Ridvan Bode against it: We must not abandon local government PD plan: Boycott of municipalities ready Opposition protest deepens after the Assembly TIRANA The Democratic Party may also boycott local government. The boycott was meanwhile at the final stage of deliberation, amid the ongoing radicalization of the opposition’s position against what the PD has labeled state violence against the opposition. To carry out this latest move, which would culminate in a boycott, the PD leader has at his side the very same people who helped him leave Parliament for good. After the latter, opposition members confirmed yesterday to Gazeta that, by decision of the PD National Council, communication by local officials with the institutions of municipalities, district councils, and communes is expected to be brought to an end. On page 3 PD headquarters

President’s Defense Adviser speaks: Brokaj attacks Nano again: He does not understand the reality of smuggling Braho reveals another customs scandal A powerless Prime Minister SHPETIM NAZARKO TIRANA - “Nano is out of touch with reality, which is why he is dealing with former ministers.” Sabit Brokaj has criticized Nano for having no desire to discuss and resolve the problems troubling the PS, and instead focusing on specific individuals. The former Defense Minister speaks about smuggling and corruption, labeling some government officials or other politicians irresponsible for the scale of these phenomena, while others try to justify them. A member of the PS leadership, refusing to turn the thrust of his criticism into a Nano-Brokaj duel, denies there is a contest between him and the Prime Minister for the leadership of the PS, and declines to elaborate in comments about him. Brokaj also spoke to journalists. Is it possible for the government to be in President Hav... [cut section] A statement by Nano after the PS conference in Tirana seemed strange. The President should not support clans. The oddity of the Prime Minister’s position lies in reaching this conclusion after listing the conference’s successes. Knowing his broad culture, one is nevertheless surprised that he has forgotten a definition of ... [text cut off at the end] What is it, then, to conclude that Nano has made only a small distortion of this phrase. Our countries can be governed with irony. And this is the case with the good Nano. And it does not add any credit to him, as at the latest conference. Has Nano lost? Two or three years ago, to illustrate Berisha’s weakness in governing, one could use the symbolic example of Pogradec. The city has a lake, filtered water for the whole period, water for irrigation and drinking, and for producing electricity. It has tourism and one of the world’s rarest fish, the Korani. In this district, with two customs checkpoints, excellent agriculture and equally good livestock farming, and rail connections with most of the country, we can add even more resources. It also has, or had, minerals. And yet in this city, which is also a city of the Party of Labour, the mine gave birth to the town, and with the disappearance of the mine the town was supposed to disappear too. Such an example still exists today. But not only in Pogradec: it applies to cities even larger than it. In an area with enormous agricultural resources such as Lushnja, the same conditions prevail. It seems as though everything has died. Wherever one turns in the country, one sees that agriculture is the means of recovery. Has Nano lost? I felt like laughing today when I read an article in a leading newspaper calling for Nano’s replacement. It called for it according to the old rules, accusing opponents of being connected. This article, which appeared in one of the Prime Minister’s nepotistic offices, played on a danger that exists nowhere. Returning to the comparison with Russia, it is clear that the factors mentioned above—deputies, groups in the party, individuals—cannot pose a danger to the party leader. As continued on page 2 for the party leader. As I, and with this, our countries were supposed to ... are ... a sadness. But ... of the PS, refusing to ... turn the sense of his criticisms into a Nano-Brokaj duel, denies that there is a race for the leadership of the PS between him and the prime minister, declining to elaborate in comments about it. Brokaj has also analyzed the situation in Kosovo and along the Albanian borders. On page 2

Historic film studio in flames Mystery surrounds the cause of the fire. Artists: A part of our lives went up in flames The flames engulfed Albafilm Studio. A carelessly discarded object, a spark in the July heat, or revenge by the owners may have caused the destruction of the old warehouse belonging to “Shqipëria e Re.” Fortunately, the flames and smoke did not spread to the film archive building, a few meters away behind the large fence. Immediately after the alarm was raised, firefighters from Tirana and neighboring towns battled the fire for several hours. In the end, the “yellow helmets,” armed with water pumps, managed to bring the flames under control. “The danger that threatened Albafilm yesterday also alarmed the Culture officials themselves, who rushed ... [text continues beyond the cut] to follow the firefighting efforts closely. On page 4 The fire has a meaning that ... material damage caused. What happened at Albafilm Studio is a telling expression of the catastrophic state of cultural institutions in Albania, and not only those institutions; it is evidence of the moral and material ruin inherited within state structures, whether by the servants of the totalitarian administration or by those of the so-called democratic government. It is cynical to think that those who allowed every moral and material value of this nation to be destroyed are today the ones shouting at rallies and marching through squares, waving the national flag! In this freedom ... will find ... it was left to spontaneity, and every public asset was left as cannon fodder, squandered to a degree beyond the imagination of normal people, attainable only by someone who has lost their senses. I cannot help laughing when I think that today, least of all, no young person in Albania has any reason to pay tribute to the old mentality, to the moldy minds of this society, which, unfortunately, are also found in the camp that until yesterday was in opposition to the chieftains of Democratic power. These ideologues of the old spirit, whatever camp they are in and whatever party they serve, can perform just one service for society under the current circumstances: Keep quiet! From yesterday’s footage in Konistudio

If you want to refer to the headline above and this similarity with Albania, you could put it this way: Alia resembled Gorbachev. Berisha resembled General Lebed, while Nano resembled old Yeltsin. The similarity holds if one thinks carefully about the figures. Some time ago, a Western magazine, writing about the bosses of Russian power, said that their struggle was taking place in broad daylight. Banks, companies, and gas pipelines were being seized in the middle of the day. Does the similarity with Albania hold? Look carefully at just the latest conflicts. The Minister of Finance wants to drive the director of INSIG out of the way. With police present. In broad daylight. In front of the Prime Minister. Nothing happens to either side. You even get the impression that Bundo has proved much stronger than Malezi’s police. Consider another conflict. The documents published by the press could bring down not just one minister, but an entire government in another Western country. Four years ago, the former Minister of Economy of West Germany, Myleman, was forced to leave power in Kanadib to sign his resignation, solely because of some favor he had allegedly granted someone. Consider another conflict. No documents are needed. A few days ago, when Tete’s son was born, customs revenues were cut to a tenth in order to strengthen the axes and roads. If sea smuggling were real, smugglers would have no reason to go to customs and clear their goods. In Albania, the parties are improvised. The parliaments are improvised, the newspa-

“We will lose international aid” TIRANA - Kondi opposes the independent prosecution service proposal. The Minister of Justice said yesterday that he favors a prosecuting authority that reports directly to the executive. In this way, investigations will continue to preserve their independence, but will receive greater assistance from the Ministry and other European countries. “As the representative of political power in the justice system, I will answer to Parliament or the Government for any shortcomings or violations by the prosecution,” Kondi said. The head of justice also approved the idea of officials’ assets being checked by the bodies that employ them, and not only by the Tax and Customs authorities. This detail has caused delays and difficulties in the planned procedure because of the large number of declarations that must be verified.

Contact Group meets Signals of war in Macedonia, too Three attacks yesterday in Skopje and Kumanovo have reignited tensions in the former Yugoslav Republic as well On page 2 Serbian farmers guarding their crops Serbian farmers guarding their crops (Photo: ANSA)

From yesterday’s footage in Konistudio

OLD FAULTS Yesterday, a few hours after the old Albafilm Studio atelier was reduced to ashes, Minister of Culture Edi Rama entrusted Gazeta with his first comments on the incident at the heart of Albanian cinema. EDI RAMA If we imagine with our own eyes how far the flames could have spread, the damage that occurred is minimal; nevertheless, symbolically, this fire has a meaning that goes beyond the material damage caused. What happened at Albafilm Studio is an expression of ... [text cut off at the end]

GAZETA e Përmetit The list of mafiosi from Italy On page 8 GAZETA e Shkodrës The special forces officer abducts the female student On page 6 GAZETA e Vlorës Speedboats: inspections increased On page 7