While “ZP” attacks the PAD minister: “You are keeping criminals in the Ministry” Meidani against Nano “The government has not fulfilled its duties in the fight against crime” Emergency meeting at the Presidency. Criticism of the security chiefs TIRANË - President Meidani is personally taking the reins in the fight against economic crime. “The government has not properly fought smuggling.” The president reportedly warned yesterday that he would urgently convene the High Council of Defence, which he had not convened even to strengthen the northern border with Kosovo. Yesterday at the Presidency, Meidani urgently convened the heads of Security and Defence, Ceka and Broka, as well as the heads of the secret services, Klosi, and SHIU. The Minister of the Interior and the State Control have attacked the customs service, saying it was not properly performing its function. Meidani urgently requested that the State Control also demand accountability at customs, where not a single carton of cigarettes has been seized. (See continuation on page 3)

Skifter What had been predicted about the governing coalition is now showing clear signs of having happened. The historic term for the governing coalition has indeed been bloody, given that a political force of the centre-right agreed to cooperate with a left-wing party, even a former communist one such as the PS. At first, the motive for joining forces was also justified: the struggle against the common enemy, Berisha, and the country’s complete separation. And also the idea that the liberal democrats did not deserve the high-ranking seats in the government cabinet that the Socialists had not given them out of generosity. The attacks on the Ministry of the Interior, aimed directly at Interior Minister Nertian Ceka, cannot be thought of as accidental. “The criminals have returned,” the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” said yesterday, and one would have to be very naive to think that the ZP reports on this matter are truly accompanied by evidence. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nano acts as if indifferent, making it clear that the storm over the government ministers could break at any moment, without consulting anyone. And Nano has every chance of doing such a thing. He can do it because he has an absolute majority in Parliament and enjoys support in the government; the Westerners, too, back him, given the transparent policy he is pursuing over the Kosovo conflict. He can also do it because he has invested a great deal in building up that power, even though at the beginning he handed the Ministry of the Interior to Ceka’s liberal democrats, openly surrendering a minority of his conservative electorate, which he had presumably tried to attract. Surely he is not afraid to oppose them at the head of the Police and other security bodies. But Nano has invested in creating a climate of trust, in order to win the West’s sympathy through liberal achievements. Do the liberal democrats still have any chance of remaining in government, or any chance in the cabinet? Meanwhile, President Meidani, who has openly stated that after the alliance he has no connection with Nano, continues his relationship with Meidani, and the process goes on; he does not cut off the President. It cannot be denied that Zogaj’s role in the Presidency has made Meidani more active than Nano would like. But nevertheless, if the Alliance continues to feel comfortable in a left-wing coalition, lured by senior posts, it cannot expect this party’s electorate to agree. The contradictions within the PAD are now real, precisely because the coalition has not worked only to consolidate itself at the top of the pyramid; it must also extend further down. The signs are appearing of a fragile coalition, which may split very soon. This is for the simple reason that the PAD went into opposition only against the majority, which is largely right-wing, though naturally not Berisha, who today represents the right-wing electorate. The alliance members made a miscalculation. The undeniable fact is that Berisha received votes they had not anticipated, wasting their own names in an effort to get rid of the government and become a large party. The government posts they have in fact been given may offer them these privileges, but the right-wing electorate is now rapidly rallying to Berisha, who has renewed the party, with new names such as P. Bolla, Bode, Karamitro, and others at his side. And while the PD at least remains in the opera house with few prospects, the coalition is showing signs of weakening every day, directly affecting those being governed. Naturally, this is no misfortune for the PS. Nano has also had his own say.

TIRANË - Police forcibly entered the building where VEFA creditors had been barricaded for many days and removed them. The people on hunger strike were confronted with police force. It was 23:40 when several police cars rushed into “Avni Rustemi” Square, where VEFA’s headquarters is located. After cordoning off the entire area, officers got out of the cars. The operation chief asked to speak with the head of the creditors’ strike so that the strikers would leave the building peacefully, but the latter refused. At that moment the police chief ordered his subordinates, who forced their way into the building. All the strikers were taken out of the building and sent to the police station. Each of them was escorted for questioning, walking from the building to the police cars. From there they were all taken to the police station, to the holding room. Rubber batons were used. The cordon around the square where VEFA’s headquarters is located remained in place until after midnight; no car or vehicle was allowed to pass.

Albanians protest against Serbian violence (Photo: REUTERS)

BONN - Among the demonstrators in BONN, [text unclear] Milošević. This was the slogan that characterized the long-awaited meeting of the Contact Group in Bonn. The Serbian president has been given another deadline, this time four weeks, to end the repression in Kosovo and begin dialogue with the Albanians. The United States has been a true ally of Kosovo. It immediately called for the simultaneous lifting of sanctions, but Serbia’s exemplary ally, Russia, and the—

Tiranë, illegal construction: Two builders detained TIRANË - The police have finally arrested two people who were carrying out construction without a permit. More than the fact that the police finally decided to act in cases of buildings being erected without permits—a practice that has always constituted a breach of the law—what pleased everyone was the thought that perhaps all this would serve as an example to curb further construction. Parks and green spaces, long since erased from the capital’s map, will finally get their due. At least that is what all those who watch kiosks, sheds, single- and multi-storey buildings, and other shacks of every kind gradually suffocate Tiranë day by day hope. The Construction Police, because of its disputes with the urban planning department and the Municipality, may have been held back by the rapid pace at which illegal buildings are increasing day by day. In Tiranë, there are estimated to be more than five thousand buildings whose only “permit” is the stamp on a telephone card. Before the illegal buildings, there are supposedly permitted ones: only 83 multi-storey apartment blocks are currently being built throughout the city. Gazeta Tiranës on page 5

Composer Alfred Kacinari and lyricist Alqi Boshnjaku will testify this morning about the Fest 97 scandal. Their testimonies will be followed by those of Ardit Gjebrenë, Ilir Shaqiri, journalists, and disqualified amateur contestants. Kacinari, for his part, is to explain what the selection committee did regarding this duet. Meanwhile, according to Naim Gjoshi’s testimony, Boshjaku is implicated. On page 12

TIRANË - When the power goes out, which happens often, call the electrical emergency number 226-16. One hundred such calls are recorded each day. So many people call that, if you are lucky, it is a mistake to make the telephone ring. The Energy Enterprise, to protect the transformers, has decided to introduce rotating outages, even during the nine [text unclear].

VLORE - A fight over a piece of land. The result: one dead and another wounded. The dispute over the plot, unresolved by the district court, has claimed the lives of people. The brief gunfight that took place yesterday morning near the Cement Factory in Vlorë frightened all the neighbourhood’s residents, most of whom have lived for years amid the anxiety of this unresolved conflict. On page 6

ATHENS - Residents of a village on the outskirts of Athens called “Paleo Geramditi” have declared that they will shoot without warning any Albanian immigrant who enters the village after sunset. The decision adopted by the village assembly has excluded all immigrants from the village boundaries. A patrol made up of village residents will move along the roads and shoot any Albanian immigrant without warning. On page 6

After the incidents and the assault on the referee, the Shkodër pitch is suspended for one week. Brazil triumphs over Germany 2–1 in Stuttgart On pages 10–11

Secretary-General: They are just the words of cowards. I am ready to take on anyone who tries to spread such smokescreens about me On page 3

AFTER THE MULE, A GUINNESS RECORD TIRANË - If you didn’t believe us when we reported it a few days ago, then we are giving you the chance to see it in a photograph. The four-legged rooster—one of the rarest things in the world—has been living for a year in a village in Elbasan. Its owners say they would not sell it for any amount. “We have been told that a case like this is considered good luck, and we shouldn’t let it slip through our hands.” The Çollakus, who live in a small house in the village of Katund i Ri, just a few kilometres from Elbasan. The rooster, which uses only two of its legs, lives quite happily among the family Çollaku’s many hens, and may perhaps claim a place in the Guinness Book of Records. Elbasan’s four-legged rooster (Photo: Hektor Pustina)

Starting today, a separate page every day: “Gazeta e Durrësit” is born DURRËS - Border gunfire leaves Durrës without power. The severing of a high-voltage wire by gunfire that continued for hours plunged the city into darkness and also caused problems for bakeries. Kapllani, 1 policeman On page 7