Opposition: “No to sitting at the table with Berisha”
“The invitation to the Presidency is a political game”
will be present at the President’s meeting with the parties
TIRANA - “We are not coming to the table; it is just a political game.” The unexpected response arrived last night from the offices of the SP central headquarters. It was a statement by the Party’s Presidium that said “no” to Berisha’s invitation to participate in today’s meeting. Another “no” also came yesterday from the PSD, which gave its political reasons for not attending the meeting. The Democratic Party reacted immediately. In a statement, it described the Socialists’ action as “a further expression of their policy of boycotting and their efforts to boycott the electoral process.” The shock that the fate of the electoral meeting has suffered seems likely to have repercussions on the periphery of Albanian politics this summer and beyond. Commentators say it will be difficult to find, quickly, a way that satisfies everyone and helps ease a tension that could often lead to a new crossroads: the fate of the October local elections. The unexpected response that came yesterday from the Albanian left had been prepared by an editorial published the same day in the party’s daily newspaper. “Dialogue undermined,” the editorial said, putting forward hypothetical ideas about the problems of a dialogue that has been under way for some time between the two major figures in Albanian politics. The SP’s absence from the meeting today cannot be interpreted away by the political enthusiasm of the smaller parties, which are ready to sign a permanent elections commission agreement that has wrapped tension, compromise and uncertainty around itself.
The parties at the Presidency
WHAT AUTUMN WILL BRING
The dollar rises by more degrees Celsius
TIRANA - Although lower than in spring, the dollar’s exchange rates against the Albanian currency remain at higher levels than those of last summer.
Trade unionists: “We want full compensation for bread”
TIRANA - An open debate at the Ministry of Labour. Representatives of the trade union confederation met yesterday with Minister Arlinda Keçi and asked her for full compensation for the price of bread. They strongly criticized the government’s decision to liberalize the price of wheat and flour, and attacked the Meksi cabinet for disregarding the trade unions when making important decisions concerning workers’ interests. They demanded full compensation for the price increase, based on the minimum wage threshold and the subsistence minimum. Minister Keçi told the trade unionists that price liberalization was a measure imposed by necessity because “bread was being abused, with the state subsidy ending up in the pockets of profiteers.” Minister Keçi said that the state pays two million dollars a month to compensate one million seven hundred thousand residents.
Thousands of tons of grain arrive at the Port
DURRËS
On page 5
“Clan warfare dominates the SP”
INTERVIEW / The leader of the DP speaks
TIRANA - “Not genuine renewal, but a struggle between clans and interests.” This time, the political analysis of the processes the SP is going through is offered by DP leader Tritan Shehu. According to the Democratic leader, “This struggle is being waged ...
between those who see themselves as tied to the past and those trying to break away from it.” Skeptical about a rapid cycle of renewal, Shehu says he is convinced that “it will take a long time to carry out in depth all the genuine renewal that such a party needs.”
On page 3
How money is paid for visits: one day as a patient in the hospital
This is how doctors take and refuse money
TIRANA - A “journey” through a day of medical visits at Tirana’s hospital.
In this quiet, voices are heard every minute. Thousands of people come and go as if at a train station. People forced by illness wait for hours behind doctors’ doors. How much does a visit cost? We “tried” several kinds of illnesses, also paying the visit fee according to the doctors’ preferences. Most do not ask, but accept; there are also some who refuse.
On page 5
BERAT
Kidnappers of 15-year-old girl detained
BERAT
Kidnappers of 15-year-old girl detained
On page 5
Detainee escapes: Police officer handcuffed
SHKODËR
Detainee escapes: Police officer handcuffed
On page 5
The director steals the factory he ran
BULQIZË
The director steals the factory he ran
On page 5
Flamurtari loses but remains hopeful
Minimal defeat for the Vlora team in Slovakia against Humenne. A poor performance by our team, yet they remain hopeful for the return leg.
TIRANA - A goal in the 73rd minute robbed the Vlora team of the joy of a draw in Slovakia in the first match of the Cup Winners’ Cup preliminary round.
Ukrainian Lukubarski scored the goal for the home side.
On page 7
Extradition: Courts take action on the files
TIRANA - The files of Albanian prisoners in Greece will be sent next week.
The Prosecutor’s Office has distributed all 20 files, which arrived several weeks ago, to the district courts so they can be reviewed as quickly as possible. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice says that next week, once they have been translated, the files will be sent to the Greek Ministry of Justice, and after that there will be no further obstacle to the extradition of the prisoners from Greece getting under way.
On page 5
America to Tinka: “You are the Woman of the Year ’96”
ENTERTAINMENT
America to Tinka: “You are the Woman of the Year ’96”
The prestigious award reached the well-known actress just one day ago.
On page 4
Tinka Kurti
Flooding in Spain: more than 60 dead
FROM THE WORLD
Flooding in Spain: more than 60 dead
They had gone on holiday, but a sudden storm with rain and wind changed the itinerary of 700 tourists.
On page 2
Livestock “invades” Korçë
“Development of urban livestock farming”: 50 livestock-raising families
Livestock “invades” Korçë
The police station protests to the Municipality
KORÇË - Fifty ... families who own livestock of various kinds, of whom 12 are better-off because they have herds of 10–50 head of livestock. Another 3 make their living a little lower down the scale, so to speak; they have only a small herd of 2 to 5, up to 15 goats and kids. Five families—for reasons not yet known—have preferred noisy [unclear], while the remaining 25 families have only one “livestock animal”: a horse, cow or donkey. This is not livestock statistics for some village. The figures listed above are the “livestock profile” of one of the country’s largest and best-known cities, Korçë. It may well be accurate. It was also reported by the official news agency, ATSH, which, in one of its dispatches, cites sources at the Korçë police station.
The high level of urban livestock farming has put the Korçë police station in a difficult position. It has also formally appealed to the local authorities to put an end to the proliferation of bells and other baritone echoes throughout the city. The people of Korçë have no choice but to learn to coexist with “sheep, the flock’s pride,” until someone remembers that “Livestock and Agriculture” really is a beautiful thing, but only when practised in the place where it belongs—in the village. Nobody believes Korçë can be called such a place; on the contrary...
