INTERVIEW / Police Prefect Tusha recounts the tensions of days that could have turned into tragedy... The Prosecutor’s Office insists. Leka Zogu and Mulosmani must speak with investigators today about the rally shooting INTERVIEW / Police Prefect Tusha recounts the tensions of days that could have turned into tragedy... “On the brink of bloodshed” “We barely managed to avert a real catastrophe” The Prosecutor’s Office insists. Leka Zogu and Mulosmani must speak with investigators today about the rally shooting Leka Zogu during the recent rallies On pages 2 and 5

TRAGEDY IN DURRËS Bullets massacre little girl Police arrest the killers, who fired from a car DURRËS - Bullets massacre two little children. A nine-year-old girl has lost her life during a clash on one of the city’s streets, when gunfire poured from a Mercedes at another car. The girl was on the street eating something when the bullets struck her mercilessly; she later died in hospital. Another child—he was six years old—was wounded in the leg, but doctors managed to take him out of danger. The entire Durrës police station was put on alert and, after hours of searching, managed to arrest two people accused of killing the innocent little girl. A whole arsenal of weapons was found in the fatal car—even the bullet casings—among them a machine gun. The little girl Vjosana Dumylja, nine years old, was brutally cut down. She was eating when a burst of automatic gunfire struck her in the body. The hail of bullets was fired from a Mercedes—in which two young men were riding—as they tried to shoot at another car. The little girl was taken to hospital, but it was too late. The massacre took place yesterday morning, around 09:30, on the road near the city’s befrofrat. The killer car then sped away from the scene, but the police had immediately begun pursuing it. Its rapid-response teams and criminal police patrolled the city without respite until, hours later, around 18:15, the area where the fatal car had last been seen was located, in a block of apartments near the district court. The entire area was surrounded by police forces, who began searching it. The two young men in the car initially tried to flee, but one of them was caught without resisting. The other managed to hide on the roof of a house, but did not escape the police’s notice. A few minutes later, he too was forced to surrender. Durrës police station chief Arben Hasanbelliu said yesterday that both detainees had been preliminarily charged with murder and wounding. He stated that a whole arsenal of weapons had been found in their car, and that the police had also found numerous weapons in their homes. The names of the detainees are not being disclosed because of the secrecy of the investigation. Durrës

Senior officials from the US Embassy arrived at Nano’s office. The new government: yesterday’s “duel” over the posts Names for Governor, Privatization, Culture... TIRANA - Hours of anxiety, hope and, at times, discontent are now being experienced by the winners of the June 29 vote. The campaign slogans and open calls for a normal Albania now seem to have been replaced by the selection of the broom-wielders who promised to govern differently. The allocation of posts, even if some of them may be considered “unimportant,” seems to have “stalled” the victors in talks and negotiations over an endless list of names. Yesterday, for the third time in 24 hours, senior officials from the US Embassy arrived at the SP headquarters. The Greeks were also seen arriving later. According to Socialist leader Pandeli Majko, foreign diplomats had called for procedures to be speeded up so that the new Parliament could convene as soon as possible. Meanwhile, the other reasons for the American visit to the headquarters and to the home of the Socialist leader are being kept highly confidential. This visit also took place yesterday while Prime Minister Fino was meeting with President Clinton. Today marks the fourth day of efforts to divide up the seats in Albania’s future government. Some names are rejected, others rise, while many are hoping to get some position. One of the parties’ meetings On page 3

GOSTIVAR - A conflict with tragic consequences between Albanians and Macedonian police forces: three dead and dozens wounded is yesterday’s tragic toll in Gostivar. More than ten thousand Albanian citizens had spontaneously taken to the streets to defend the Albanian national symbol, the flag. The conflict began at around 7 yesterday, when large police forces arrived to remove the flag placed in front of the Gostivar municipal building. During yesterday’s unrest in Gostivar (REUTERS) On page 6

The Yugoslavs make a fuss TIRANA - Incident on the Albanian-Yugoslav border. A Yugoslav border guard has been wounded as a result of shots fired from Albanian territory. As foreign news agencies report, citing Aths, a group of Albanians provoked the incident, in which Yugoslav soldier Milan Bilajoviç was wounded. Meanwhile, the report says, the Yugoslav authorities have energetically protested to the Albanian authorities over this incident. This is the latest incident recorded between the two states, whose border has always been an arena for incidents. It is reported that since at least 1990, 27 Albanian citizens have been killed by Yugoslav gunfire. According to the agencies, the latest incident was provoked by Albanians, following the fall of a group of Albanians, the measure threatening to cross the border illegally, who opened fire on a military patrol “made up of three soldiers”; soldier Bilajoviç was also wounded, aged not years. The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon, around 17:45, near the village of Orkuzë, close to Tropojë. On page 3

FROM MADRID, THE PRIME MINISTER CLARIFIES HIS POSITION Fino: I am Deputy Prime Minister, not Secretary “Otherwise, I will be a member of parliament for Kuçova” TIRANA - From Madrid, just moments after meeting President Clinton, Prime Minister Fino dismisses the rumors about the post of Secretary-General of the next cabinet. “I am not Secretary but Deputy Prime Minister.” This is what the number one of the Government of National Reconciliation declared yesterday to the Gazette. Fino says Clinton thanked the Albanian government for its efforts and mission in carrying out and organizing the June 29 elections. “Clinton confirmed to me that the USA will strongly help Albania,” the Prime Minister of the Government of National Reconciliation stated. Fino said that at the NATO summit he also held high-level meetings with many European leaders. “We all agreed on the emergency aid the country needs at this moment, and we also reached an understanding on the necessary investments they will soon make in Albania,” the Prime Minister says. From Madrid, Fino clarified that he was unaware of the rumors concerning his position as Secretary-General of the future government. “I am not at all Secretary but Deputy Prime Minister of the future government,” Fino said yesterday, explaining that he had been given this role the day before leaving for Madrid. “Otherwise, I will hold only the position entrusted to me by the people of Kuçovë,” Fino clarified from the Spanish capital. The Albanian Prime Minister has meanwhile concluded meetings with senior officials of European countries as well as with US President Bill Clinton. “With Clinton, everything is fine. He thanked the Government of National Reconciliation, wished us success in continuing in this spirit, and promised me substantial aid for Albania” Bashkim Fino

VLORË On page 5

On page 8