736 thousand dollars for the factory. The Germans also want a contract One of the former heads of the factory: “Our weapons use only 7.62-millimeter-caliber bullets, while the Turks are asking for 9-millimeter caliber, so it is certain that they will be exported” Fino arrives in Poliçan today for Christmas. He has brought with him 736 thousand dollars to pay the workers. Minister Brokaj is expected to arrive in January after his visit to Turkey POLIÇAN - Albania will produce bullets for Turkey and perhaps Germany as well. Reliable sources close to the well-known arms factory say that an agreement with the Turkish side for the production of bullets is expected to be signed. Sources close to the factory say that it was tried during the past year, but the months of unrest interrupted it; perhaps it will begin next January. The raw materials will come from the Asian country, and the machinery will be adapted. All the goods will be exported. Fino, the head of the arms factory, is expected to celebrate Christmas there. He will also bring 736 thousand dollars, which are expected to be used to pay the 1,800 workers who have been on strike for days. Factory specialists confirm that all the weapons in Albania are 7.62 millimeters in caliber, and that the bullets to be produced, measuring five millimeters, are intended only for export. “The factory has equipment that can be adapted to produce 9-millimeter-caliber bullets, but it may come from Turkey, since we don’t have it here; then the goods will be sold in the Asian country,” one of the former heads of the largest arms factory tells the Gazeta, explaining that an attempt was made several months ago to produce the nine-millimeter bullet. visit to Turkey. POLIÇAN—Albania will produce ammunition for Turkey, and perhaps also for Germany. an agreement with the Turkish side is expected to be signed for the production of nine-millimeter bullets. It had begun, but only as a trial during the past year; it was then interrupted in the following months, perhaps to resume country, along with the machinery. All the goods will be exported. Today Deputy Prime Minister Fino arrives in the military town, where he is expected to celebrate Christmas. He will also bring 736,000 dollars, which are intended for days. Factory specialists confirm that all weapons in Albania are 7.62 millimeters in caliber, while the five-millimeter ammunition to be produced is intended exclusively to produce different types of ammunition, but the raw material is lacking. It seems it could come from Turkey, since we do not have it here; the goods would then heads of the largest arms factory tells the newspaper. He says that a few months ago an attempt was made to produce nine-millimeter ammunition.

[?] the pretrial detention cells. Meanwhile, their family members and other villagers blocked the national road for several hours. The first intervention by the special forces cleared the road, but after they left, people blocked it again, demanding the release of their sons. Other confidential sources close to the special forces say that the four people detained are accused of a series of robberies, mainly during the unrest. GJIROKASTER - A swift RENEA operation in the stone city. Four people, much sought after, are detained in the village of Lazarat. They were immediately taken to Tirana, to the pretrial detention cells. On page 5

. PD arrives in Vlora: Swiftly and threateningly. TIRANA - The PD takes on the city of revolts. One of the leaders of the Tirana PD went down yesterday to collect gifts left by the leadership of the Vlora PD. The central headquarters confirmed that the meeting was planned to be held so that the Vlora Democrats could soon convene the city PD Conference. Until last night, the headquarters offices had no information about how the meeting had gone. But sources from Vlora confirmed that everything had gone well and that Çela’s mission in the “rebel” city had ended successfully. Yesterday, another group of leaders also headed for Mallakastër. Fatos Beja, Jemin Gjana and Ylli Vjesiu were there at a large meeting with Democrats from the area. The PD “wave” has begun reaching the South as well. After Saranda and Gjirokastër, Berisha’s plan also includes entering Vlora and several other southern cities, where the PD and its branches have been paralyzed for some time. It was Pelumb Çela, a member of the Tirana PD leadership, who gathered yesterday those who were part of the leadership of the Vlora Democrats to give the first directives for rapid, multi-pronged organization. According to information received last night, everything went well and as planned. A few days ago, it was explained that Jozefina Topalli would travel to Vlora. But this idea seemed absurd within the PD, given that there was no reason for a woman from Shkodra to be among people in a city with which she had no connection. The PD chose a Vlora son-in-law, with a good reputation in the city’s circles, to take the lead. Villi Minarolli stated that this was not a matter of breaking the siege in Vlora, but an effort by the PD to organize urgently and raise the level of a party that had been badly hit during the recent unrest. According to the PD’s organizing chief, Mirush Mati, a conference in this city is also planned very soon, which, in his view, would bring the cycle of reorganizing the PD in the city to a close. The strategy the central PD is pursuing in the South appears to have its own distinctive elements. Berisha has decided to send PD secretaries to the front line, without putting himself in the spotlight, and prefers to go himself to the Democrats’ stronghold in Kavajë. The Democrats’ tour across Albania is now under way, reaching more than 50 percent of the country’s territory. Party leaders say that at this pace everything will be over within a few weeks, and then the PD will move on to another offensive, which for now has taken shape only in Berisha’s mind. r.xh

. TIRANA - Around 758 “escapees” are still at large. Since the prisons were opened in March of this year, only 60 convicts have returned voluntarily. According to data from the Ministry of Justice, only 149 prisoners who did not respond to former Minister Ngjela’s call have fallen into police hands. Meanwhile, the convicts have benefited from three amnesties this year. Thus, around 300 people convicted of serious crimes were released under the amnesty of 27 March. The Government of National Reconciliation then decreed the amnesty of 12 April. Through it, 45 people who had been convicted received a reduction of one third of their sentence, within the deadline set at the emptied prisons. A few days ago, Parliament approved the third amnesty, under which all convicts who return by 31 January will benefit from a reduction of 1/3 of their sentence. This category will also include the 159 who were caught, provided they have not committed other crimes while at liberty. who were eligible up to 31 January. if they have not committed other crimes while at liberty.

Parliament distributes year-end money. Only 8,000 lekë each Members of Parliament, two turkeys as a bonus Opposition members excluded: “They haven’t come” TIRANA—Parliamentarians are getting two chickens as a bonus. Gjynushi signed yesterday for 8,000 lekë to be given to Albanian MPs, who are dissatisfied with their shares. Democratic MPs have been left off the year-end bonus list. “There is no reason to pay them, since they have not attended Parliament.” This was the explanation handed down from above, which deprived PD MPs of two turkeys as a bonus. The news was met with indifference in Democratic circles. For MP Minarolli, this is an acceptable, indeed expected, choice. “I have nothing against this decision,” he said yesterday when he learned of the 8,000-lekë bonus policy. Everyone is treated as in the socialist era. The MPs and Parliament’s staff have been able to sign for the same amount of money brought by Father Christmas. “It’s very little,” one Socialist MP said yesterday, recalling the bonus once given in the Abhori Parliament. MPs who enjoyed last year’s bonus say it was as much as 10,000 new lekë. Albanian parliamentarians say they deserve more and do not understand being treated on a par with cleaners and Parliament’s administrative staff. But Parliament’s finance department has a cold, curt answer, as cold and hard as the money itself: “Parliament’s budget is in bad shape; even this much is a lot.” This answer surprised those who receive a monthly salary of 39,000 lekë, and who recalled that they received more in Berisha’s time. But Gjynushi did not budge, refusing to yield to pressure from poor Albanian MPs anxiously awaiting their year-end bonus. Parliament’s finances have long been closed to excessive spending, with foreign travel and invitations from abroad reduced to a minimum. Despite this, many Albanian parliamentarians feel that the state is not as poor as a cooking pot and that its pockets are much fuller than the amount that has been paid to MPs for several years. They call it merely symbolic. Introduced in the early 1990s, the “magical” year-end bonus has now become a ritual that brings joy both to the country’s president and to the cleaner at the Presidency or the guard at a [unclear].

DURRËS Eighth water-supply shutdown: the people of Fushëkuq again On page 6

LEZHË 90 million lekë for flood damage On page 6

Teodor Keko ENTERTAINMENT Keko recounts the 1997 After-Festival On page 4

Today at 9:00 p.m., the owners of Bar “West,” Fidel Ylli and Franko Gazheli, are hosting a cocktail reception for Christmas and New Year. All journalists are welcome.