Gold fever lures Albanians once again TIRANA - Gold fever is sweeping the South. In recent weeks, groups of treasure hunters equipped with sophisticated devices for locating quantities of precious metal hidden underground have appeared in several villages in Gjirokastra. Just a few days ago, in several villages of Lunxhëria, residents say they were asked by some treasure hunters about old stories and legends concerning the lost treasure of Ali Pashë Tepelena. The surprise caused—as has been happening for some time—was minimal. This was not the first time for these sensitive people, who are passionate about adventures. On page 11

The chief prosecutor recounts the story of his career From Nano to Berisha, the story of his appointment to the post of Albania’s chief investigator Rakipi talks about his long working hours, and his successes and failures over the past year On page 16

Fire has destroyed one of the two operational transformers KESH alert: We will not have enough electricity for the whole country for a month One of the transformers at the Fierza hydroelectric power plant is burning. A technical fault in the giant piece of equipment or a deliberate fire put the entire machine hall at risk of destruction. For five hours straight, firefighters from several northern districts, along with police and army forces, battled the flames, which reached a diameter of 50 metres. The fire was eventually put out, but the transformer continued burning inside until late in the evening. Representatives of the Italian mission were also put on standby for this emergency; they established contact with the authorities of the neighbouring Ministry of the Interior. Two he...

PD MP speaks after being detained TIRANA - Shaban Memia considers the customs police’s accusations against him of smuggling to be a political attack on the opposition. Memia says that his relatives in Italy bought him the camera and the two video cameras as a gift for his family. The PD MP will hold all the customs officials accountable, convinced that parliamentary statute has been violated. On page 4 “MAGIC” OF THE

ANDI TELA A DP member of parliament was detained two days ago by the customs police, and a criminal complaint was filed against him with the Prosecutor’s Office on charges of smuggling, fraud, and insulting law-enforcement bodies. This disturbance involving both political camps, arising from customs, is connected to a sum of only 30 million lire. Aside from the opposition’s trumpeted uproar over the violation of the rights of its MP, and the government’s eagerness to publicize the news as a success in its fight against a phenomenon that is increasingly draining the state’s poor coffers, it seems another argument is coming to the fore. No one in Albania can be surprised any longer by a smuggling case worth several million lire, when only a short time ago the President denounced the staggering figures of 80 million dollars, which must surely be much higher. It hardly matters whether it belongs personally to Memia or to the DP; the simplest thing to think in this case is simply that it was bought in favor of customs. But what was most striking in the Memia case was the way he spoke to the customs officers, or rather, the arrogance of someone who felt powerful. It is hardly surprising that he reacted harshly toward customs officials, repeatedly reminding them of the privileges of being an MP and the power of immunity, when all they had asked him to do was pay the tax. Perhaps this torrent of words compelled the customs officers to let him go. Only the phone calls to Tirana made them later detain Memia in Navarr, adding further episodes to an incident that began in Durrës. As if he had done the most normal thing, Memia left home feeling deeply offended by the way the customs officers had treated him, but forgetting that, at the moment he was speaking as a member of parliament, there were many relatives who are never absent on such occasions—and forgetting that his words had been published in the press. Under the weight of immunity, he felt free to do anything, forgetting that an MP has more obligations than an ordinary citizen. If he refuses to respect the laws of the state, what should his voter do? And then, if an MP claims that he should not pay customs duties, with what courage can he oppose smuggling in Parliament? Burdened by the feeling of being all-powerful, an old Albanian obsession, an MP tries by every means to exploit the privileges of a parliamentary career and the “magic” of having immunity. In this “saving cult,” it seems perfectly normal to them to break every rule, just as a police car considers it abnormal to stop at a traffic light.

How much should we pay for each service Nobody asks for money with the law in hand, but everyone knows that you have to pay for state services. In a survey we conducted by telephone, more than seventy percent of people said they had had to pay money to get a medical examination at a clinic or to have their telephone fixed. The biggest bribes were paid for operations, but also at school. In one case, just to raise a grade, the teacher had taken one hundred thousand lek. On page 9

Durrës Newspaper The government forgets Zog’s villa DURRES – Two years have now passed since the destruction of the ’97 pillar, and it has still not been decided what will be done to rehabilitate one of Durrës’s symbols, the villa of former King Zog. On page 7

Vlora Newspaper Bulldozers move in on the kiosks VLORE – It seems the final days have now arrived for the kiosks. All unlicensed kiosks—mainly those along the Skelë–Vlorë road—will remain open until tomorrow. An executive order has been issued... On page 8

Shkodër Newspaper 200 traders detained at the border SHKODER – Shkodër traders have been detained. At least 200 people have fallen victim to the stringent checks along the entire border line linking Albania with Montenegro. On page 6

MIROSH SAKO History willed it that the Albanian people, throughout their existence, would live alongside the South Slavs. In good times and difficult moments, they have preserved peaceful coexistence with their neighbors. And in the many problems that have arisen since 1913, the Albanian nation on both sides of the border has never demonstrated a need to use violence to change the status of its existence, divided into several parts among its neighbors. The Kosovo partisans, who managed to create a Liberation Army of more than 50,000 fighters during the Second World War, although they declared their support for self-determination in Bujan, did not use this military force to change borders or resort to violence. Likewise, the Albanian partisans who took part in liberating lands as far as Sanxhak withdrew peacefully, supporting the principle of the great democracies that the problems would be resolved after the war. Albania, too, has never exploited its relations with friends and superpowers to change the Continued on page 2

From the syringe in the ambulance to examinations: Here are all the fees On page 3

Today, a super crossword for readers On page 13

DOCUMENT Macedonia, the hidden detonator Here is why the Albanian issue in the former Yugoslav republic is making all diplomatic circles tremble On page 10

the future of female diplomacy On page 10