Rakipi: We signed the “Insurrection” arrest warrants; the police remained silent TIRANA - “The government and the police are obstructing our work. We have signed the arrest warrants and they are not executing them.” - Arben Rakipi, Albania’s chief prosecutor, made a strongly worded statement yesterday against the people who have “frozen” the process. In his sights are Deputy Minister Çano, who has taken charge of operations to detain those wanted, as well as Prime Minister Nano. “You should ask them why the detentions are not being carried out,” Rakipi says, while Çano admits that he is responsible for the failure to make the arrests, but says he is convinced they will be carried out very soon. For him, one of the obstacles is the lack of information about the people being sought. “We have all border crossing points under control and have also begun cooperating with Interpol. Don’t think the police are obstructing the arrests. It was the only institution that took responsibility for the country on September 13 by enforcing the arrest warrants.” On page 3

The motives behind the assassination remain a mystery On page 4

On page 4 Kakami arrested in Greece

MIROSH SAKO Developments in Albania in recent years have, more than ever, confronted the intelligentsia with the concerns of its nation and people. Accepting the country’s development along the path of pluralism, they engaged in every process of transforming the country into a democratic, pluralist state based on the principles of the rule of law and a market economy founded on broad private ownership. This was one of the greatest successes achieved by the Albanian intelligentsia through political means and without bloodshed. Its active participation in the creation of political parties and their leadership quickly made them capable of adopting programs in keeping with the best standards of Western parties. This was a guarantee of a promising future for the development of pluralism. In this context, a group of prominent intellectuals within the Albanian intelligentsia, many of them even architects of the transformation process, found their path of activity in the country’s modern political and social life. But that is not all: when the law is absent, the solution is not sought through improving the law or filling the gap with legislation, but through a political solution. As a result, legal thought has not been a priority in these years; although it should have been at the center of dialogue, it was visibly displaced by political thinking and stubborn partisan militancy. This is also because some representatives of legal thought were left out of the active process of lawmaking. In civilized countries, legal thought was placed at the heart of the state when the state recognized the essential role of the legal profession as an important institution in the nation’s spiritual life. This is an important aspect to institutionalize now as well, amid the crisis of legal thought brought about by politicians in this area; they should wish to consider that the institution of the President, too, ought to seek a greater presence for these intellectual forces, which could very well help shape the idea of genuine institutions. Western parties. This was a guarantee of a free development and a future for pluralism. In this context, an initiative by some of the most prominent intellectuals in the Albanian intellectual community, indeed some of the process’s original architects, found a way to become active in the country’s social and political life by participating independently. Organized in this way, this intellectual force, at the same time freed from the stifling habits of militarism, which not infrequently stands behind democracy’s fortresses, found a way to make its very valuable contribution by presenting its balanced, modern, tolerant and progressive thinking through many channels, including those beyond party politics. This contribution has also been felt by those parties and institutions that have welcomed it and place intellectual thought at their foundation. This is a positive thing, and it is certain that its value will grow in parallel with the process of parties’ liberation from traditional militancy. Parties have their legitimate values, but independent intellectual thought has irreplaceable values connected with truthfulness and impartiality; these values multiply, especially in conditions of crisis of trust between parties. Institutionalizing this force in the life of our country would create a more scientific opposition to the state and the political parties themselves, with values unquestionably even greater than those of the “political class.” Albania needs this force today more than ever, and the media should give it more space to express its opinion. We are currently facing a Gordian knot, which even international opinion was compelled to address. But no one was able to hear the views of independent intellectuals, who at this moment emerged as the purest force in the face of one of the gravest crises in the modern history of the Albanian nation. Independent intellectuals are not there to issue declarations in which they are outlined as if in a register. The parties’ militancy, often accompanied by a desire to create a state governed by the rule of law, means that their leaders’ actions often involve polarization and little thought grounded in the law or legal arguments. Thus, in the midst of sharp debate based on legal reasoning, and institutionally, at this moment of crisis in legal thought brought about by politicians in this regard, we would like to think that the institution of the President should very well play the role of the institution of truth. The time has come, more than ever, for everyone—the state, political parties and especially the media—to turn to this powerful body of thought, not merely to pay it respect, but to put it in its proper place throughout the life of the homeland. In any case, this intellectual body, which forms the brain of the nation, should not wait for others to put it in this position, but should claim it through the force of its own thought. There is another clear fact: pluralism in Albania was established without long democratic experience or tradition. No one thought that this pluralism would so quickly create such a deep climate of distrust among party groupings, between government and opposition, and among coalitions. Today, this climate of distrust is more present than ever and has taken the most macabre forms of hatred. Nevertheless, no one should think of laying this crisis on its back and making it bear the suffering. Therefore, alongside the thinking and experience of the international community, I believe the peaceful formula proposed by independent intellectuals for resolving the crisis would bring the conflicting sides closer together through the credibility and scholarly authority they represent. Albanian progressive thought has existed, exists, and will continue to exist. Let us make it an important force for resolving the Albanian national crisis.

INTERVIEW / The Chairman of the Mandates Commission speaks: “The former generals are also to blame” Vejsiu objects: “Accusations intended to harm the party” INTERVIEW / are also to blame” Braho: “The coup with people from Bukoshi” Vejsiu objects: “Accusations intended to harm the party” TIRANA - Armed men sent by Bukoshi also took part in last week’s armed attack against the institutions in the country, PS MP Spartak Braho accused yesterday in an interview with the newspaper. He also says that “the architect of the coup was Berisha, but the operations were organized by several former generals.” Braho says they also had some of the current leaders of the Guard, the Public Order forces, and the Army as collaborators. Ylli Vejsiu, a member of the DP leadership, rejects these accusations. “The Democratic Party’s statute clearly states that we are against the use of violence. If I had known about these accusations, I would have distanced myself from them. In fact, I would have reported them. These are accusations that destroy bridges of cooperation,” Vejsiu says. On page 2

Yesterday afternoon, alarm at the tank unit in the northern city Laç, military depot attacked Machine guns stolen: suspicions fall on the guards LAÇ - Armed attack on the tank unit. However, no weapon was fired. An armed group attacked the tank unit in the afternoon. Although two guards and a group of non-commissioned officers and officers were inside, there was no response. Within minutes, the armed thieves managed to take away 18 heavy tank machine guns. As unofficial sources confirm, it is currently suspected that the unit’s guards also had a hand in such an attack. On page 3

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