The Prime Minister recounts his coexistence with the President INTERVIEW / What is the relationship between the two leading figures of the state? “Do not be afraid of the USA”

Shkodër, senior official of the Secretariat of Local Government killed. Gang war in Vlora: two dead Ministry of Internal Affairs SHKODËR - It happened in the early hours of yesterday afternoon, but the tragic news reached Tirana only late. One of the senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was killed yesterday by people who, as has now become customary, are described as “unknown,” at the place known as Bahçallëk. The news was reported in a bulletin by the official news agency, ATSH. Muja was head of the Shkodër Police Commissariat during 1992–1994. Few details are yet known about what led the violence this time from a simple official to senior state officials. The ATSH agency reported the victim’s name, Betim Muja, his age, 55, and the location of the incident, at the Buna Bridge. According to the same source, Muja was Director of the directorate known by the initials MNZ in the Secretariat of Local Government. No further details are known about the serious attack. Apparently, Muja was travelling to Shkodër when he was fatally struck by bullets fired by “unknown” assailants, who did not miss their target. Two cars were involved in the incident at the bridge. A young man got out of one of them, in which there were also two women, and fired at him. Muja had five bullets in his body. The Secretariat of Local Government, where Muja was one of the managers, is the organization now at the forefront of all the organizational tasks required for the elections.

TIRANA - “Berisha and I have had tensions and clashes, but also mutual understanding.” The Albanian Prime Minister recounts his four-month “coexistence” with the President of the Republic. He speaks about the difficult situation in the country, a candidate and often in the chill of this relationship. “We really didn’t have time to grab a coffee together over the weekend,” says the Prime Minister, whose account came in just a few hours before his departure for Kuwait. On page 3

“POLITICAL MOTIVES” Vlora, explosive attack against the leader of the PD Hostages, blood and bullets: a woman is killed VLORË - Blood, bullets, explosives and an innocent woman—these were the consequences of political hatred in Vlora yesterday. Another killing was added yesterday to the many killings across the city, and it is most likely to have been motivated by politics. A group of armed people held the family of Argjent Grabova, chairman of the PD branch in Vlora, hostage yesterday. Grabova had just returned from an election rally in Fier. A few minutes after midnight, an explosive was thrown at his home, and then unidentified people fired at a café owned by one of his relatives. Gerta Grabova was killed in the incident. The episode provoked anger and various reactions from the two main political forces: the Democratic Party and the Socialist Party. On page 2 Vlora Municipality building in flames during the recent protests

Water alert, experts explain... TIRANË - The hot summer has arrived along with concerns about the shortage of drinking water. Not only intermittent supply cuts, but also a prolonged shortage seems likely to affect the capital’s residents. Specialists from the Ministry of Construction and the Municipality say this will only be resolved once the Bovilla water reservoir project has been fully completed—and, according to them, that will require several more months of work. On page 7

DURRËS - Another arrest has been made in connection with the bomb attack against President Berisha at the rally at Durrës Higher Education School. DURRËS / Anti-Berisha bomb attack: police investigation widens Associate of Çeta arrested He knew about the attack but did not report it DURRËS - Police have confirmed another arrest in connection with the bomb attack against President Berisha at the rally at Durrës Higher Education School, on the charge of failing to report a crime. From the investigation, we suspect that the 46-year-old knew about Ilir Çeta’s attack—they had discussed such a thing with him—but did not report his intention. This is the third arrest in connection with the attack; Çeta was detained first, followed by one of his relatives. On page 5

One of the injured ELBASAN - “The third person arrested in Elbasan has no connection with the armed incident in the city centre. The Commissariat denies that he had any connection with the serious incident. On page 5

KAKAVIJE Gang battle: three killed at the border On page 5

SHKODËR Police officer wounded in ambush dies On page 5

ELBASAN Bomb in a café: nine injured On page 5

The lake’s population is beginning to decline TIRANË - In the chaos that has engulfed Albania, the victims are not only people but animals as well. The Korani of Lake Ohrid seems to be suffering badly. Salmo Letnica is its “scientific” name; it has populated the lake shared by Albania and Macedonia for 3 million years. Many experts say the situation is currently very serious, since Albania must first emerge from the spirals of violence it has become caught up in, and only then can the future of this rare species be discussed. Korani is Tito’s favourite, and he enjoyed it once a week, while Macedonia’s current president, Gligorov, asks to have it on the table every day. While in neighbouring Macedonia the fish is a national symbol, the problem remains the Albanian side of the lake. In the final section only [?]

Those who left after March will be sent back TIRANË - The elections will be important not only for Albanians in Albania. June 29, which determines the rules, will also determine their future status in Italy. Some will be allowed to stay, but most will return before the election date. The news was confirmed yesterday by official Italian sources, which revealed Rome’s latest position on one of the most important issues in relations between the two countries. Most of those who arrived on the Italian coast during the past two months will be repatriated. Yesterday, the organizational details of the return operations were also finalized. They will be carried out by the Ministry of the Interior itself, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Under the repatriation programme, assistance is planned for Albanian citizens, and this will continue on Albanian territory as well. The task of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be to work out the arrangements agreed upon with the Albanian authorities concerning the number and flow of arrivals in Italy. But everyone will return. The repatriation programme does not affect certain categories of refugees. First, those who qualify for what the Italians call “temporary protection.” Most of these are families temporarily accommodated by the Italian authorities, who have allowed regular migrants and all families to stay. These people, engaged in professional activity—that is, those who have been working regularly—will not be affected by this regime. The first steps towards the return of Albanian refugees have already begun. According to ... Albanian refugees in Italy

The volleys began in the early morning hours. At the city hospital, they tried to abduct an injured person On page 5

Immediately after the attack against the President of the Republic, police took 10 people to the police station, all relatives of Çeta Ilir Çeta