Hygiene measures are being increased by all medical staff Two more deaths in the maternity ward of Fier Hygiene measures are being increased by all medical staff Infection kills infants again Two more deaths in the maternity ward of Fier FIER — The mysterious infection that has taken over the maternity ward of Fier continues to claim the lives of newborn babies. Only one week ago, the deaths of three babies were attributed to the same cause: sepsis. As for the child, it is still not known what diagnosis will ultimately explain his death. Around the small bed, with bottles and drips, a group of staff from that life-saving ward is stationed. All medical personnel, from cleaners to responsible doctors, are wearing special aprons and caps, observing the hygiene and sanitation rules more strictly than before. The pause in concern that had emerged in the last days of the previous week — after the deaths of the first babies, the situation had improved and an atmosphere of calm seemed to have returned — is now in question. The deaths in recent days have caused alarm. The doctors now — although they still do not know exactly what they are dealing with — say that this is something that had not previously appeared as an internal hospital infection. The maternity ward is on alert. Most of the staff now think that the illness in the sick children has been disproved; they now have severe diarrhea or vomiting. Many of them have consequently suffered marked weight loss, and a pale shadow has fallen over their faces, the kind seen only in those rare infants, caused by malfunction of the blood indicator. All of this makes the nurses move around. It seems to them that the little body is extremely sensitive, but more than anything it is the same symptom. Everyone agrees that this is an alarm sign. The doctors at this hospital are still not in a normal state because of it. Such was also the case of a child who had earlier been put on a drip. Along with the child, the mother herself had come here early, together with the health worker. The alarm has now reached the senior experts of Albanian Health as well. In the coming days, minister Cikuli is expected to come to this hospital to see the situation for himself. (Ex. My.)

Parliament passes the law Specialists: «Other measures are also needed» It regulates the new relations between the state and private owners of monuments and antiquities. Registration will begin Specialists: «Other measures are also needed» Protection of heritage Parliament passes the law It regulates the new relations between the state and private owners of monuments and antiquities. Registration will begin TIRANË — The state has finally won the right to have all of Albania's cultural assets under full control. On Wednesday Parliament took a major step forward to stop the “export of antiquities” from the country. Deputies approved the “Law on the protection of cultural assets”. The decree was issued, an unsuitable 1971 one that had already been forgotten. The new law was drafted by specialists from the Ministry's Directorate of Culture in consultation with foreign experts. The law is designed first of all to regulate the tangled web of new relations that has arisen between owners who have already obtained property and the state, which seeks to preserve the cultural values that these properties endanger on a daily basis. First, the law recognizes to the owner of an artistic work or any heritage item in private ownership the recognition as an object of national value if it is a cultural monument and what happens if understanding cannot be achieved with those who have the right to the owners of those that threaten movable cultural value — that is, antiquity objects — or other similar immovable ones — these two now with hiji. They will be given and this property is abroad. Considering again that the owner cannot possess it only within the country — they will have to allow state specialists to inspect the conditions in which these values are preserved. “Despite the great importance of the law, it risks remaining powerless if it is not accompanied by other organizational measures,” said Dashnor Kokonozi, Director of the Directorate of Culture at the Ministry of Education, to the daily “Exodi të arteve,” which is also more difficult to control and requires urgent measures, which we are studying. In any case, the approval of this law is the first major step in this direction.” (P. F.)

Today in Tirana TIRANË — The meeting of the National Council of the Social Democratic Party will begin today. Carefully studied for a long time by the PSD leadership, the meeting's main objective is to work out the platform for the party congress, which will take place in a few days. The meeting of the Social Democratic leadership comes at a time when political relations between the PSD and its allies in the governing coalition are becoming more strained. Two of today's most important political issues — the content and method of approval of the Constitution, and whether or not the PSD will remain in the coalition — are at the center of the attention of public opinion and observers. However, it seems that these two points will not form the main topic of the meeting. “They will also be discussed as very delicate current issues, but the main theme of the meeting will be the discussion of expanding the party program,” said Teodor Laço, one of the leading Social Democratic figures, to Gazeta Shqiptare, starting from our goals in foreign policy and ending in the economic field, which we have been studying for some time. Changes to the program are a reflection of the current situation, which has changed in many respects from the time when the program was drafted.” Asked how the decision on ties with the coalition government and the Democratic Party might be, Laço replied: “At this point I cannot say anything for sure; the position regarding this important point will be approved only after the debate that will take place on Friday.” (V. a.)

BERAT — Cholera strikes again. On Monday, another person in the infectious diseases hospital of Berat had difficulty breathing. A.H., 31, from the village of Rëzë, died very quickly and unexpectedly, and after only one day in hospital, on Friday A.H. had initially shown signs of improvement, but his health took a sudden turn for the worse. In a very short time he began to suffer from nausea. He was accompanied by severe complications and urgently requested help from Tirana. Two specialists from the capital's University Hospital Center arrived in Berat, appointed by the authorities, and checked the situation on site. Meanwhile, admissions with cholera symptoms have not stopped at the same hospital. On Wednesday, 7 people were taken to the infectious ward; they have shown improvement, bringing the number of inpatients to 35. In general, according to the doctors, the situation does not appear serious, although there are new admissions every day. The inpatients continue to come mainly from the villages, where the situation remains difficult. Here cholera must have already taken hold and it has not occurred in the neighborhoods. In fact — the doctors say — the hygienic conditions in these areas are very poor. A large amount of harmful liquid used by the residents of those areas in this case was also mentioned. Ar.Me.

TIRANË — “We do not harbor any illusion that the Constitutional Court will rule in our favor on the latest request made by us and by several other parties.” This is what Socialist Party deputy chairman Luan Hajdaraga told Gazeta Shqiptare. Even after President Berisha decreed the date for the referendum on the approval of the Constitution, the controversy has remained fierce. The opposition has continued to call the President's latest move and its approval by 63 deputies “unconstitutional.” Berisha has decided to take responsibility for the referendum. “There is no debate about this,” Hajdaraga added, “he has not clearly stated the position his party will instruct its members and supporters to take when voting on the Constitution of the Republic. “We have long expressed our objections, both regarding the content of the Constitution and its procedural aspect. And now there are points we contest by a large majority,” Hajdaraga said — as to what position we will propose to our supporters, we have not decided yet. As in all general elections and referendums, the overall situation needs to be assessed. In view of this we too will make our decisions. In our opinion there is still time to determine such a thing. The Socialists are against the referendum on two points of the Constitution, the one concerning the powers of the President of the Republic and the one related to the independence of the State Court.” (fa.bax.)

Another case FIER — Drug cultivation has once again appeared in the fields of Fier. These days, the law-enforcement forces of this district have discovered another field planted with narcotic plants. More than 40 roots of “Cannabis Sativa” were found in the yard of the house of 38-year-old Z. Hasan, from the village of Pestar. The discovery of this field was not accidental. The police forces had in fact been investigating the phenomenon for some time, and it is by no means new in this area. They have confiscated the planted quantity and arrested the owner, against whom criminal proceedings have been opened. c.m.

New mission from the CSCE TIRANË — Once again in Tirana, the CSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities Van der Stoel. The former Dutch Foreign Minister arrives in Tirana today. The purpose of his visit: a) issues in recent times, the contradictions between Athens and Tirana concerning the treatment of the Greek minority in Albania. b) Van der Stoel's visit for a final phase of Albanian-Greek relations. Only a few days ago in Athens there was a desire for a matter after an extraordinary conference. “Omonda” — from Gjirokastra of the Appeals. Meanwhile, Albania is undergoing and has taken a measure that has passed almost unnoticed: classes for minority instruction have been opened even in some areas where the latter do not reach the number set by the Education Law as necessary to open schools. In this way education in Greek has also expanded to Sarandë and Delvinë. c.m.

About his position TIRANË — “The issue of the provisional position was not discussed and at this moment there is no one prepared to take over the baton of this response.” Archbishop Janullatos has thus responded to President Berisha through a statement in strong tones. A few days ago, Berisha replied to the newspapers regarding the problem of the head of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania after the approval of the Constitution — the project again proposed the exercise of this high church office by a non-Albanian citizen — emphasizing that this is a decision to be resolved. Janullatos's statement responds by denying that the issue of his provisional stay in Albania was discussed. The latest solutions to this problem are then issues within the church, which in Albania is taken over by the State,” concludes the Janullatos statement, essentially referring to Berisha himself.

Under construction LAÇ — Those detained by the law-enforcement authorities of Laç will now have somewhere to “stay”. In the law-enforcement branch of this town, the new cells have just been completed. Thus their absence had made some of the work of the law-enforcement officers difficult. Up to this moment they would have had to transport all detainees to the premises of the Lezhë law-enforcement branch. Now this transport of detainees will no longer take place. On the first day of the inauguration, the detainees of Laç who had been sentenced in Lezhë will be “extradited” to the new cells of their hometown.

Food materials seized ELBASAN — About 100 kilograms of salami and 90 kilograms of expired fats... ELBASAN — About 100 kilograms of salami and 90 kilograms of expired fats, 4,000 packs and some items in unusable condition were found and blocked in two meat-producing companies by the Financial Police Directorate in cooperation with the Food Research Institute, among 8 companies carrying out private activity for the production of salami in the city of Elbasan. The inspection, in addition to the serious hygienic-sanitary deficiencies in them, made it possible to stop and block the products made, and also identified serious violations in the technological processes. Thus, because of the increase in production, as well as the damaged and spoiled fat product of one of the firms, around 90 kilograms of expired fats from the salamis produced were found which, instead of being thrown away, had been dumped as color additives and mixed with meat. The Elbasan branch of the Financial Police blocked and destroyed 100 kilograms of salamis and 90 kilograms of bad fats. Meanwhile, an administrative measure was imposed on both firms, and more than 10 activities without licenses to exercise the profession were reported. The specialists have reached the conclusion that only two of the inspected firms offered products guaranteed in terms of quality. (Ar.Sa.)

CURSIVE REALITY ELBASAN — Extremely “long” military service for three young men... ELBASAN — Extremely “long” military service for three young men. Because some were supplied with military service, they were accepted for hours of time. He went behind the families. While he himself with some thieves with stolen goods gained a second one. It seems as if he has completed his “military” service in order to be left “being” and to become better. These are what another person spends 4-5 days in another “long” military service and desired with the other soldiers and is also the prison a person as if nourished with a discovered nature. A harsh face burdened with the breath of crime. But the only offense for which the soldier had been imprisoned was the theft of the weapon. To obtain, besides the weapon, other materials as well. And more truly they had not stolen only automatics, because in one case there were also several bombs missing, a lot of iron, even electric motors and others. Later the investigators discovered that the author of the theft had been in an army in a hut in a squeeze. The stolen items had been hidden over peasant huts, making them difficult to discover later. In the end he was found and together with his friends a case was convicted. For a subsequent view of his service, one from the commanders who had been serving, passing with the other soldier comrades. A long civil service.(Dm.K.)

Referendum: Arbnori's invitations Immediately after setting 6 November as the date of the popular referendum for the approval of the Constitution, President Berisha invited to the Palace of Brigades for consultations all the leaders of the parliamentary political parties, CSCE, Frank Shalen, the President of the European Parliament, Klaus Haensch, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Miguel Martinez, the President of the European Parliament, Rita Süssmuth, and a senior consultant from Europe and the USA. Energy: Record debtors Nearly another $200,000, a sum currently missing from the state budget, is owed solely by electricity debtors. It was the Rural Electric Enterprise that announced the figure of the debtors, who belong to 151,000 families, various institutions and companies. Tirana is the district with the most indebted consumers, as a result of the failure to reimburse the greatest losses in electricity-payment arrears — lëshdërmaye and agricultural Kosovar gëloi zvarritsh. NDI officials in Albania On Thursday a group of senior officials from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) will arrive in Albania. Its vice president, Joan Duigh, stayed for three days in Albania following an invitation from a group of Albanian lobbyists. Upon returning to the USA, she expressed, from the specialists for Albania in her institute, Jorjens Rolet.

MACEDONIA Macedonia and Greece to vote on Sunday Gligorov candidate for president ON PAGE 2 Vienna “discovers” the Albania of the film “Lamerica” International film exhibition ON PAGE 3

LEZHË — Newborn babies in Lezhë will be warmed sooner by the sun's rays. This interesting initiative has come from the “Centre”: vicerena, which is completely restructuring the town's maternity house. The new heating system will be implemented by placing special panels on the maternity ward roof that absorb solar energy. The project will cost the viceriana organization 20,000 dollars. (.r.) Tomorrow “Gazeta Shqiptare” will not go on sale because of the general strike declared in Italy. Publication will resume regularly on Sunday