INTERVIEW “The President and the Government should have analyzed the causes of the NO vote. But my request for an analysis was not accepted. An absurd situation had been created around me; I will not allow bargaining with my name” Anagnosti: “Meksi should go” The Minister of Culture accuses after his resignation TIRANE — What until Wednesday had been talked about only as rumor has now become reality: the Government has suffered its first serious blow. The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dhimitër Anagnosti — who is also a PD deputy, though not a member of the party — personally submitted his resignation request to Prime Minister Meksi on Wednesday morning. “A request that will be, as the Minister himself explains, irreversible and based on: 1. Meksi. In a long letter of more than one and a half pages, the current man in the Anagnosti situation around the Government is also set out. According to the action he has taken, this is first and foremost a protest against Meksi. ‘You have not undergone any resignation’; Anagnosti writes to Meksi, while also describing the situation created around him as ‘absurd and humiliating, entirely incompatible with my vision of democracy’. After two years and several months in office, Meksi now finds himself forced to govern temporarily with one minister less, at a time when he also has to replace the heads of several other ministries. (f. b.) FATOS BAXHAKU TIRANE — I have now made up my mind: I am leaving the government. It is, first and foremost, a matter of dignity. Only a few hours after handing Prime Minister Meksi his resignation request, the Minister of Culture Dhimitër Anagnosti speaks to Gazeta Shqiptare in his home — on the fourth floor of an apartment block not far from the center of Tiranë — about the reasons that pushed him to take this extreme decision. He does not appear critical of the government’s activity as a whole, but protests against Meksi’s attitude and that of other state and party structures after the victory of the No vote in the constitutional referendum. What led you to consider the President’s resolution a personal defeat? The referendum? Berisha? — Because he was the mastermind of the project that did not win and intervened throughout the campaign. — In your view, what stance should the Government have taken after 6 November? “Ten days ago I addressed Prime Minister Meksi with the request that the government should analyze its responsibilities in the referendum case. The responsibility I received was: ‘I did not organize any referendum.’ So the analysis was never done. In my opinion it should have been Berisha himself who, using the authority granted by law to chair the Council of Ministers meeting, should in that instance have carried out the appropriate analysis and brought out the responsibility of each minister. He should have found out more clearly which sector had failed. After that, Meksi himself should have resigned and the cabinet should have been reshuffled. But I think it is not only the Government that bears responsibility; the other structures must also be analyzed. But that accountability must be given and responsibilities must be taken is clear. Meanwhile, this government was formed by Berisha; if he considers it necessary for it to be dismissed and reconstituted, then that is the path.” Why was it necessary to take this firm stance by leaving the Government... “The problem is that I felt myself in a truly absurd and ridiculous situation. I also heard rumors according to which I was among the ministers to be dismissed, at a time when I was never given the opportunity to openly state my opinion on my work as minister. If my work is to be judged, then it should be judged in writing and in my presence. I am convinced that there is no government or minister who does not have, as I am convinced, the work I have done: I was a successful minister. Let them be judged for what they did with the limited financial means I had at my disposal. I believe it could easily have been verified that cultural activity in the country has increased. I accepted the post as an idealist and to serve the country. I have no complexes about being dismissed, but I oppose this method of selection.” What will Anagnosti do now? “My decision is irrevocable, whatever Meksi’s answer may be. I am waiting for his reply. What will my future be? I will return to my place in Parliament.” Minister Anagnosti Here is the text of the letter Anagnosti sent to Meksi: “Honourable Prime Minister! Even though President Zoti did not have the courage to accept the referendum defeat as primarily his own defeat, since you do not have the courage to resign, since the government, at my request, did not agree to conduct an analysis of the referendum results, since the PD parliamentary group also did not carry out a real analysis, since at the PD National Council meeting the government officials were not invited to state our opinion, an absurd and humiliating situation was created, which is entirely incompatible with my vision of democracy. But the situation is boiling and the day is being bargained over with my name, a thesis I do not allow anyone to advance. In order to respect myself, democratic principles, as well as my and my family’s moral, spiritual, mental and physical integrity in this state of confusion, Mr Prime Minister, I submit my resignation from the post of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.”

Bill in Parliament Amnesty according to the PD: Nano, Alia and the minorities remain in prison TIRANE — Nano and Alia will remain in prison, as will five members of “Omonia,” widow Nexhije, and 90 among the “former Balli Kombëtar widows” convicted by Albanian courts. By excluding, through a list, from the amnesty — the chairmen and initiators of a group of PD deputies — this time the majority of the protagonists who went through the most sensational trials in Albania will not fare better. The condition set in the Draft Law on Amnesty — on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the homeland from the Nazi-fascist occupiers — although it will allow dozens of convicted persons to leave Albanian prisons, for the leader of the PS, former president Alia, the five minorities of “Omonia,” as well as several former officials of the regime, it will only have the value of reducing the minimum sentence. Still, although the People’s Assembly will be the final body to decide on the criteria given to and applied by the Minister of Justice, S. Rrendi Publik, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic and the Court of Cassation. The draft law, which on Wednesday began to be examined by the Committee on Laws, has almost defined everything. Thus, the amnesty will benefit all those who were sentenced — to imprisonment or lighter penalties — before 1 November 1990, as well as those whose sentences did not exceed two years, or who were punished conditionally or with a fine. Minors — under 18 — will also be released from their cells, while other persons who have only one year of sentence left to serve will have the same fate. The amnesty will also apply to persons sentenced only for offenses carrying prison terms of 2/3 of the total sentence. All other convicted persons who do not benefit from this amnesty will have 1/3 of their sentence reduced, while repeat offenders only 1/6. However, while the draft law has not established criteria based on different types of crimes, deliberate offenses or offenses resulting in death, as well as sexual relations involving violence or pederasty. No convicted person for these crimes will benefit from the amnesty expected to be proclaimed by the People’s Assembly. Only women convicted of murder will have 1/4 of their sentence reduced. As adopted by the draft law that on Wednesday was placed before Albanian deputies and will be one of the criteria that they will ultimately decide on. (Ed. La.)

TIRANE — It is Ramiz Alia’s third chance. Next Wednesday the file of former President Alia and seven senior officials of the regime will be before the judges of Cassation. The trial — newly set for 30 November — remains once again the last chance, after the two previous rulings handed down by the Tirana Court and the Court of Appeal. The very fact that Alia, Marko, Stefani, Isa, Çela, Mino, Ramiz and Haderi will be tried again shows that they did not accept the Appeal Court’s decision, which found them guilty and sentenced them to between 3 and 9 years in prison. The only ones who did not file their appeal are Çirçari and Myftiu, who had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment, but conditionally, and are now with their families. In particular, the final criteria of the amnesty are expected to be determined, from which perhaps the accused in this trial may also benefit. (c.)

Opening on Sunday TIRANE — A solemn inauguration of a very special kind will take place on Sunday, 27 November, at 11 a.m. in the Great Park of the Artificial Lake of Tiranë. It concerns a cemetery dedicated to the English soldiers and pilots who lost their lives during the Second World War while fighting for the liberation of Albania. Since 1992 — reconstruction is not at the war cemetery — decision. Now 38 stones have been rebuilt. They mark the graves of those who fell, coming from afar to fulfill a noble duty, while among the many former English fighters of the Second World War expected to be present will be Sir Reginald Hibbert and Colonel David Smiley, two of the most distinguished figures of the British missions of that time in Albania.

Vlore, protest VLORE — If the privatization board does not cancel that unjust decision, we will go on hunger strike. There are 15 workers from the shop in Vlore, “Sahat,” who have now decided not only to let it be paralyzed by a hunger strike. The reaction began immediately after the privatization of the shop, which, according to its workers, was handled for 180,000 lek and in a completely illegal manner, while the value was not given the right of purchase. “We are 15 families who live from this shop — two of its former employees tell Gazeta Shqiptare, Kryemirësiti Meksi and the high state officials will not intervene to cancel that decision, by the end of the week we will begin the hunger strike.” (e. b.)

Durrës, a harsh court ruling He defended his son: sentenced to death DURRES — Another death sentence has been recorded in the files of Albanian justice. This time the harsh decision belongs to the court of Durrës, which did not hesitate to punish 39-year-old R. Domi from the village of Drith with the harshest penalty for “premeditated murder.” It was perhaps wounded pride or a parent’s instinctive anger that has now driven Domi toward this “murder.” Only three months earlier, on an August day, he had been the protagonist in the killing of a fellow villager, A. Xh., 30 years old. The cause of this act had been the quarrel his son had had with A. Xh., who had also beaten him. As soon as he heard about the event, Domi left work and, with a sickle in his hand, set out to look for the villager who had beaten his son. Without even being able to explain, Domi struck him hard with the sickle. One blow that split open A. Xh.’s abdomen, causing his immediate death. And only a few moments later came the arrest by the police. Now, after three months of investigation and life in the isolation cells, Domi has appeared in the dock. He had hoped they would understand him, take into account the reasons for the crime he had committed. But the judges did not waver, their verdict was decisive: “Death sentence.” Albanian justice continues to punish this killer. (Ge. To.)

Ministry decision against abuse of narcotic medicines TIRANE — The possibility of abusing medicines that act like light drugs is becoming difficult. Their wholesale sale, including in pharmacies, has been regulated under a recent directive from the Ministry of Health. Only specific persons with special permits will have the right to sell them. The directive also includes the classification of these medicines, some of which are easy to find. They are sleeping and tranquilizing medicines that anyone can obtain with any prescription. “These are medicines that, if used for non-medical purposes, fall into the group of narcotic substances” — Dr. Jozef Jude, head of the Toxicology Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, explains to Gazeta Shqiptare with knowledge of being abused, this is a reason of experience, because only in this way will the road to abuse be cut off.” According to Dr. Jude, the quantity of these types of medicines, as well as of the raw materials for their preparation — according to international rules — has a set limit in line with the country’s needs in a given country. If this quantity is higher, it means that the excess has not gone to those who drug themselves. This is foreseen in the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, which is not yet in force, but according to Albanian[?] statements. The special directive specifies that those who will import such medicines must keep the documents for 10 years, while pharmacists must keep the prescriptions issued by polyclinics for 5 years. Those who do not comply with the requirements of this directive will be fined up to 200,000 lek. (u.)

— He was found murdered on the fourth floor of an apartment building in the center of Berat. And for ten days the death of 32-year-old Arben Pellumbi was nothing but a mystery. But while the tragic story of this young man had come to an end, the investigators of the Berat Police Commissariat never stopped. It was enough at first to identify the perpetrators, and immediately charges followed against two people. They are Gamil and Gentjan Shehu — father and son — who are now under arrest and continue to explain themselves regarding the charge in the incident that shocked the city of Berat for several days. (p. re)

Parliament approves law on the protection of fauna On Wednesday the People’s Assembly approved a law whose purpose is the protection of Albanian fauna. Under it, the General Directorate of Forests, in cooperation with other institutions, will determine which animals may be hunted and the hunting calendar. The law also sets out the suspension of hunting in certain areas or throughout the country if this is done to protect ecological balance. The decision on such a measure — according to the newly approved law — will be taken by the Minister of Agriculture. Seminar on tripartite labor relations It began on Saturday in a new center ma[?] editorial office[?] of work in Albania. In this sh[?] a seminar on employer-employee relations has been organized in the presence of experts from the International Labour Organization, which begins. On the presidency of employment conditions in Albania[?] as well as assessments of the new attitudes of the government, employers’ and employees’ organizations and their trade unions for the implementation of collective agreements and unions. [text partly illegible]

INSIDE NATO destroys Serbian positions The second bombing in the former Yugoslavia ON PAGE 2 A journey through the barracks on the outskirts of Tiranë “Here is why we abandoned the villages” ON PAGE 3

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