Costs 20 lekë TIRANA - “Gazeta Shqiptare” is growing slowly. Starting next Sunday in June, we will publish more pages: 12 in all (in this regular edition of ours), at a price of 20 lekë. We are making this effort to offer you, dear Readers, a newspaper that is closer to your wishes and needs. After a two-week break, “Gazeta TV” returns to publication; it continues to arouse great interest. Then there is a page for Shows, and more besides. For several days now, our daily edition has changed, with one more page in Albanian and many more in Italian, with news from the districts. Soon we will undertake new initiatives, whose purpose is to work together with you to make a newspaper that is always fresh and attractive. So, not only tragedies and polemics, but also entertainment, music, suggestions, images of an Albania that is changing (and there are many things that change day by day) and of the parts of it that are changing more slowly. At last summer has arrived, and the newspaper—while maintaining its customary seriousness—wants to dress more lightly. We want to continue to stand by our Readers with our loyalty, and so we ask all of you to write to us and give us advice, suggestions, and ideas. “Gazeta,

The lawyer says the PS leader’s sentence should be reduced by the Tepelenë judges. The prison: “It is not up to us” Nano once again at the courthouse doors The request for a legality review remains on hold Another six months have been deducted under the new Penal Code TIRANA - The Nano case is once again at the doors of the Albanian courts. A request by the socialist leader’s lawyer, as well as a possibility raised only in the past few hours by the senior PS staff, may soon send Nano back to the Tepelenë Court or further on, to the Court of Cassation and specifically to the High Plenum of that institution. According to sources from the PS, the request for a legality review has just been prepared, a document that is currently being held in reserve and perhaps only needs Nano’s final “yes” before being sent to the headquarters headed by Brozi. Meanwhile, one of Nano’s lawyers, Agim Tirana, stated yesterday that the Tepelenë Prison Administration—where the socialist leader is serving his sentence—must refer the Nano case for trial, because the entry into force of the new Penal Code now obliges it to do so. On page 3 Nano during the first trial (photo: H. Pustina)

Tomorrow the prosecutor will announce the sentencing request TIRANA - The charge against Ilir Ner Hoxha has changed, but not his position toward them. This happened yesterday, when for the second time in post-communist Albanian history—after the Hoxha widow—another member of the family that held power during the dictatorship arrived at the Tirana Court. But this time Ilir Hoxha has not been accused as her [unclear in source] nor for the period when she and her husband led the country. Having come to court to defend himself against the charge that had earlier frightened him, the son of Hoxha, before the Tirana Deputy Prosecutor Gjukatj, faced a different charge at the start of the trial: “Endangering public peace by calling for hatred against sections of the population, by ...

A mother’s account TEPELENË - A 13-year-old girl from Tepelenë escaped the kidnappers who wanted to sell her in Italy. After being kept for nearly a month and 20 days inside a private hotel in Vlora, little Izabela Duraj managed to escape from the “prison” where her kidnappers were holding her and return home. Now her mother also recounts her adventure and tells the story of Izabela: the girl left home and ended up hidden away for a while, until the mystery surrounding her kidnappers could be cleared up—

One of the nationalists speaks Court of Cassation approves the association INTERVIEW One of the nationalists speaks “Yes to Ethnic Albania” Court of Cassation approves the association TIRANA - “An association seeking to bring about Greater Albania?” In January 1994, the then Minister of Justice, Kudret Çela, refused to sign the decree recognizing it, but in early May the Court of Cassation ruled that the association must be officially recognized. Thus, the first association whose aim is to promote Greater Albania—made smaller by history and the decisions of the Great Powers—has begun operating in Albania, now legally recognized. - A revision of the borders? Isn’t that something Europe and its charters view unfavorably? “In Albania’s case it is entirely different,” the association’s activists reply. TIRANA - “We are far-right nationalists and we promote Ethnic Albania. The other nationalist associations are not active in this respect; they are very moderate. Among our aims are the revision of Albania’s borders and the correction of the historical injustices inflicted on the Albanian people.” The speaker is Ramiz Bodini, 32, a history teacher and artist, and principal of one of Tirana’s schools. Bodini is the chairman of the founding group of the “Movement for the Recognition of Ethnic Albania.” It was Bodini in particular who dealt with the long “odyssey” of obtaining official recognition for the association to which he belongs. He now speaks to Gazeta Shqiptare... What do you mean by the term “Ethnic Albania”? “All the lands historically recognized as ethnically Albanian, those inhabited by Albanians in Montenegro, ... You say you support changing Albania’s borders. Doesn’t this perhaps conflict with what the international community demands today? “Europe, and developed countries generally, do not have such problems; they may be allowed to remain silent on the question of borders, and even to formalize their position in international charters. But in Albania the issue is different: it is surrounded on all sides by its own compatriots, a case without precedent in Europe, resulting from injustices sanctioned over the course of history. We are convinced that the injustices inflicted on the Albanian people must be corrected; it is our right to demand this.” You also criticize the Albanian government... “No, governments follow one line and associations another; this seems to us ...

PROFESSIONS TIRANA - One of the newest occupations to emerge in Albania with the revival of the private sector was kiosk trading. At first they were small, with an area of no more than 4 square meters, made only of sheet metal, often rusty. Then, little by little, they were painted; someone bought a bigger one, someone a nicer one. Today there are plenty of kiosks; there are even kiosk-like houses, [unclear in source] wholesale from customers. But now a different kind of customer often appears beside them too: people who want money in exchange for leaving the premises in peace. On page 4

Meets with businesspeople KRUJË — Berisha continues his tour of meetings with businesspeople in Albanian cities. Yesterday the President travelled to Krujë. Traders, businesspeople and private enterprises: these were Berisha’s contacts during yesterday’s visit to Skënderbeu’s city. On page 3 President Berisha

The chairman of the party “Movement for the Recognition of Ethnic Albania”, K. It was precisely Bodini who was mainly involved in the long “odyssey” of officially reopening the association to which he belongs. Tirana. This time, however, Ilir Hoxha has not been accused of being ill there, nor of the time when she and her husband ruled the accusation previously brought by Tirana Deputy Prosecutor Gjokutaj, Hoxha’s son was confronted at the beginning of the proceedings with another charge: “Endangering public peace by inciting hatred against sections of the population, insulting and defaming them, and calling for the use of violence or arbitrary acts against them.” Chairman Bodini The chairman of the party in particular who was mainly involved in the long “odyssey” of officially reopening the association to which he belongs. Now they tell Gazeta Shqiptare... How was your association formed? “We were founded in November 1993. It was a time when Greek nationalism had launched Operation ‘Broom’, while the chauvinist circles of Belgrade were severely inflamed. It was precisely then that we came up with the idea that the best response to this was a strong response from Albanian nationalism.” What is the composition of the association? “We are mainly intellectuals and people of culture, literary historians; so far we have reached 800 members, but we hope the number will soon grow. We want to establish branches of the ‘League’ also in othe- and her husband ruled Bodini The chairman of the party in othe- the territories historically recognised as ethnically Albanian: the Albanian lands in Montenegro and Kosovo, the part of present-day Macedonia inhabited by Albanians, and Çamëria as far as the Gulf of Ambrakia.” Where do you place yourselves on the political spectrum? “We are right-wing, indeed far-right. Nationalism cannot be understood without the right; it is the right that keeps national unity taut.” What is your main objective? “These are set out in our principal documents: among them are propaganda on the international stage, contacts with young people and raising public awareness through the mass media, and calls for a review of today’s borders, which in our view were established unjustly, at the expense of Albanians.” natural to us. In fact, we support the policy of opening relations with many foreign countries and regard it as assistance to the national cause. The more this issue is discussed on the international stage, the more sensitive international public opinion will become.” Other associations operate in Albania, including political parties, that consider resolving the national question their main objective. How do you differ from them? “Yes, there are such organisations, but in our opinion they have not been very active. They have been moderate, and that is precisely where the fundamental difference between us and their activity lies.” Fatos Baxhaku

On the field for the sick, too TIRANA — Charity football: for the first time, Albania’s top football teams take to the field for charity. A rare tournament—organised by the Albanian Football Federation and the Association of Paraplegics—brought together at the “Qemal Stafa” National Stadium the capital’s three teams, as well as Durrës’s “Teuta”, which had indeed won the Albanian Cup just two days earlier. This time, however, more than the eight goals they scored, football was applauded for its charitable spirit. As planned, all the proceeds—even though modest—went to the Association of Paraplegics, or those suffering from spinal cord injuries. An initiative that also introduces to Albania the “fashion” of football and sport, which for some time now in civilised societies has been valued as more than just sport. Never before had people in Albania thought so responsibly about their unfortunate fellow human beings. And for that category of people who put more than anything else.

The government has submitted the bill to Parliament Private secondary schools But they will be supervised by the state TIRANA — Private secondary education is now coming to Albania, too. The government has already submitted to Parliament for approval the bill on pre-university education, which, among other things, provides for the authorisation of private schools. However, these will be subject to special supervision, in order to ensure that the standards set by the state for hygiene, public order and moral norms are not compromised. And if a private educational institution offers classes in compulsory education, it must meet the requirements of the programme set by the Ministry of Education. The latter will periodically inspect private schools so that they operate alongside state public institutions. Infringements in this case will be punishable by a fine of 500,000 lekë and suspension of the activity begun. If a private school is to teach in a foreign language, or is to have a religious orientation, authorisation will be granted by the Government on the proposal of the Ministry of Education. The bill also sets out what happens when pupils aged 6 to 16 drop out of school: their parents will be fined between 10,000 and 100,000 lekë. Home education will also be permitted, provided it meets the compulsory schooling requirement. When such a case is confirmed, the employer, whether public or private, will be fined 100,000 lekë, and, in the event of repetition, 200,000 lekë. The bill grants national minorities the right to education in their mother tongue, in order to create conditions for their integration into the Albanian population. “Albanian school in Greece” On page 3

Hoxha appears in court On page 3 Hoxha appears in court (photo: H. Pustina)

On page 4 Festival-tour: songs from the districts On page 9 Gazeta TV, the week’s screen On pages 5–8

Now a bill is also ready On page 4