They will pay for the strategic military base Is history repeating itself? Foreigners are returning to the most important point on the Albanian coast The sailors’ town had deteriorated in recent years On page 7

AFTER THE RECENT EVENTS Bashkim Gjergji The recent attacks on the Tirana-Shkodër road against two journalists, public accusations directed by political figures at the press, [?!] and a series of [?!] against an economic activity and the editor-in-chief of the country’s largest newspaper are open threats against freedom of the press. The appearance of the first anti-communist newspaper seven years ago, the emergence of a large number of party and non-party newspapers, and, most recently, the blossoming of numerous radio stations as well as the creation of the first private TV channels are part of the history of the Albanian media. It must be said that for some time now it has been consolidating the stages of its professional development. It is well known that the entire period from 1992 to 1997 was a great school for all journalists, who experienced the spirit of freedom in the media sphere, as well as the arbitrary actions of a government that cannot come to terms with criticism. In any case, it must be said that, through its clashes with the government, the press has emerged [unclear], entrenched. It would suffice to recall that during the events of 1997, the popular revolt and economic crisis were accompanied by direct acts of violence by other forces—acts that endangered not only the lives of journalists, but all the achievements of the Albanian media to date in its position as a fourth estate and as a clear indicator of the level of democracy in the country. The recent attacks against the press and journalists are evidence of an old and failed mindset and practice. They are, above all, a reflex of the lack of concrete and constructive ideas concerning the full range of issues facing our society today. At the same time, however, they are also an attempt to attain [unclear] power from the springboard of crime. Naturally, the repeal of the old press law and the adoption of a new law by the relevant bodies, which protects journalists and gives them an advantage in exercising their voice in defense of freedom of the press, is important. But apparently this is not enough. The escalation of the situation in the country and the worsening of relations with the press are elements of the same strategy: destabilizing the current situation for political gain.

TIRANA - Nano unveils the state budget. The draft law on the 1998 budget was issued by the Council of Ministers two days ago. The Albanian government has projected budget revenues of 85,870 million lekë and expenditures of 148,699 million lekë. Its 14 articles contain a mountain of figures, billions of lekë that will flow into and out of the state coffers. The draft in question was also the subject of heated debate at the expanded meetings of the SP parliamentary group. A few days earlier, another debate had taken place at a government meeting. On page 7

Shkodër Commissioner Havari SHKODER - Calm returns. Schools are holding classes as normal and shops have been open all day. In the city, police officers detained three people, including one highly sought suspect. The prefect is Ali Laçi, of the PAD. On page 5

Today, Gazeta Treg On page 12 The high-level delegation also presents the options. No longer through an Assembly Europe: A constitution must be drawn up

Burrel, village at risk BURREL - The explosions continued until 17:30, after which only an occasional rumble was heard. A fire of as-yet-unknown origin engulfed the military depots in the village of Suç, in the Mat district, yesterday afternoon, just 8.5 kilometres from the town of Burrel. A 28-year-old girl was injured, while [unclear]. The Emergency Headquarters in the Mat district has taken charge of the situation. Measures have been taken to block traffic near the area, since two more shells flew from the blast all the way into town, but caused no damage. Alarm in Burrel. Yesterday at around 15:55, a single explosion was heard at the Suç depots, which belong to the town’s Brigade. The first explosion was powerful and was quickly followed by further continuous explosions. The whole area and the surrounding houses shook. A girl whose house was located just above the depots was wounded in the chest by a piece of a shell. Two shells flew forcefully towards the town; one fell in the cemetery, while the other hit a satellite dish near the officers’ houses. The shells caused no damage. The Brigade commander, police station chief Rexhep Bulku, the SHIK chief and the military police immediately went to the scene. The explosions continued until 17:30, after which there was only an occasional small rumble. The Emergency Headquarters of the national road is only a few metres away. The Brigade command has also taken measures to secure all the other military facilities immediately. The injured girl, Lindita Bajrami, was taken urgently to Klos hospital and then to Bulqizë hospital. She is out of danger. There are no other injured people. Sources at the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday that the depots contained artillery shells for rocket launchers and 75-millimetre guns. The depots have been completely destroyed. All senior authorities have been notified, and an expert team is expected to travel urgently from Tirana. It is reported that police station chief Bulku has taken all measures to prevent further incidents. The cause of the powerful explosion has not yet been determined; the investigative team is expected to establish it.

The senior delegation also offers options. No more with an Assembly Its verdict today: “We left you differently” The senior delegation also offers options. No more with an Assembly Europe: The Constitution must be made Its verdict today: “We left you differently” TIRANA - Europe lands in Tirana and puts forward new options. The Constitution, Parliament and the political confrontation between the governing side and the opposition. These were the main subjects addressed yesterday, on the first day of the visit by the senior delegation from the EC, OSCE and European Parliament. But the issue that divided the sides most and sparked controversy was the fate of the Albanian Constitution. While Gjinushi considers the procedure for drafting it to have been determined, for the opposition it remains open for discussion. Pollo and then Berisha reiterated their position on the drafting procedures, returning to the Parliamentary Assembly option. Such a position was viewed skeptically by the Europeans. From Fisher’s meetings yesterday in Tirana (Photo: Plator Ilo) On page 3

OPINION The horoscope of political vocabulary How the language of those in power has changed Dashnor Kokonozi In a much shorter time than expected, the vocabulary of those in power changed alarmingly. This is all the more serious when one considers that a few spontaneous remarks can quickly say more than entire carefully prepared speeches or standard protocol formulas at inaugurations or official receptions. The harsh and completely unexpected remarks by a deputy-lawyer like Abdia, directed against the media, whatever their nature, speak not only to the parliament’s desperate condition; they are themselves a powerful, deeply disheartening injection for ordinary people as a whole. This is so not only because they come from a wing of Albanian politics that has had media freedom as one of the most credible planks of its election campaigns, but also because such positions on the “means” cast shadows over the “purpose”—that is, over other expected changes of an institutional and constitutional nature. Such drastic changes in political vocabulary disturb people three times as much, whether or not they are interested in political life, because they attack a level of democracy that a large part of Albanians sincerely believe they have achieved. At the same time, however, given the highly sensitive nature of the issue, an aggressive stance toward free information cannot be treated either as an isolated incident or as a personal position. For precisely this reason, its essence must be examined from two perspectives: one concerns the past, the other the future. In the recent past, it sought to create conditions in which the elites would finally be able to ensure that only state-controlled media and those close to government circles had the right to write. And there is a great need for this. There is a need for the official version to remain that order was restored in “a matter of months,” that the economic program quickly produced results, and that Albanians therefore should have no regrets about the political choice they made. The tasks ahead are more difficult. From this perspective, Deputy Abdia’s stance should be seen not as the initiator, but simply as the “terminal.” Hostility toward the media (but not the position on sanctions) was voiced by Minister Ceka. He has always been ready to describe the media’s coverage of “the police’s work” as unfair and has nearly implied that the disorder is a virtual creation of the media. When the media continued to report only what had actually happened, he saw the problem in the opposition leaders and their structures. But the worst thing was that the media did not take this very seriously. They would discredit themselves if they concealed the fact that, over time, the situation had reached the point where going beyond Tirana’s ring road after the security presence fell away could be described as an adventure fraught with danger. For this reason, Abdia’s “terminalism” undertakes to save whatever can be saved for the future. This prompted him to say precisely what he should not have said, but it also prompts Albanians to see his words as a kind of horoscope formula for what will not work in Albania in the future, so long as the parliamentary podium is used to demand that the only records of events be the version supplied by media controlled by the government.