Former head of the Court of Cassation reveals the tainted robes INTERVIEW / A message to Nano from the USA: Fight corruption TIRANA - Zef Brozi, from the USA, has continued to live as a political asylum seeker since November 1995, in order not to [unclear] harshly about the high level of corruption that has engulfed Albania today. But this time he has decided to attack Nano as well. “His recent stance does not seem fair to me,” Brozi told “Gazeta Shqiptare,” “despite all the allegations appearing every day about some of his ministers, both in the opposition press and in the independent press.” He regards it as a consequence of the last seven years, but sharply criticizes “the Nano Government’s cover-up.” “He has every opportunity,” Brozi says, “to fight corruption, but so far he is doing nothing. Smuggling on a gigantic scale (as has been happening in Albania recently) cannot take place without the involvement of Government links; therefore Nano must react to put a stop to it.” On page 3

The owner demolishes it down to its foundations TIRANA - The story of the house where, in 1941, the Albanian Communist Party was founded has come to an end. A few days ago it was demolished by its lawful owners, one of the best-known houses from Albania’s 50-year period. And especially the house where, in 1949, [unclear]. For at least seven years, no one had remembered it. No one except the nostalgics who made their pilgrimages there. On page 5 The Party’s house, demolished yesterday in Tirana (H. Pustina)

Parliament Speaker attacks allies: PAD is to blame “Finance and Order failed over the smuggling” CORRUPTION SCANDAL / The battle between coalition leaders continues TIRANA - Gjinushi criticizes Malaj and PAD over smuggling. “Since smuggling figures are high, and second- or third-tier officials are being named, the top official also bears responsibility for this,” Gjinushi declared. The PSD leader, for his part, did not want to “leave it at that” when it came to assigning responsibility. He also attacked PAD and its people, both in government and those who have taken critical positions in the media toward the Finance Minister. “Before PAD demands accountability, it must account for itself,” Gjinushi said. It seems that the Speaker of Parliament had in mind the responsibility borne in this case by Ceka and Teta, as Ministers of the Interior and Public Order, in the fight against these phenomena.

TIRANA - Gramoz Ruçi attacks the President. “It seems to me that he is interested in issuing as many pardons as possible, not in fighting smuggling and corruption.” The socialist leader has begun a heated debate with the head of state, all because of a document the latter sent to Parliament containing comparative customs-clearance tables, which sparked heated controversy in Albania’s political circles. According to Ruçi, the country’s number one had no legal right whatsoever to send such a document to Parliament. However, with the powers granted to him by constitutional provisions, if he truly wanted to fight smuggling and corruption, the socialist secretary said, he should have done so differently. On page 2 … and feudal lords, kings and dictators, clerics-orators and traitors, all with one objective and one aim: to seize power in the name of nationalism and then use it for their personal interests or those of the clan and class they represented. With few exceptions, unfortunately, the Albanian people trusted them and then suffered great calamities under their rule, recorded in its history from the depths of the centuries to the end of the 20th century. Just as dishonestly, brutally and with unscrupulous cynicism, so-called politicians of every stripe are now trying to play the nationalist card in every possible way, each vying to take up the flag of patriotism. And this is done in the name of the nation, perhaps at one of the most difficult times in its history. In the name of nationalism, artificial distinctions are stirred up between particular regions and areas, without any historical or national basis. People from various cities and regions compete to portray themselves as persecuted by the communist dictatorship or by the democratic government! The fire of religious divisions, which historically have never existed in Albania, is fanned. Someone adds the letter “s” to the names of the Zagoria people of Korçë and calls them non-Albanians. These miserable charlatans forget that Mother Zako Çajupi, Papa Kristo Negovani, Themistokli Gërmenji and Mihal Grameno were all patriots. Someone even goes so far as to call Skënderbeu an agent of the Turks, while another smears Ismail Qemali. Someone else calls Esat Pasha a patriot and Avni Rustemi a “traitor.” All this is written in black and white in newspapers and broadcast on the programs of supposedly independent private radio stations; the “patriotic intellectuals” who host these programs thank those who say such absurd things, presenting them as opinions and discoveries of great historical value that no one had supposedly known until now. In … … [unclear]. No Albanian name has been left untouched by some association, which, without prejudging their good intentions, seems to serve division and separatism more than closeness and unity. Public opinion is being steered not only by the inconsistency, from time to time, of the positions of the highest politicians and government officials regarding their various obsessions with the Kosovo issue as a major national problem, but also by the dishonest games of part of the opposition, which opposes every government option, even a sound one, solely to gain political capital. Parties and associations separated from one another organize rallies and symposiums that further inflame the domestic situation and add to Albania’s negative image abroad. And the “honest nationalists” take pride in this. While blood is being shed in Kosovo in the struggle against the Serbian occupiers and chauvinists, particular political forces in Albania create armed incidents to win a municipality chairmanship in Lazarat or Lurë, or 50 or 100 more votes, as if the other candidate, if elected, would not be Albanian. Part of the opposition, in this situation, amid problems and [unclear] in the districts, calls for early elections, even though, as the partial local elections proved, the people were tired and exhausted. As the saying goes: “The village is burning, … [unclear] away from the house.” The pseudo-nationalism of some goes so far as to deny everything about the Albanians’ wars for freedom; they like to say and write that Qemal Stafa killed himself. After that, they can hardly avoid also slandering Voj(o) Kushi, claiming the fascists placed him on a tank. In the name of “modernism,” others deny every cultural value of the past—of language, literature and art—as if Albania had been a wasteland until today, thus playing into the hands of the chauvinists and the fiercest enemies of the Albanian people and nation. To be continued on page 3

Solana in Tirana: We recognize only Rugova as Kosovo’s leader. NATO, too, is not demanding a troop withdrawal, only a ceasefire “We don’t want to fight” On page 4

AGIM MERO The card of nationalism is the one that has been used and exploited most throughout the long history of the Albanian nation. This card has been played by pashas and feudal lords, kings and dictators, cleric-orators seize power in the name of nationalism and then hold on to it forever class they represented. And later, through statements, speeches and patriotic noise, to gather votes; perhaps dozens of parties and hundreds of associations sprang up like mushrooms—something I believe no country in Europe twenty times larger than Albania has. No regional festival name has been left without an association taking it up; without prejudging their good intentions, it seems to me that they serve division and separatism more than rapprochement inconsis-

DURRËS - Nine houses were demolished to make way for [unclear]. On Thursday morning, a bulldozer, accompanied by blue-uniformed vehicles and construction police forces, carried out the demolition of nine structures within the port grounds, which had been used as homes for years. On page 8

VLORE - The first kiosks built without permits were knocked to the ground. An excavator appeared yesterday for the first time in the “Trojan Horse” flower garden and removed four kiosks that had recently been built there. The new mayor himself, Neki Dredha, was also present during the operation. On page 7

SHKODER - Murders, injuries, and even gunfire are commonplace in Shkodër. It is not unusual for someone to take a fatal bullet to the body and, five minutes later, people to start walking again along the sidewalk where the lifeless body had lain. People associate all this with the sirens of police cars and ambulances, with white coats and blue uniforms, and with investigators. On page 6

“They will be held when the conditions are ripe” TIRANE - Pjetër Arbnori continues to show that he has remained a balanced person within the ranks of the Democratic Party. With considerable finesse, the former Speaker of Parliament tries to give his opinion on one of the most debated options in the DP: early parliamentary elections. “Elections will be held when the conditions are ripe,” says Arbnori, interpreting Berisha’s phrase “urgently” in his own way. The former Speaker of Parliament continues to maintain his line within the DP, outside the extreme positions of Democratic leaders about an anti-national government and so on. “This government is working toward new elections.” That is all the veteran Democrat says, making clear that he has no intention whatsoever of rushing to “overthrow” the Government. As for the latest partial local elections, Arbnori says the results were expected, while also mentioning the voters’ widespread indifference. On page 2

Telekom: They should come forward List of names whose telephones are ready By the end of the month, household heads should make their payments at the Bank. The other names are ready On page 10

Gjynushi

Ceka