The EC and OSCE set conditions. “The trial of the 6 PD members must not be interfered with” Europe: The parties should keep quiet about March

ELSA BALLAURI As always in Albania, wrong economic, political, and social moves are made[?]. Like an untimely fatality, this way of acting follows a longstanding tradition. Taking as my starting point the recent political events, the arrests of former Democratic officials, I can say with conviction that, apart from the media, the main political forces, and café gossip, Albanians in general have remained indifferent. Ordinary people, who are in fact the wisest, have simply preferred to keep quiet or say little. They are tired... Political moves, even when they concern serious and important matters, have by now lost their seriousness. Usually, either they are forgotten and never carried out, or the right things are done at the wrong time. Without wishing to analyze the recent actions, for which none of them asked themselves whether they should have had the courage to appear in public or should have resigned. Everyone justified themselves and blamed their opponents. As we continue to live through times marked by blameworthy events but, strangely, innocent protagonists, the ancient question often comes to mind: what is happening, and where are we going? What examples will we leave our children? In reality, the younger generations are growing up with a different mentality. Before them lies an extremely strange history: on the one hand, a suffering, unfortunate, and neurotic[?] people, and on the other, culprits who do not exist. A people who, despite having suffered, have never managed to punish their own criminals[?]. Young people are learning that their fathers and grandfathers have not been able to establish justice, and that this may be considered normal and moral; they will read a history full of crimes, but without criminals. And they will consider it natural to carry on this way, to live without justice. Gradually, this will become established as a moral norm. As a result, the concept of freedom will also become distorted. Your freedom is another person’s misfortune. But we live in a time when patience and understanding are more valuable than ever. In Albania, the time has come for a moral trial, in which the guilty are declared so after an honest investigation, but are not sent to prison; those belonging to political circles need only leave the political scene. This tribunal will help the country become conscious of its history and its existence, and will spare many people the spiritual suffering of bearing their guilt into old age, as has happened in many other countries. It will be like a quiet confession to God. Albania needs this, while it is not yet too late. Precisely because ordinary citizens, in fact the wisest, now understand the political farces staged to save themselves from difficult moments—a skit performed beautifully by all Albanian political forces, both those in government and those in opposition—they are becoming increasingly clear-sighted and aware, but sadly also increasingly disappointed. No one still thinks of them, and they are powerless to think for themselves... Political outbursts, even when they happen over serious and important matters, now lose their seriousness of their own accord. It has become customary either to forget to do things, or to do the right things arrests, about which I cannot speak without disclosed legal facts, what seems most troubling to me is how the system of political arrests in Albania is functioning in general. How willing politicians are to put justice in its place, and how much responsibility they are taking before citizens to create for them what Albanians cannot seem to attain—a normal life. Our country has always been at risk of great social and spiritual upheavals. Historically, if we recall the period after the creation of the Albanian state in ’12, there have been only quarrels, wars, invasions, bloodshed, and we have never seen the country moving toward improvement. The longest period of the Albanian state, that of the dictatorship, created desperate misery and suffering. But after the ’90s, nothing extraordinary happened. The suffering was forgotten; a few hot-blooded acts of revenge in the streets and on corners were enough, and political responsibility for past wrongs was discussed only in a few ugly trials lacking professional standards, where the accused were charged with wasting liquor and coffee. The blame was left orphaned... A year ago, another tragedy, no small one for this small country, shook all Albanians. And all Albanian politicians were responsible for it. But they hid for a few days, after hiding for a few days, not knowing how things would turn out, and when they sensed that the danger had passed, they appeared in light-colored overcoats to reclaim what was slipping from their hands—power. No one...

Europe is compelled to set conditions for Albanian political forces following the escalation of the situation. An end must be put to violent rhetoric, and party activists must heed their leaders’ calls to participate peacefully in the democratic process. The EC and OSCE have agreed to provide international legal observers to monitor closely and report on the proceedings against six former senior PD officials, accused of crimes against humanity by the Albanian justice system. But before the proceedings are concluded, Europe will prefer to remain silent, since it does not consider it appropriate to issue a final judgment on the legal process and the nature of the charges. Nevertheless, the political parties must allow the legal process to proceed. On page 3 On page 4

Following the request made by the Prosecutor’s Office TIRANA - The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office has asked the Presidium of the People’s Assembly for permission to question PD MPs. The prosecution authority has requested legal authorization from the Speaker of Parliament to question as witnesses the PD MPs identified as organizers of the illegal rallies held in the capital in recent days. “The Prosecutor’s Office is free to summon any MP as a witness,” Parliament Speaker Shkender Gjinushi said yesterday. According to Gjinushi, the law must apply to everyone with immunity. In this case, the matter concerns the Democrats’ illegal rally in “Skënderbej” Square and the subsequent incident with the police near Prime Minister Nano’s government residence. The Tirana Police immediately contacted the prosecution authority to bring charges against the organizers of Thursday’s illegal gathering in Tirana.

SPECIAL / THE MOTIVES THAT DROVE HIM TO CROSS THE FENCE On page 16 A few moments after the policeman’s killing

PORTRAIT OF THE ORPHAN WHO RUNS THE CAPITAL On page 11 Brojka

Another Serbian massacre PRISHTINE - The Serbs continue their offensive against the Albanian population. According to reports from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, at least 17 people were killed during the latest bombardments by Serbian forces near the Albanian border. This happened on Friday evening. Meanwhile, the mass displacement of thousands of residents from villages in the Malisheva region continues. The leadership of the LDK branch in Lipjan has called on all international organizations to intervene as soon as possible to help these residents, who are increasingly at risk every day. The danger grows day by day as the winter season approaches, which is harsh in the mountains.

On page 9 INTERVIEW / FOLLOWING THE BANK GOVERNOR’S WARNING Malaj

GAZETA of Tirana In all cities and capitals, when a long day ends and the sun leaves behind its reddish sunset and then the darkness of night, hundreds and thousands of windows light up, and another joyful life begins for people. Neon lamps, as if out of spite toward the sun, illuminate the buildings, government departments, hotels and museums from the sides and below, making them look even more beautiful, as if washed in silver. Through the venues, lively streets shimmer with lights, children’s toys fly about, and hundreds of labushka sparkle like fireflies. On page 5

GAZETA of Durrës DURRES - Këhëta and hundreds of houses that have already been built on the three [??] are at risk of being flooded by the rains. The rainfall at the end of August—according to meteorologists, several millimetres of rain—seems little by little to be bringing about what nature began after man’s destructive hand, with rain forecast to be abundant this winter. The houses built here in recent years by people who have moved from other regions of Albania will soon find water suddenly “welling up” in their yards or on the floors of their homes. On page 7

GAZETA e Shkodrës SHKODER - At first glance, life in the city of Shkodër is continuing quite normally, unlike the alarm spread by the newspapers about preparations for a coup d’état. Nevertheless, an attentive eye cannot fail to notice a tension or anxiety conveyed by certain signs. Although no one at the Police Directorate is willing to make a statement to journalists, the fact that the employees of this institution are on alert is a document in itself. On page 6

Take these two notebooks, balloon, 20 points at the settlement On page 12

INTERVIEW / FOLLOWING THE BANK GOVERNOR’S WARNING

On page 11 Brojka

SPORT / EVERYTHING ABOUT FOOTBALL, FORMULA 1... On pages 13–15 Tirana-Partizani 2:2