is taken against smuggling with the former Yugoslavia Strict control of oil trade TIRANA — The Council of Ministers has adopted a decision for the immediate strengthening of the embargo against Serbia and Montenegro, in support of UN Security Council Resolution 820. Under this decision, private entities importing oil and its by-products are obliged to present their preliminary contracts to the customs authorities. Private wholesale fuel traders are required to present the preliminary contracts concluded with the entities that carry out retail trade in their products. Transport entities must prepare the accompanying shipment documentation, while the decision categorically bans the street trading of fuel. It also charges the Ministries of Geology and Public Order with determining the proper conditions for transport, reporting and fuel storage tanks. Another point of the decision prohibits the storage of any quantity of fuel along lakes, rivers and the entire coast where it borders Montenegro. It has also been decided to define precisely the criteria for the distribution plan of licenses for the import and trade of oil and its by-products. Seat of the Council of Ministers

In Librazhd LIBRAZHD — The ancient method of telecommunications, now with carrier pigeons, has been disproved once again. The farmer Ilmi Vreto from Librazhd was surprised when, among his pigeons, he saw a foreign but also unusual pigeon join them. On one leg the bird had a small ring attached, as well as the number 268.812 on the band. Beneath it there was a blue ring with the inscription “1993 Italia”. And Vreto understood that it was indeed a messenger pigeon, although no one at first would have known what to make of this apparent damage.

Greek and Turkish fleets in the Aegean Sea Naval maneuvers: new borders today ON PAGE 2 Dispute over Bosnia NATO-USA Claes goes to Washington ON PAGE 2