The referendum is set Albanian Parliament chamber TIRANE — Albanians will once again head to the polls. President Sali Berisha has now set the date of the referendum for the approval of the Constitution. With the strong backing of his party and harsh accusations from the other parliamentary parties — that he was putting the opposition in doubt about its unity, AD, PRDNL and PBD — Berisha has decreed the date on which all Albanian citizens will vote on the Constitution, 6 October 1994. As usual in such cases, it will be a holiday. Only a few days earlier Parliament had approved the Referendum Law. The vote that will determine whether the draft Constitution drawn up by the commission led by Prime Minister Meksi is liked by Albanians or not will be held precisely on the basis of this law. This means once again the “marathon” of drafting articles and setting up electoral commissions throughout the country. Albanians last experienced this special atmosphere in July 1992, when they voted for local government representatives. It seems to be approaching its end, however much greater is the controversy caused by one of the most discussed issues of recent times: the Constitution. All parliamentary parties except the Democratic Party and the Republican Party have expressed their opposition to the form chosen by Berisha. Although in principle they are in favor of the new forces and have come out against the referendum as a democratic means of solving many problems, in this specific case almost all of them have spoken in favor of the Constitution first being approved by Parliament, considering the President’s latest move “unconstitutional.” (p.re.)

Cholera, 9 schools in villages closed Cholera, the vibrio attacks the city of Skanderbeg Three confirmed cases KRUJE — The shadow of cholera has appeared over the old castle of Krujë. The “army” of the vibrio has managed to creep into the city of Skanderbeg. Three people — a mother and daughter from one family and a soldier — have given the same response as hundreds of others, already from several parts of the country, who were previously ill with cholera. The news was confirmed to Gazeta Shqiptare by the doctor at the city’s infectious diseases hospital, Bajram Dollaku. Krujë is the latest center where the presence of the disease has been diagnosed — and, despite reassuring claims about its low mortality rate, it will apparently continue to spread geographically — only a few days earlier it had been reported as spreading in Central Albania. The same doctor speaks of a 14-year-old — Jani [?] Hadari — whose case and related chronicle From these areas the number of patients admitted to the hospitals of Tirana and Elbasan had increased in recent days. Also in Krujë, pashait Skuh has, for some time, been suffering from the same symptoms. The suspicions about him were then strengthened by Dr. Dollaku. Now, in the same people, analyses from the Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Tirana. The vibrio outbreak has put the local authorities of Krujë on alert. Nine schools in the district have been closed by the District Hygiene Directorate. Their sanitary conditions were considered unsuitable, especially in light of the current epidemic. The Krujë Education Directorate has coordinated with the Tirana ministry, trying to take immediate measures to ensure at least the minimum conditions required by the Hygiene Directorate. For now, students in the villages of Cërnava, Hasan, Luz, Derven, Tapizë, Qeret, Larushk and others will have to wait for some time because of the cholera, as life in the villages continues. It is still not known how the cholera epidemic reached Krujë. No details have been made public about the two sick people from the same family. More is known about the sick soldier. He is from Kavaja — an area that has already been affected by the epidemic — and he had been in “Zall-Herr” for some time. He was transferred to Krujë, where he developed the first symptoms. So far, water has been accused as the main transmitter. But the geographic spread the epidemic is taking — even into areas belonging to parts farthest from the affected zone — also makes it necessary to take into account another factor, from which people must be very careful: human contact. (m.a.) Kruja

The State Control Service intervenes The institution itself files criminal charges against those responsible The State Control Service intervenes “Violation of financial discipline at RTSH” The institution itself files criminal charges against those responsible TIRANE — Dismissals from work, accompanied by a criminal complaint within Albanian Radio Television. The official confirmation — although the strict measures were taken by the RTSH General Directorate itself — is made public by the State Control Service, which for a long time had been investigating the economic activity of this institution. The only detail about this RTSH announcement concerns the fact that these “responsible persons” are not in the Directorate of Internal Radio and in that of Shkodër. Meanwhile, for the “violations of financial discipline” established at RTSH by the State Control Service — it has been requested that a criminal action be brought against 15 senior Albanian officials of this institution. The amount is 598,814 lek — around 6,000 dollars — the sum of excessive and illegal payments, which according to the State Control Commission were made by RTSH during the period 1992-1993. Meanwhile, the inspection also showed that in 9 of the 16 months of the second half of ’92, the economic and financial activity balances had still not been produced at RTSH. The greatest suspicions have been cast on the settlement of accounts with suppliers, an amount equal to around 30 thousand dollars and which — according to a member of the State Control Commission — “is abnormal and compromises RTSH’s financial relations with 44 state enterprises and 4 private companies.” (p.re.) Albanian television

After Gradeci’s 4-year prison sentence TIRANE — Only a few hours of “peace” for Sulo Gradeci, who was given four years in prison seven days earlier by the Tirana Military Court, and now his file is the second. His court case. The Appeal Court itself will not examine this case — as usual — referring only to the defendant’s appeal, but also to a protest filed by the prosecution. “The Military Prosecution of Tirana has today filed a protest against the decision of the Tirana Military Court, which had upheld the charge against Gradeci for ‘misappropriation of state property’ in the amount of 33 thousand dollars.” Meanwhile, the October 6, ’94 decision — when Gradeci had been declared guilty of “abuse of office” — was at the same time not accepted by him either. As confirmed to Gazeta Shqiptare by Gradeci’s lawyer — who during the first trial had also sought his client’s acquittal — “this decision will soon be appealed to the Court of Appeal.” Thus, as rarely happens, a first-instance judgment will be submitted to the Appeal judges contested by both sides. The trial against Sulo Gradeci had begun on 2 September ’92 — and the two charges against him had been replaced by a ten-year prison term. A few hours later, the former Gradeci adviser’s conviction was annulled for one of the two charges and the military prosecutor’s request, which had been rapidly handled and now belongs only to the Appeal Court. (e.l.)

TIRANE — It seems that the Serbs, encouraged by the easing of the embargo, have moved onto the diplomatic offensive. In an interview given to the Greek news agency “Ana”, the acting president left over from the former Yugoslavia — Zoran Lilić — made several harsh statements against TIRANE and Ankara. According to the Yugoslav president, “Albania and Turkey are carrying out an intervention to create a Greater Albania.” In the so-called “Greater Albania”, according to him, Kosovo and regions of Greece that are thinking today will also be included. “These are Turkish expansionist plans, but we have no reason to allow them to be realized,” Lilić added in a rather aggressive tone. The Yugoslav president claimed that TIRANE is the main cause of the deterioration in relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, accusations regarding the violation of the fundamental human rights of Kosovo Albanians by the Serbian authorities continue unabated. The Yugoslav president declared that with this gesture “the Albanian government has carried out an internal job against Yugoslavia by refusing any kind of dialogue between the two countries. While rights are being trampled in Albania for the Serbian and Greek national minorities — Lilić continued — in Yugoslavia Kosovars enjoy all rights.” More than this, it seems that the diplomatic appetite of the Yugoslav president has turned precisely at a time when the one — which is considered the “hostage” of the country’s presence in Kosovo — has officially to a new voice, which decreed Kosovo. (a.r.)

Korçë, war on smuggling The illegal transport of goods continues to be exposed, as do the countermeasures taken by the state authorities. This time, in the “trap” set by the Financial Police of Korçë, a shipment from Macedonia was caught; the goods, which were being passed through Customs at Qafë Thanë, were seized for the purpose of false declaration of their content. It concerns about 5,415 linear meters of fabric, the quantity of goods seized, which was also accompanied by a fine of 116, and by the Financial Police of Korçë. Lezhë, modern nursery school in the village Dajç, a hilly little town, has been awarded this year’s newest and most beautiful nursery school. These days the operation of this modern kindergarten for preschool children has just begun, built with funds from the URA III agreement “Apostull e Zarrës së Shenjtë të Krishtit”. And 200 million lire have been enough to pave a neighborhood from this commune, together with a telephone line and a small polyclinic. Along with the kindergarten, a polyclinic has also been built.

In the smuggling zone SHKODER — The outcome of Ambassador Napolitano’s mission in the “smuggling border” has still not been understood. The special envoy of the UN authorities monitoring the enforcement of the embargo against the former Yugoslavia traveled on the evening of the day before yesterday, as soon as the plane touched down on the Rinas runway, to Shkodër. Here he wanted to see the border area with Albania and Montenegro. “We saw him for a long time in Shkodër,” one of his companions from Shkodër told Gazeta Shqiptare, “but throughout the whole time he only took notes and was very reserved.” After the Shkodër mission, Napolitano traveled to Tirane, the second stage of the mission, at the office of Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi. This is the second visit Napolitano has made in a short time. Only a few days earlier, a sudden operation led by the heads of the Ministry of Order had dealt a heavy blow to fuel smugglers. (rb.)

He was fishing at night... DURRES — The death of a 60-year-old man remains shrouded in mystery. The body of F.B., from Durrës, was found on Monday morning by some Port workers, floating lifeless on the surface of the sea. According to sources from Durrës, the corpse does not appear to have shown signs of violence, so investigators have also considered the possibility of a simple accident. When questioned by the police, relatives of the Port worker said that he had apparently gone out at night to help with assistance coming from Kalata 0, precisely where the elderly man’s corpse was found. Kalata 0 is a place much frequented by fishing enthusiasts. And these fishing enthusiasts have their “adventures” in the early hours. It is still not fully clarified, but it seems that in this case too we are dealing with the unfortunate adventure of a fisherman. (s.b)

A hitchhiker... VLORE — He thought he was transporting ordinary passengers but ended up tied to a tree near the road, calling for help. This is what happened on Tuesday to the victim of a Mercedes-Benz with Saranda license plates. There were three people sitting in the afternoon when — as they approached the road to Vlorës — they asked the Saranda driver for a hitchhike, attacking him a few moments later. The car thieves themselves fled in the direction of Saranda. The tied-up driver was later taken into custody by a police patrol. The police are now looking for the “bold” passengers. (m.m)

The tractor driver dies KAVAJE — A 16-year-old and his tractor have fallen victim to a “mountain” of sand; B.V.-year-old Zylish Muça was unable to survive the severe impact. He breathed his last while his fellow villagers were trying to give him first aid. At the time of the accident, the tractor driver was traveling across a field with his heavy agricultural machine. At the moment of the collapse, exactly what the earth, a heavy collapse, caused. 6.4 m from the hooks pushing mercilessly, which dragged for some time and struck hard. (q.d.)

A Peace Prize for the PLO leader ON PAGE 2 The devaluation of the “superlek” begins ON PAGE 3

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