A newspaper is found in Blerim Çela’s underwear TIRANA - They have come to terms with the court verdict. Meanwhile, they must now prepare to adapt to a new way of life, one they perhaps had never imagined would be their lot at this age. After the minor incident involving Blerim Çela, the prison guards have realized that they must be careful and must make no allowances, as otherwise it could cost them their jobs. All 6 VIPs of the DP were taken to the cells of Prison 313 after Monday’s court hearing ended. The hopes they had that they might be released after appearing in ... On page 2

INTERVIEW / Foreign Minister Milo discusses current policy “The US does not want to go to Kosovo” “Nothing depends on our emotions” TIRANA - “The US Congress has not approved, at least so far, the deployment of American soldiers to Kosovo,” Albania’s Foreign Minister, Paskal Milo, has said. The head of our diplomacy has insisted on clarifying that “the chancelleries of the great powers, whether or not they are members of the Security Council, do not make decisions based on Albanian emotions, demands and interests.” Milo also expressed some pessimism regarding the promise made with great fanfare the first time by European and American diplomacy that Kosovo would not be allowed to become a second Bosnia. “There is a gap between declarations and public action, and for this gap to be bridged, days and months must pass—and let us hope not years,” the Albanian Foreign Minister said. On page 4

Demi and Memia escaped too. National Council of the DP: Vow with Nano “Berisha and Meksi will not be investigated” Rakipi: We have no evidence of involvement in the events of January and February ’97, but this is only the beginning; MPs’ immunity will not stop us The Prosecutor General recounts the many political pressures, but also discusses the current state of the investigations The Republic’s Prosecutor General, Arben Rakipi, said yesterday that former President Berisha, former Prime Minister Meksi and other people with DP immunity had been found not to be implicated in the investigations into last year’s chaos. In fact, the terse statement by the head of the ... prosecution that senior DP figures are not being investigated by the Prosecution covers the period of January–February ’97. But he said the Prosecution would investigate the individual responsibility of all those who caused the collapse of the Albanian state in March of last year. “We will not stop even if those implicated are senior politicians in power or in the opposition,” Rakipi said yesterday. On page 3

FATOS ÇOÇOLI In our governments over these last 7–8 years, at the head of administrations of disasters or directorates, or even ins... important functions, there has been a lack of technocrats, genuine professionals, people capable of ... avoiding measures devised in response to its objections and passive resistance. It is too late when the consequences of your conduct have already caught up with us. Unfortunately for our country, these consequences were also visible in the unrest of March ’97, when the State disintegrated. But who was responsible for this... In our governments over the past 7–8 years, technocrats, genuine professionals not involved in party formations, have been lacking at the head of administrations, departments, directorates and even important institutions. This lack was generated by the heavy legacy of almost 50 years of rule by the party-state, when party militancy in the administration was elevated to an art and dictated personnel policy. In the years after democracy was established, people who were “trustworthy”—or, in other words, blind party lackeys who obeyed the party diktat—generally took the place of professionals in key government-administration posts. And where the party did not intervene, they decided according to their own whims or personal financial interests, without taking experts’ opinions into account. By contrast, instead of being motivated, encouraged and trained, the ranks of technocrats and professionals have been denigrated, trampled underfoot, and even driven out and dismissed from their jobs. The sword of party passion hung over them like the sword of Damocles, even though this group constituted the very elements of the State, because it is the only group that knows how to implement its laws, regulations and procedures correctly and efficiently. At first glance, this group, with its distance from militant euphoria, does not seem like an ally. On the contrary, it seems as if it is sabotaging your work as a political formation in power. You try to crush it and withhold motivation from it, to sideline it, unsettled by its objections and passive resistance. It is only later that we feel the consequences of our conduct. Unfortunately for our country, these consequences were also evident But who was responsible for this major crime? Will there be an Albanian Nuremberg for the tragedy of the previous year? Paradoxical as it may seem, the blame for the events of ’97 lies with the abnormal state of affairs. It rests on the State institutions, which proved weak and failed to protect citizens, having been dismantled of their technocratic element—the element whose professional conscience means it does not readily obey the party diktat. Thus, the law-enforcement agencies could not maintain order, the army could not guard its weapons depots, and so on. It is for the Albanian Justice system to determine the personal responsibility of the officials of that time who, through their actions or inaction, weakened the State; it must also pursue and bring to trial those who incited crowds to burn municipal buildings and police offices, and to savagely destroy everything that smelled of state property. So far, the Albanian Justice system has shown itself incapable of fulfilling this role. The arrests of recent days are showing, to some extent, its bias. If Justice is blind (impartial), it must prosecute both those who brought down the State from within its own structures and those who dynamited and burned it from outside the administration.

SPECIAL / Manuscript, love letters, poems On the 60th anniversary of his death, the giant of the pen returns. The intimate letters from his beloved, sent to Migjeni’s sister: “We know what Dante wrote about Beatrice, but we do not know of any instance of what Beatrice might have written about Dante. Migjeni and the ink are the Albanian myth of Juliet.” “Someone translated the 88 pages into Spanish many years ago. The manuscript, written in pencil in a hand worthy of admiration, has been in the hands of the author of the article and is expected to be published.” On page 8 Migjeni. His beloved, Bojka

Berisha, Bushati, Laco and Ndreu decide TIRANA - Berisha abandons the constitutional roundtable. Yesterday, a meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Union for Democracy decided to postpone the roundtable of parliamentary parties scheduled for 31 August to another date. “It was decided that the roundtable would not be held on this date because of the tense political situation provoked by the governing coalition,” Zef Bushati, chairman of the PDK, told Gazeta Shqiptare yesterday. This means that the Democrats and their allies have taken the problem of the arrests of several officials of this party very seriously, while a year ago they held senior positions in the Albanian state. Bushati said that the Coordinating Council of the Union for Democracy discussed the political situation in the country as well as the draft constitution. On page 4

FOOTBALL / The team will be managed by Ali Mema Shpresa scores a poker in the match against Montenegro. Sinani scores twice and misses a penalty. The Municipality of Shkodër does not recognize Sabah Bizi as club secretary. Bizi: “It all started for partisan reasons.” On page 11

GAZETA e Tiranës TIRANA - Roads are being repaired, manholes are being blocked. Along with the potholes on some roads, during the repairs being carried out by Apostoli’s Ministry, the manholes alongside them are also being covered. In the winter months, when the precipitation melts, there will be many problems on the roads. The water level that usually “engulfs” them on rainy days will be even higher, since even the few manholes that were trying to “drink it up” are being blocked by the road paving. On page 5

GAZETA e Durrësit DURRËS - Protest over the ordeals of paying the electricity bills. Dozens of letters and complaints have now arrived at the Municipality, complaints in which the people of Durrës have “poured out their hearts” about the endless difficulties they have to go through before paying, after queuing at the counters where electricity bills are paid. Waiting in the sun, beside a kiosk that may turn out to be closed when your turn comes, as well as many other difficulties, seem to have brought the “arm aratës” to an end. On page 7

GAZETA e Shkodrës SHKODËR - Bus drivers go on strike. An old conflict with the authorities, over the implementation of demands made several months ago, has prompted Shkodran bus drivers to organize a simultaneous strike, which could become an indefinite one if the local authorities do not “pay attention” to these demands. “We want the law to be implemented; otherwise, within ten days we will begin our indefinite strike.” On page 6

In our governments over the past 7–8 years, technocrats, genuine professionals not involved in party formations, have been lacking at the head of administrations, departments, directorates and even important institutions.