The mission of the OSCE envoy fails in Tirana. Consensus is still a long way off “Visit the South and see for yourself whether elections can be held” Fino: “The committees are no longer dangerous. Let the mission’s soldiers guard our ballot boxes” The mission of the OSCE envoy fails in Tirana. Consensus is still a long way off Berisha sets conditions for Vranicki “Visit the South and see for yourself whether elections can be held” Fino: “The committees are no longer dangerous. Let the mission’s soldiers guard our ballot boxes” Vranicki: “We will help you economically, but the purpose of my mission is, first and foremost, to hold elections” Berisha: “Send your people to inspect the South; then we’ll set the election date” TIRANA - A compromise on elections in Albania is still a long way off, although the senior European envoy continues his efforts to persuade all the parties to the conflict. This is Vranicki’s second day in Tirana, and no concrete result has yet been achieved. Berisha once again insists on a major obstacle to holding elections, an obstacle he calls “the rebel committees.” Fino tells Vranicki that these committees no longer pose a threat to the election campaign or the upcoming vote in the country, while Nano and Shehu are still very far from a political agreement on the nature of the law that should lead Albania to these elections. Vranicki now finds himself surrounded by parties that still seem “stubborn” about finding common ground, although this is not the first time he has come to Tirana. TIRANA: “The date proposed by Shehu for holding the elections is another PD bluff... The committees are no longer a danger to holding the elections... only Berisha is obstructing them...” On page 3 [Part of the text is cut off at the top and bottom of the page; the writing is mostly illegible.] ... OSCE ... Albanians ... Vranicki ...

The journalist had stated a few days earlier that Albanian politics comes up from time to time with all kinds of different demands. In short, Vranicki’s envoy explained that he could not understand what the parties wanted and were asking for. The same thing happened to him today, although he had met with Albania’s enemies, because from the very first minute of the meeting nothing had changed. Fino asked him to have the Albes situation [?] ballot boxes guarded; Shehu asked him to propose fixing the date for June 15; and Berisha invited him to inspect the South so that Vranicki could see for himself whether elections could be held at that time. He concluded that the OSCE and the first mediator for Albania, those tasked with looking into the disagreements, had been presented with new proposals to which they had to respond. If the situation were normal, if there were not a volume [sic]—6 days remain for

Vranicki

The President is blocking the vote TIRANA - page 3

“The committees must be disbanded” TIRANA - “We agree on elections, but first the Committees must be disbanded.” This was yesterday the message from PD leader Tritan Shehu to the prime minister of the Albanian crisis, Franc Vranicki. On page 3

Killer pies: Here is the poison TIRANA - Metacualon—that is the name of the chemical substance that caused the deaths of at least seven people. Pies, biscuits, pastries and fruit had been prepared, and are still being prepared, by unknown people and offered to people who became victims. After three days in a coma, when they woke up they found nothing they had had with them—not even the clothes they were wearing. After the confusion and mystery, forensic medical experts have now discovered what caused the “epidemic” of deep sleep. Metacualon is a chemical substance known to doctors that causes sleep. It was once used in medicine, but is no longer in circulation. Nevertheless, someone has taken it out of the archives and put it back into circulation, no longer for medical use but to rob people who fall victim. About a month ago, the first patients appeared at the hospital; they had fallen into comas, and doctors could not determine the cause. They would remain that way for three days and then wake up to find themselves in the resuscitation ward. Children distributed food in the streets that they had prepared with this drug, and then [they] would provide first aid, as if the victims had fallen down, before robbing them. Most victims were elderly people and women, from whom the robbers took rings and bracelets. However, those who were helped to get to hospital quickly—mainly to the Toxicology Clinic at the Military Hospital—survived. But those who received no help remained in comas for hours, even overnight, lying collapsed in some corner. People in this group also died; according to some doctors, there must have been at least seven of them. (me.ki) ... again from for medical use but to rob people who fell victim. ...

Raid on a depot: they step on mines ERSEKË - This time the Government has kept its word. Military depots have been sealed off all around. This was confirmed yesterday in Ersekë, where three people became victims during an attack on a military depot. One of them died in hospital from serious injuries, while the other two survived and are hospitalized. Following the urgent decision taken by the Council of Ministers, this is the first time its consequences have been seen, despite the warnings issued for a long time. It all happened in an area of Ersekë, where a group of people approached a military warehouse containing ammunition. Attempts to get inside failed. The depot guards issued warnings and did not let anyone enter or approach. But while a confrontation between the forces was continuing on one side, three people managed to enter the guarded area on the other. But none of them has

Vranicki Championship at risk, no funds On page 6

INTERVIEW / The commissioner: “I had hopes for Alba” VLORE - “There may also be forces seeking to destabilize Vlora, but it is our duty to punish them.” The head of the Vlora police station, Milto Kordha, talks about the present-day situation in his city, which is trying to move towards normal life. Serious incidents occur in the coastal city, as in all other Albanian cities, but the publicity given to the crime reports in Vlora by RTV—also because of the special position it held during the anti-pyramid-scheme uprising—has given it the status of a city where anything can happen. On page 5

RARE AND EXTRAORDINARY A beer keg puts police on alert Residents had thought it was a bomb TIRANË - A beer keg put the police on alert. The epidemic of bomb-scare reports meant that even a beer keg, whose arrival at the corner of an apartment building was unexplained, caused residents to come down to the spot where the police were about to begin searching for explosives with metal detectors. It was a quarter past nine on Tuesday night when a bomb alarm was heard near an apartment building on “Myslim Shyri” Street. As soon as they saw the police in the dark at the corner of the building, residents called the police to ask for help. Alarmed by this alert—every day in Tirana, calls are made to the local police—the police arrived at the scene with detection equipment. Then, when they got there and touched what appeared to be a beer keg, which had apparently been lying in the street for months, it seemed that it was not a bomb but a beer keg. The truth about it is unknown, because ... (to be continued)

FIËR Doctors under terror: they protect themselves with armored vehicles On page 5

ELBASAN Money changer killed in his sleep: robbed On page 5

GJIROKASTER Masked gangs rob emigrants On page 5

SHENGJIN Beach in danger: Mines threaten On page 5