More than one million Albanians will solve the local elections’ puzzle The campaign’s afterimages, a 30-day chronicle of speeches, rallies, controversies and protests The great test is today. After the campaign, now comes the anxiety of the vote Tereska accuses the SP of abandoning commissions. Ulqini: “Slander” The major duels for the country’s municipalities. A fierce battle is expected TIRANA - Albania wakes today before the ballot boxes. More than 1 million Albanians are lining up today to cast their votes, which will shape Albania’s local government tomorrow. There are 4,666 polling stations throughout the country and 7,414 ballot rooms. People will vote for 64 mayors as well as 320 communes. An entire army of voters will cast its ballots today for another army of elected representatives at every level of Albanian local government. This important electoral mechanism began with a gigantic election campaign that moved from north to south and from east to west. The campaign, which began on 22 September, had its own distinctive features, but also shared features with every Albanian election campaign. Nevertheless, the Democrats’ restrained vocabulary and the measured language of SP orators showed that the overall level of electoral propaganda had surpassed that of the left. Calls for greater civility and tolerance prevailed over the extreme tendencies of a few months earlier. But the real election battle appears to have taken place within the Tereska commission. The chief commissioner at the Palace of Congresses also witnessed tensions and clashes over the articles of the law, as well as over the many instructions distributed by the central office of the seventeen-member commission. Photograph: a couple beside the ballot box.

Where the fiercest duels will take place Tirana Municipality TIRANA - The battle for Albania’s municipalities is ready to begin. More than 130 candidates from all Albanian political forces will compete today for the 64 municipal buildings. Tirana, Durrës, Vlora, Shkodra and Korça are the main battlegrounds. On page 2

Anxiety dissipates ahead of “Dardania” TIRANA - The dollars belonging to Albanians, once lost, have begun to be distributed. It is now absolutely certain: all the “victims” of the “Sejdia” debt have been saved. Yester[?]day, a large crowd of people was waiting in line in front of the “Dardania” bank. There are 3.3 million dollars that arrived at this bank a few days ago. The four-year fraud by “Iliria Holding” had an unbelievable ending. Every hope of getting the money back had faded. But yesterday the anxiety was completely dispelled. It had been the initiative of lawyer Shefqet Dizdari, who for a period of three years had worked to bring back to Albania the large debt that Sejdia took with him when he was arrested on fraud charges. Meanwhile, Sejdia’s three intermediaries are handling all the reconciliations and banking procedures. On page 9

Arrests in Bënçë: “Check into Shyji’s contacts” The organization’s activity appears to have extended beyond the capital

FROM THE WORLD The Dyfru case rocks Belgium Protest in Brussels BRUSSELS - The case of the paedophile Mark Dyfru has exposed the weakness of the Belgian state, shaken by the conflict between Flemings and Walloons. On page 11

After the theft TIRANA - The Epitaph of Gllavenica returns to its place. After being hidden for almost two years—who knows where—in the hands of the thieves, and spending two weeks in police offices, this ancient testimony to Albanian history and culture has been enclosed in its glass sarcophagus. There it will remain in the pavilion to which it belongs according to the course of history, under the strict surveillance of cameras. “What happened in February 1994 will never happen again,” assures the Museum director. The Epitaph is one of the rare testimonies, and the only one in terms of its composition. Created in the 13th century, it is one of the most precious works in Albania’s historical heritage. On page 9

Detentions in Bënçë: “Checking Shyti’s contacts” TIRANA - The terrorist gang’s tentacles reach beyond the capital as well. Investigations into the criminal organization’s activities appear to have extended to the country’s main districts. Nothing is certain, but several suspects are said to have been detained by police. The detention of the head of the Internal Service at Bënçë prison, the former director, and four military officers serving in the high-security cells appears to have raised at least some questions. They will all be questioned about the contacts that former Deputy Minister of the Interior Haredin Shyti had in prison with members of the gang. It will be verified whether they followed the rules for meetings with prisoners, and whether those rules may have been broken. The whole matter was opened following several statements by the detainees. On page 9

Tirana players protest over the Patos match TIRANA - The seventh week of the championship is overshadowed by violence in our stadiums. It happened in Patos, but the clashes were no less fierce in Krujë during the Lushnja - Vllaznia match. The Tirana players are very irritated. Ismaili, struck on the head with a stone, warns that this is not football. He may have experienced the worst incident of his sporting life; just when he seemed calmer, he was hit with stones by fans. The other officials were no less forceful. Myze Gjjika: “The cut was about four centimeters long. Covered in blood, he lay on the grass, hoping for help from the assistant referee; then we came over to treat him.” An “ace” in this football, but [unclear] rules, or rather, in qualifying matches, on the part of the referees. The players appeal to the Federation to take measures in accordance with the regulations: On page 10

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The Dyfru case rocks Belgium