Stefanopulos meets the parties: opposition complains about the electoral law
Yesterday’s meetings at the Palace of Brigades
Yesterday Stefanopulos received representatives of the Albanian political parties, who were eager to “tell” the Greek president about their concerns
On page 3
SP: “Here are our allies”
The coalition with PSD, PBDNJ, PAD and the Agrarian Party will be announced at the Congress
SP: “Here are our allies”
The Socialists are now choosing the parties
TIRANA - SP is deciding on its political allies. The Socialists have now opened the door to a pre- or post-election coalition with several parties which, together with them, make up the opposition political bloc. Five forces—PSD, PAD, PBDNJ, the Agrarian Party, and the People’s Party—must, starting yesterday, consider whether or not the Socialist decision is suitable for forming a coalition with them. The decision was made at the latest meeting of the General Governing Committee.
On page 3
The curtain goes up this afternoon
Congress brings the Socialists together
On page 3
SP headquarters
Montenegrins attack Albanian traders
SHKODER
On page 5
BERAT
Woman dies from a scab
An Italian is taken hostage
The two Albanian traders kept him confined for three days
An Italian is taken hostage
Arrested business partners: He deceived us
TIRANA - An Italian trader is taken hostage. He was kept isolated for three days by his two Albanian business partners, who were demanding
“After the elections, with PR, PBSD...”
PD announces its preferred partners for cooperation
Yesterday was the party anniversary. Shehu: “It is a historic event”
Music and merriment: 100,000 at the celebration
Spring Day in Tirana
Celebration and merriment for Spring Day.
100,000 at the celebration
Celebration and merriment for the Day of Spring. A host of activities and a large turnout—tens of thousands of people—under a gray sky that accompanied the diaspora ceremonies in the capital
On page 3
Tritan Shehu
TIRANA
120 scientists left without degrees
On page 5
Taken hostage in Italy
Arrested business partners: He swindled us
TIRANA - An Italian trader is taken hostage. Held in isolation for three days by his two Albanian business partners, who demanded 55 thousand dollars from him.
TIRANA - An Italian trader is taken hostage. Held in isolation demanded 55 thousand dollars from him. While he had managed to escape his colleagues’ “arrest,” the police detained the perpetrators, both of whom are judges. “We asked him for the money because he swindled us,” they stated. Arsin Buraku, 60, and his son-in-law Arben Zogu, 28, were detained two days ago, and the judges have ultimately sent them to prison.
On page 5
Italian Embassy
ENTERTAINMENT
“Vizion 2000” brings together the big names in music
A grand concert tonight at the Palace of Congresses
On page 7
Ardit Gjebrea
Bektashis celebrate Sultan Nevruz
TIRANA - Magnificent celebrations for the religious day of Sultan Nevruz in the capital.
“This is a great day for all Albanians. We should celebrate this holiday better, since the world headquarters are here,” said President Berisha, the guest of honor, at the Bektashi headquarters in Tirana. This day marks the beginning of the new year according to the Bektashi sect and coincides with Imam Ali’s birthday at the Kaaba.
On page 5
For the religious holiday, glass and burning embers are pierced
Berat, the dervishes’ exotic ceremonies amaze onlookers
BERAT - An unusual epilogue to a religious holiday: pieces of glass are bitten and eaten, needles pierce different parts of the body, and burning embers are “swallowed.”
This is how the celebrations of Sultan Nevruz Day by the city’s Muslim Rufai sect were crowned yesterday in Berat.
Feasts with Turkish delight, the rite of prayer, the singing of ilahis and the mevlud were part of the religious “spectacle” presented to the public and believers for the first time. Everything culminated after a zikr ceremony, a ceremony that was as original as it was exotic. For members of this sect, this was the ceremony of sacrifice for Islam. Various believers, mainly dervishes and myhibs, demonstrated their devotion through their words by chewing and eating glass objects, pieces of glass and panes, astonishing the onlookers because nothing happened to them. At the end, the fanatics began piercing different parts of their faces with sharp needles and, as they themselves said, felt no pain. But the spectacle did not end there: the dervishes began eating burning embers, blowing smoke out of their mouths. “We do not improvise and we do not perform in a circus. Nothing bad comes to us from our actions because Allah protects us,” said one of the believers. This is the first time such celebrations have been held. Last year they were stopped by the police because they frightened the onlookers.
Ila. Ta
Berat
Super crossword
On page 6
BERAT
Woman dies from a crust of bread
On page 5
FIERZE
Because of the snow, 400 people are left homeless
On page 5
SPORT SPORT SPORT
Cup draws: the big teams face off
The Italians are once again up against the French: “Juve” will face “Nantes”. “Barcelona” against “Bayern”
On page 8
16.4.1996; Fixed dates; 3 + 17.4.1; Semi-final; Semi-final; Juventus FC (ITA); Nantes; Final; Ajax (HOL); Panathinaikos F
