New repayment deadline: They will begin on January 10 Repayments of loans at the capital-based firm have once again been suspended. Clients form their own committee Queues in despair, in mud and rain in the courtyard in front of the building The cries of “we want our money” rang out for hours like this TIRANA — Sudja will not return a single lek this year. “On January 10, we will begin reimbursing clients” is the only promise a company representative gave yesterday to the irritated crowd. The face of a man with a megaphone appeared for only a few moments in the “stairwell” window of the building, then suddenly disappeared again. But this did nothing to calm the nerves of people who, for hours, had not left the courtyard amid threats, mud and rain, hoping that another announcement might come from the fourth-floor window. They cursed and shouted loudly, while those listening were also dissatisfied: “We want our money, we won’t leave here alive, why doesn’t the government come and help us? If you keep waiting again, she won’t say another word to us”—these were the despairing crowd’s cries. The waiting consisted of an unbroken vigil after every outburst of a [?], which, from the building’s window, gave a sign; no one came out through the entrance blocked by police. The crowd grew to nearly 5,000 people, all wanting this [?], their eyes fixed on the building where the moneylender had barricaded herself: “What’s happening, what did the people hear? Why don’t they come out yet and tell us what will happen to our money?” they shouted, and the anxiety continued for hours, perhaps growing even more after the commissioners arrived. On page 3 Yesterday, during the people’s protest in front of Sudja (Photo: P. Ilo)

It is not an epidemic Yesterday, the Ministry’s decision Ministry of Health

On page 11

The marathon meeting resolves nothing; vote today Mejdani has made an appeal

“Alia, Ruçi and Nano collaborated” Former head of the Commission, Hajdari, reaffirms the accusations: “He was the one who gave the order” TIRANA — “On April 2, ’92, Gramoz Ruçi sent the forces from Shkodër, where he ordered PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE ANALYSIS A mountain of

. TIRANE - DHL finds someone who had gone missing. For a whole month, the parcel traveled along the roads of Canada, far from the company’s headquarters, with the powerful postal company DHL, in search of an Albanian boy who had been missing for about three months. This time, a parcel had not been sent to its destination to help the person who had called to create that [?]. It was a family in Tirana whose son had left home three months earlier and had not given any sign of life. The family knew only that he was in Canada, but had no address. Even under these circumstances, the family had decided to send him a parcel, initially to an address belonging to a friend of theirs, although they did not know where his home would be. DHL’s correct reply from Canada had been slow to arrive. “The heart was not at this address.” In the notice as “proof”. Then the family had managed to send a parcel through DHL. So the parcel arrived at the house and they asked whether the boy had been met at the address that had been given as incorrect. But later they found him. ...

Mejdani has called for strengthening unity among the socialists Mejdani has called for strengthening unity within the socialists. TIRANE - Yesterday, the capital’s socialists fought among themselves in the fiercest “battle” in their political history. After a marathon seven-hour meeting, they were unable to approve the report on whether to remove the party’s Presidium or hold an Extraordinary Congress. Harsh accusations and counterattacks were exchanged between some of the figures—who blamed the Presidium for the defeat in the Local Elections—and its supporters. The vote was unable to produce a winner on either side. PS headquarters

“Ali, Ruçi and Nano collaborated.” TIRANE - “On April 2, ’92, Gramoz Ruçi sent a photographer to Shkodër, where he ordered the positioning of snipers and the opening of fire on the demonstrators.” - Azem Hajdari, former Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for the Protection of Public Order and SHIK, yesterday reaffirmed the accusations and denunciation made by his commission against Ruçi as far back as November of last year. In the materials submitted by the complainants at the time, which Hajdari had handed over to the prosecutor’s office, Ramiz Alia and former Prime Minister Fatos Nano were also strongly accused of collaborating in this event. In any case, the conclusion of the investigations into Ruçi that began the day before yesterday will prove whether they are true.

PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE REVIEW . A mountain of arrests in ’96 and 3,000 case files. TIRANE - The Prosecutor’s Office takes stock of the year. More than five thousand people arrested in ’96 and over 3,000 cases investigated. “The number of cases has been extremely high,” says Tirana Chief Prosecutor Adnand Xhelili. In addition to investigating around a thousand new cases in Tirana, the bulk of the work, according to Xhelili, has been devoted to reopening investigations into files suspended around four years ago because the perpetrator was unknown. “There are around 3,000 files that were gathering dust in drawers and came to light only this year, following the passage of the law on investigations and trials in absentia.” Gramoz Ruçi

THE SONGS’ PERFORMANCES CAME TO A CLOSE. Fest ’96: last night, an evening of glamour. A 15-year-old contestant was the surprise. On page 4. 15-year-old Elsa Lila

BELGRADE. Anti-government rallies begin. BELGRADE - The OSCE delegation led by Felipe Gonzales has arrived in Belgrade. Meanwhile, this visit has strained relations between the opposition and the police in the country. The latter has launched a campaign of demonstrations throughout the country. The OSCE delegation has come to verify possible fraud in the local elections across the territory. On page 2.

The contract is signed yesterday . The contract was signed yesterday. On page 10.

On pages 5–8

. On page 3.