Tirana: a guard and a waiter remain injured Explosive planted in his establishment at midnight TIRANA - Explosives at the establishment frequented by government officials and socialist leaders. A mysterious attack on the property of Prime Minister Fatos Nano’s friend, Gazmend Demi. On Sunday evening at 11:15 p.m., around 500 grams of TNT exploded between the “Junes” bar and the adjacent luxurious “Trekatësh” establishment. The explosion left a guard and a waiter slightly injured, while causing considerable material damage. The owner of the establishment, who is also the director of Government Services, Demi, told Gazeta yesterday that “the act was not personal revenge.” He also links it to the end of the local elections, his friendship with the Socialists, and their patronage of his establishment. Police director Fadil Canaj has ruled out no version, but denies that it was a straightforward terrorist act. On page 4 The establishment, victim of the explosion

Record abstention: Only 60 percent voted Celebrations begin in the PS: We won 4 municipalities and 6 communes PD wins only Kavajë: Now we will change our tactics TIRANA - Voters rebel. Only 60 percent of them went to the polling stations yesterday. The rest, tired of the many elections, preferred the beach and the peace of family life to reading the list of candidates. The Alliance for the State won four municipalities and six communes. The Union for Democracy triumphed only in Kavajë and in two communes. The United Right has only the chance of a runoff in Shijak. Pollo: Now we will change our strategy. On page 3

Skifter While politicians count and recount the votes to find out who has won and who has lost, Skifter does not waste time on pointless electoral analyses, but decides to tell the truth once again: everyone has lost. The right, the left, the center. The entire political class has lost, challenged by 40 percent of voters who, instead of taking part in the vote—more than 60 percent of voters—[?] this is considered a great success. But in Albania, we all know, staying away from the ballot boxes means something entirely different. This is the silence of our people, tired of voting because they see that nothing changes; tired of voting and then going to the market and seeing that prices have risen even more; tired of unemployment, of the difficulties of emigrating, of a life made unbearable by meager pensions, by corruption and bureaucracy that never change. Young people are tired too: tired of having no cinema, no school that works as it should, and no money for a holiday that can truly be called a holiday. Tired of coming home and having no electricity or water to take even a shower. And meanwhile, the politicians quarrel. They promise (at least) none of these Albanian dreams during the campaign. They quarrel among themselves only over matters affecting their own interests; they quarrel over things they themselves have done, over the appearances they themselves have stolen, over scandals that concern only them, over power that is their personal property and not something entrusted to them by voters. Sunday’s elections were too small to carry great political significance. But suddenly a signal, more important than anything else, arrived: people shut themselves away in a frightening indifference. Politicians must take this into account and learn a lesson. Because as long as people do not believe in their midst, politicians, all together, will keep losing. ...gone, Skifteri cannot left, the centre. of voters, who instead of voting preferred to go to the beach, stay home and rest, or chose to do nothing, considering that better, in any case, than going to vote. When the counting of the numbers is over, and the joy of victory or the sadness of defeat has passed, politicians should be concerned about why 40 percent of voters have abandoned them. This is an important reflection, because it is very serious when politicians no longer represent people’s interests, when politics becomes detached from the people and turns into nothing but a strategy for keeping power or taking it back. And if some politician responds by saying it is not true, that he works for the people, then we answer that this is even more serious, since people have not put him at risk. On Sunday, the real vote was indifference, a tragic and unprecedented indifference, since it had never happened before in Albania that only 60 percent of voters turned out (and in some cases, such as in Vlorë and Vorë, fewer than 40 percent). In the West, they say that low voter turnout is a sign of a mature democracy; in the United States, no more than 40 percent vote. When in England mar-

NATO: Ready to attack even without a UN mandate KOSOVO / Concentration camps emerge TIRANA - Two Montenegrin deserters from the Yugoslav army have surrendered in Albania. On Sunday, the soldiers crossed the border and knocked on the door of the OSCE office in Tropojë. “We do not want to fight in Kosovo,” were the first words of the Montenegrins who had deserted the front. The soldiers were immediately taken under the protection of representatives of the international organization, and yesterday at midday they arrived in Tirana. On page 2

Albanians and Serbs invited From Strasbourg, our correspondent REZEAR XHAHJAU Kosovo is once again before the Council of Europe. An urgent debate on the situation in the region, as well as on the positions Strasbourg will take in the coming days, is scheduled for tomorrow? Wednesday. Political representatives from Prishtina are expected to arrive in Strasbourg today, as is a Serbian parliamentary delegation. Another unexpected arrival will be that of Montenegro’s president, Gjukanoviç. It seems, then, that Strasbourg will bring part of the Balkans together in its palace, as if to take the political pulse of the countries in the region. Meanwhile, the Russian position is expected to remain unchanged. And the head of the Russian delegation in Strasbourg, Aleksander Shokin, has gone against the current of the political positions of the Council of Europe. The head of the Council of Europe herself, Leni Fisher, has described the situation in northern Albania and Kosovo as “extremely alarming.” At a press conference held shortly before the regular session began, the head of the CoE made no secret of her concern about the conflict’s escalation day by day. According to Fisher, the international community must not waste time or delay as it did in Bosnia. “This time Europe must react while there is still time to forgive,” she said, setting out options for future action as well. In her view, the problem should not be resolved between Belgrade and Prishtina. “I do not believe in such a scenario now,” Fisher said, adding that Kosovo’s neighboring states should not interfere and that other states should be more careful on this issue. Fisher firmly rejected the prospect of Serbia being admitted to the Council of Europe quickly. “There is nothing new in this regard? Belgrade’s application has been rejected,” she preferred to say, closing off any opening for debate on the matter. Political sources at the Council of Europe underline that Wednesday’s debate is expected to be heated. The first signs appeared yesterday, on the first day of the Parliamentary Assembly’s proceedings. It appears the Russians will not be on the same track as the other states. The first signal came from the head of the Russian delegation to the CoE, Aleksander Shokin. “Europe must carefully weigh the pressure it puts on Belgrade,” Shokin underlined, according to whom Serbia must be respected in its territorial integrity and Kosovo must abandon its separatism. Russian representative Shokin also spoke about Serbian refugees without giving any details about who they are or where they are heading. But he did not hesitate to speak about Albanian refugees entering Albania, who are being equipped with various weapons. According to him, Europe must not rush its decisions on Milosheviç, and only diplomatic and political language can persuade the leader in Belgrade to withdraw. In any case, it will be Wednesday that determines the Council of Europe’s position and its final political stance. Three months ago, a resolution issued in Strasbourg by the CoE urged the parties to the conflict toward dialogue and understanding. But now, three months later, with war raging in the region as it once did in Bosnia, the CoE is expected to come up with a new option, if indeed there will be one.

Universities given a free hand TIRANA - University entrance exams this year will be completely different from those we have seen so far. At a meeting held yesterday at the Ministry of Education, it was decided that university faculty members themselves will prepare one of the two tests applicants will have to pass. The other test will be general and will be drawn up by secondary-school teachers. On page 5

Dritan Lundra No passion, no violence, no excesses. It is difficult to be the first to open up—the whole presentation comes before—and then the others follow, towards an entertaining World Cup. A slogan put forward around France ’98, but which, unfortunately, has not been able to escape violence and hooliganism; and what is worse, it has not even escaped poli- Continued on page 10

Universities given a free hand Admission exams Here is how they will be this year

WORLD CUP SPECIAL FRANCE '98 After the second round of group matches, six teams have qualified: Brazil, Argentina, Croatia, Nigeria, Romania and France On pages 10–11

DURRËS NEWSPAPER Illegal constructions in the Port demolished; 12 families move out On page 8 VLORË NEWSPAPER The Municipality now “in the hands” of the socialist doctor On page 7 SHKODËR NEWSPAPER Trade in “gabi” clothes to Montenegro On page 6