KOSOVO / Godo: This alarm shows that war is imminent USA: Do not go to Albania Washington warning: It is dangerous Maneuvers at Rinas, a plane “disappears” State Department: Following the arrival of refugees from Kosovo, the situation in Albania is extremely alarming. Albanian Government: We are ready to protect them Nano yesterday at Rinas aboard a MIG (H. Pustina) Nano yesterday at Rinas aboard a MIG (H. Pustina)

Kosovo & Milosheviç NAPOLON ROSHI The Albanian position on this day, following the Moscow meeting—which brought neither the withdrawal of Serbian troops nor a halt to the cleansing operations in Kosovo—is that Milosheviçi is seeking to buy time. The Euro-Atlantic position can be summed up in Ollbrajt’s statement that all options are on the table. These two positions agree that, after Moscow, the situation remains uncertain. Having grown accustomed to overcoming the latest crises in the 45-year Cold War, Western governments had not lost hope and were expecting some result from the Moscow meeting. President Clinton spoke by telephone with Jelcin for nearly four hours. For the West, the Russian leader has proved to be a man one can rely on. But in this particular case Jelcin found himself between two fires: On the one hand, Russia wishes to convince the West that, with the disappearance of the ideological factor, perhaps the time has come to review NATO’s strategic objectives—some factors currently at work. On the one hand is the Serb’s centuries-old nurturing, from childhood, of the feeling that Kosovo is Serbia’s “cradle.” On the other hand is the stoking of Serbia’s fear of the “demographic boom” of Kosovo Albanians. Along with it is the desire to put an end once and for all to the fatality, so that they may be able to integrate into the European Community in the future. A healthy European mind, faced with these three factors, would at least have become more willing to examine at the negotiating table the most acceptable options for a solution. But, by all appearances, things are happening differently in Serbia. The idea is gaining ground of “cleaning up the Kosovo wound once and for all” through ethnic cleansing or perhaps through a violent territorial partition, in which Serbia would take the lion’s share. One gets the impression, especially when hearing the voices of the Serbian opposition, that maintaining an instinctively rigid position on Kosovo is a point that unites Serbia’s Government-Opposition-Intelligentsia. Government-Opposition-Intelligentsia. This, more or less, is how things appear. This means that on both sides of the barricade, the language is that all options are on the table. But have all political and diplomatic possibilities really been exhausted? Is war the only alternative left? I think not. There is one factor becoming increasingly evident. The determination of the people of Kosovo to defend their homes, on the one hand, and the “scorched earth” practice employed by Serbian special forces, on the other, have significantly increased the engagement of international public opinion. Zhak Shirak unequivocally condemned the practice of ethnic cleansing carried out by Serbian forces. And let us not forget that France has traditionally been a friend of Serbia. It is very important to make use of this favorable moment. Nature may offer Euro-Atlantic lessons about the reality and consequences the conflict in Kosovo could have, or advice that hits home. But the best thing that can be done, both here and across the state border, is to convince the world that everything is under control; that at any time the Euro-Atlantic community will find a mature, serious partner, capable of offering acceptable alternatives. At the same time, one equally determined to defend its rights, honor and dignity. It is vital that the international community encounter a unified Albanian position. as a result, to rely on. But in this particular case Yeltsin found himself caught between two fires: On the one hand, Russia wants strategic objectives and recalibrate its stance toward Russia, seeing it as half a partner today and an ally tomorrow. Economically, Russia is facing turmoil and a severe crisis that will be difficult to overcome without the promised, swift German loan of several billion marks. Yeltsin and Russia also face a fierce fire of a different kind. The prevailing view in Russia is that, for post-dictatorial Russia to survive, Serbia must not be abandoned. And this is not simply out of traditional sentiment or because Serbia is the little brother. There is a great fear that dangerous precedents may be created. If Russia remains silent in the face of NATO’s military option in a Serbian intervention in Macedonia, seven years of isolation from the world appear not to have been enough to eliminate Serbia, and thus to extinguish the sentiments toward Kosovo. There is

The PD documentary in the middle of the match OSCE orders RTV: “Berisha’s triumphs for 15 minutes” Election campaign ends TIRANA - OSCE reaches a last-minute compromise with KOZ: tensions between Democrats and Socialists ease with the broadcast, in the middle of the evening, of the documentary on the history of PD. Thus the debt owed by the governing Alliance to the opposition party is repaid, avoiding a possible boycott of the elections by the latter. Meanwhile, in Paris, Berisha has been advised to “give up the boycott,” after which he considerably softened his harsh tone toward the government. Tomorrow voting will take place in all the constituencies that were won by PD in the 1996 elections. President Meidani has called for “calm elections for Kosovo’s sake,” addressing the political parties and public opinion at home. On page 3

Politicians & elections QAMIL BUXHELI It’s gone badly wrong for them! What kind of business is this? I mean some of our politicians and people in power. First. God forbid they should go abroad. We’re better off here, they say. If you’re taking them to Rinas airport, you have to escort them with police cars, sirens blaring! “Come on, good man, bad man! Go on, blessed one, travel to Europe or America, Asia or Africa for once! Why have you shut yourself inside?” God forbid! Day and night they are out at enterprises, in the village, at enterprises, in factories and military units, and in electoral districts. Their shoes are always muddy. You never see them in the office at the “Dajti” or the “Rogner”! What kind of business is this? How long can this go on? Second. Our politicians and people in power pay no attention to the rest of the world. Neither Europe nor America. Neither Asia nor Africa. Always standing on their own two feet. “Come on, blessed ones, take their constitutions, their criminal codes, the regulations of enterprises proven in dictatorships. Why is it that no foreign delegation sets foot in our country? Come on, blessed ones, call in foreign specialists to lecture you and show you the Albanian formula. Still using Hasan Zyko’s formula in negotiations? What will become of us? Fourth. Let me write this once: What kind of business is this? Where is the positive example? Fourth. Let me write this once: ... (text continues, cut off at the edge of the image) But the politicians ... Zyko’s? What will become of us? Still with the mentality of the 1950s? Let them come and talk about discos, fashion, new methods for making yogurt starter and cutting bricks... “Are you in your right minds?!” our dear politicians and people in power reply. “We’re not swallowing that olive pit. Don’t let time fall on deaf ears! At most, we might let foreigners have the ports, airports, reception halls, and secret offices next to the offices of senior officials. But as for sitting down and asking them about yogurt starter and trahana, don’t even let that cross your minds. We have our dignity too!” Third. In the speeches, statements and interviews of our politicians and people in power, not half a word is said about their achievements, successes and victories. Only self-criticism, dissatisfaction with everything. A distortion of objective reality—what can I say. “Oh, please, we’re longing for you to speak once about the achievements and successes of your ministry, your party, your association, your electoral district.” “But do our politicians and people in power listen? No, no, no! Living nihilism.” Fifth. Sending our politicians and those in power to our opponents, against our opponents in every matter. A political solution without any need for a third party to intervene. A peaceful stance. “O my dear political opponent! O my precious opponent! Come on, let’s sit in the shade, or get a table and sit down, talk...” What? ... There’s no round table? What about with a [tarë]? Not even with two? There’ll definitely be one. For Kosovo’s sake! For democracy’s sake! Come closer, to the end of a table shaped like the letter “T”. Come closer so we can serve you dinner, and kiss you on both cheeks at the end of the televised debate.” Meazzal(lah)! You hear our politicians and those in power talking like this and you say: “Are you political opponents, or a pair of lovers? Is there really such great love and respect for one another? Always ‘yes sir,’ ‘yes’ ... You should oppose one another, you people, so the world knows you aren’t one and the same person, that you are right-wing and I am left-wing, you are left-wing and I am left-wing... We’re fed up, damn it, we’d love to see you insult each other for once, or pull out your pistols!” But do these gentlemen listen? How lucky we are to have them at the helm! Amen! ...

Draft law to cut personal-protection expenses “Ministers have far too many bodyguards” Government: Private security instead of the Guard TIRANA - Now fewer people will be assigned to guard ministers. The government has taken measures to reduce the bodyguards assigned to deputy prime ministers and ministers, without affecting those assigned to the head of state, the head of Parliament and the head of the executive, citing savings and an increase in the professional standards of these guards. Thus, the Government passed a draft law at its meeting two days ago, under which the required number of escort vehicles for senior state officials is reduced, while ensuring a high professional standard for the forces of the Republican Guard. The bill will mainly affect Nano’s deputies and the most important ministers in the Government, while excluding the President of the Republic and the Prime Minister. Thus, the “reform” will affect the escort details of the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Public Order, as well as the deputy prime ministers, Fino and Islami; the last two somewhat less, because the number of their personal guards is already at a minimum. One of them, Islami, has only one officer and one driver at his disposal, while Fino has no more than three such personnel.

On pages 10–11 (Photo: ANSA) From the Nigeria-Bulgaria match, 1–0

TIRANA - Careless bullets hit the blue uniform. Astrit Hyka, a police officer from Precinct 2, was accidentally killed by his colleague during an operation to capture a highly wanted person in Selitë, Tirana. Llesh Përshyty from Mirdita, Hyka’s colleague, accidentally fired his pistol from behind as the group’s forces were getting out of the van. A bullet killed the 33-year-old police officer on the spot. The other police officers meanwhile arrested their colleague. On page 4

Durrës GAZETTE

FRANCE ’98 SPECIAL Image of a footballer wearing jersey number 20; the text on the jersey is partly visible: “M...”.