Van den Broek in Tiranë: “We will monitor the local elections” US Undersecretary for Europe: “We are also reviewing the aid.” Broek meets 10 parties Politicians leaving the EU headquarters yesterday TIRANË—The High Representative of the European Union declares that there will be “monitoring of the local elections,” while last night the US Undersecretary of State for Europe proposed that Albanians go to the ballot boxes once again to elect members of Parliament. For the first time, America—which until now had only noted irregularities in the 26 May election process—has stated its position on the situation in Albania. “Our relations are not as they were before. We are also reviewing the aid programme,” the US official said. “Support for EU membership, but also monitoring of the local elections,” was the official position of the senior European Union representative during meetings with the parties. As a result, representatives of 10 political forces met one after another with European Commissioner Van den Broek, who met President Berisha in the evening. Assistance for political dialogue, support for the local elections, and the need to draft a constitution were among the issues discussed by the European official with Albanian politicians. On page 3

Minister Zhulali outlines the plans TIRANË — “The Albanian coast will soon be behind an iron curtain.” The secret military plan has been confirmed by none other than the head of Albania’s defence establishment. At a press conference, Zhulali specified that a coastal surveillance system would be created with American assistance. US patrol boats and a sophisticated communications system will be the two elements that make the Albanian coast impenetrable. How we have defended ourselves over these four years and how we will devise new defence plans through the end of the century were the main topics that the Minister of Defence presented to journalists at yesterday’s press conference. Referring to joint exercises and plans for gradual integration into Euro-Atlantic military structures, Zhulali expressed the view that “the country’s defence will reach the level of defence in many European countries.” The Minister of Defence was also optimistic about the future of relations between Albania and NATO. “We have made almost all the declarations,” he said. “Now the time has come for NATO to take concrete steps toward Albania’s membership.” That is what the head of Albania’s defence establishment said, adding that this process would happen very soon. On page 3

Politicians leaving the EU headquarters yesterday

TIRANË—The High Representative of the European Union declares that there will be “monitoring of the local elections,” while last night the US Undersecretary of State for Europe proposed that Albanians go to the ballot boxes once again to elect members of Parliament.

Lawyers’ accusation, Daci: “Not true” Reactions at the Tirana court: “But it is their right” TIRANA - “The Court of Appeal’s decision is not supported by law.” Immediately after the decision to release two of the figures in the genocide trial, Lleshi and Myftiu, judges at the Tirana court reacted. Nevertheless, they say they respect the decision of their colleagues and that only the prosecutor has the right to protest against this decision. Yesterday, Luan Daci, deputy head of the Tirana court and former chair of the trial panel, also responded. He had sentenced the five defendants accused of genocide at first instance; they appeared before the Court of Appeal the day before yesterday. Daci denied all the accusations made against him in recent days concerning the manipulation of the court file for Çela, Mino, Ramizi, Lleshi and Myftiu. Mino, Ramizi and Çela in court

Gjirokastër, accidental discovery

TIRANA - Haxhi Lleshi left the prison hospital bed yesterday. At ten o’clock yesterday, the most elderly prisoner in Albanian prisons returned home. The court’s decision to release him had been signed the previous day, but his return home was made possible only yesterday, around noon. Yesterday at 12:00, Manush Myftiu also said goodbye to his prison bed. Both had been arrested on May 24, when the Tirana court had sentenced them to life imprisonment.

“They were brother and sister. I remember well how the two dead Germans were buried[?].” An 80-year-old woman from Kukës has revealed her secret after a long time.

GIROKASTËR - They take some of their haul and give it to their parents. It is not known how the medicines ended up in the bunker, but it is thought that they were stolen from a pharmacy in the town. The previous day, the door of the Gjirokastër hospital pharmacy had been found forced open, but its employees told the police that nothing was missing from the inventory. There is also suspicion that the medicines were smuggled into the town—they expire in a few years—and that they are worth a considerable amount of money. Several children in the “11 Janari” neighborhood accidentally found an old sack of medicines there. Dozens of types of medication became their property, and they took them home. They were playing when one of the children—there were seven of them—discovered quantities of medicines inside the abandoned bunker. Antibiotics and dozens of different types of medicine, syringes, thermometers and sterile bandages became the children’s property. They divided them

PERFORMANCE “Brown Spots” Reappear in Paris Minush Jero’s play, which caused a “sensation” in the ’70s, will be staged in France. On page 4 Durrës

FROM THE WORLD The Black Boxes of the Tragedy Found Hope is renewed of discovering the truth about the plane tragedy On page 8 FLIGHT REC DO NOT

Albanian and Croatian journalists: 2–6 FOOTBALL / An unusual match at Tirana’s “Selman Stërmasi” TIRANA – Albanian sports journalists played their first official football match. Their opponents were colleagues from Zagreb. But, just like Tirana’s footballers, the Albanian journalists could not escape defeat in yesterday’s match—and by the same score, 2–6. Although they scored first through Edmond Laçi in the second minute of play, a goal whose speed of execution reminded us of Cvitankoviç’s, they still could not avoid a catastrophic defeat. But this, too, has its explanation. More than physical weakness, the Albanian team showed tactical shortcomings, as well as “financial” ones. The Croatian team had “bought” the great Zajec from Croatia just for yesterday’s match, and he was also the one who secured the Croatian victory. It is enough to mention that in the final five minutes, when he was “bought” by our team, we managed to win 1–0. A major contribution to making this match happen was also made by Adnan Hakiki, a Croatian living in Albania and an ultras fan of Tirana, who also played for the visitors. Dritan Lundra Germany had a boom on yesterday’s day of the Olympics. They won the first three gold medals. The Italians were unbeatable in cycling. They won a gold medal in the men’s event, while also winning a silver. In the semifinal, this one broke the world record. Our cyclist Besnik Musaj lost his bicycle in Atlanta, but was luckier otherwise. They gave him another one, with which he will take part in the races. ATLANTA ’96 The Germans “Bathe in Gold” On page 7

ARMAND MERO TIRANË — We have responded to the insistence and alarm of the Albanian press. Today, 16 newspapers have decided that their front page will be left blank as a sign of protest against the difficult financial and economic situation in which they find themselves because of the burdensome fiscal system, which compounds all the problems facing the Albanian press throughout the country. Some information will be missing today, also in order to denounce a dangerous precedent created in recent days concerning the press: the financial intervention of a foundation in support of a single newspaper. The newspapers have made this decision jointly. Taxes, levies and other economic burdens have been weighing on the Albanian press for some time. The expected effect has been repeated increases in newspaper prices, while the third and most negative effect—the one that must not be allowed—is the restriction of information. How? People buy fewer newspapers, and if this continues, the number of readers, and therefore the informed public, will continue to decline. In Albania, newspaper prices relative to average personal incomes are higher than anywhere else. So, quite simply, people will prefer not to buy newspapers to take home. This phenomenon, compounded by the press distribution system—which reaches only around 30 percent of the population—risks becoming a noose around the neck of the free press and information in the country, thereby damaging the democratic dream that all Albanians are determined to realize. Another new and dangerous development has been added to the press’s troubles in recent days: the case of the funding by the Sorros Foundation of the newspaper “KP”. Without in any way wishing to “take sides” with “KP” or “Sorros”, whose work in various fields in Albania remains unknown to us, this case seriously concerns us: it could become a dangerous precedent capable of openly threatening free competition among Albanian newspapers. To provide financial support in this way—whoever does so—means failing to respect the others, who, while carrying out their duties, are trying to make ends meet as part of a plan to survive. And this is not only unfair, but dangerous too.

“This is how local government should be” TIRANA - The European model of what local government should be like has arrived in Tirana. The benchmarks were set yesterday by European Commission officials, during meetings they held with senior Albanian officials throughout the day. On page 3

“Here are the Germans’ graves”

Zajec