Fino gets through. Rewards for the dismissed ministers Brokaj takes over Public Order and SHIK, Vukaj goes to Moscow After Lino’s intervention, a truce was reached last night between the Prime Minister and the President Fino gets through. Rewards for the dismissed ministers. Brokaj takes over Public Order and SHIK, Vukaj goes to Moscow TIRANA - Lino mediates the Nano-Meidani dispute. Throughout this period, the American ambassador has been seen at the doors of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Presidency. Yesterday, meanwhile, she spent almost three hours in a meeting with Nano, before he set off to meet Meidani. Albanian senior officials have confirmed that the ambassador played her part in mediating peace in the conflict that had arisen between the heads of state. For his part, Çeka dismissed claims that Lino was directly involved in forming the Government, while assuring that she remained free of any influence over the Albanian political factor. But the compromise between Nano and Meidani has also brought benefits for those who were removed: they will be rewarded with other positions. “To avoid causing trauma,” one politician explained this move. A dangerous situation that could upset the fragile balance along the equally fragile Albanian borders seems to have occurred, since at the head of the foreign negotiators who yesterday had such a strong influence on the Nano-Meta compromise was Mariza Lino herself, the State Department’s voice for Albanian politicians caught in the storm. As is now emerging—after the peace, politicians from all sides speak more freely—Lino was one of the most active people in the few metres separating the Prime Minister’s Office from the Presidency. Not only in the last two days, which were an almost blazing week-end for ambassadors, but the days preceding them were also filled with numerous meetings and contacts, not only to find out what was happening, which would have been normal, but also to mediate until a solution was reached to the mess created by the clash between the state’s two highest institutions. Lino did this with an unusual zeal for a diplomat during a period of clashes and political crises. The first explanation that comes to mind is that this is the role of Western diplomats in a country where democratic institutions are not quite accustomed to getting along or debating with one another. But what Ms Lino devoted to her many meetings, her insistence on reconciling the parties, and then their silence after she left the Prime Minister’s Office or the Presidency, have prompted us to seek other reasons, even stronger ones than a conflict of ...

Fatos Baxhaku The leading figures in Albanian politics have been gripped by the fever of change. A Prime Minister who wants to change some of the figures in his cabinet, a President who is not entirely convinced about the motives behind the steps taken by the party leader who brought him to the head of state, an administration waiting for the new names and, finally, many debates and controversies, as if “the end of the world” had arrived. In fact, “the end of the world” had not arrived, but something dangerous that could upset the fragile balance along Albania’s equally fragile borders seems to have happened, since the person at the head of the foreign negotiators who yesterday exerted such strong influence on the Nano-Meidani compromise was none other than Mariza Lino, acting purely in her official capacity. One possibility is that it was a word that today’s press has somewhat overlooked, thanks to the political uproar in Albania in recent days. “Kosovo”—that is the name that matters most to the Americans and their European allies. It is precisely from this name that we must begin in order to better understand Mariza Lino’s eager mediation in favor of peace between Nano and Meidani. Other important Americans, including Lino’s boss, Talbot, who met Meidani and Nano on Saturday, had nothing but this name on their lips. In politics there are things that are never stated categorically, or that are only spoken of many years later, when today’s protagonists begin writing their memoirs.

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Meidani and Nano

Hajdari’s former bodyguard also arrested TIRANA — The two bodyguards of Sali Berisha and Azem Hajdari are arrested on charges of involvement in the tragedy at Ura Vajgurore. Sokol Ndreu and Gjelosh Miri are said to have been key figures in the incident, while the latter spoke with three opposition leaders just a few hours before the tragedy occurred. However, according to those conducting the investigation, the Socialists were also involved. The conflict, which took place between two gangs, was inspired by state services and politicians. For now, only the incidents and their perpetrators have been uncovered, while the second phase of the investigation will reveal the sources of financing and the massacre’s true purpose. On page 4 From DP rallies

THURSDAY’S GAZETTE Garbage: chaos at the Municipality TIRANA — Garbage is dividing Tirana Municipality. The Socialist representatives on the Municipal Council have asked their opposition colleagues to present, at Friday’s meeting, a document with detailed information on the causes that have brought the capital’s cleanliness services to this state. On page 5

VLORA — Land division, a new dispute in Vlora. The commission that will resolve major property conflicts in the city and surrounding villages has been reinstated. This time, lists have been drawn up of the owners who for years have claimed property at the city’s tourist sites. On page 7

DP: “Nano erased the names” TIRANA — Berisha accuses Arapi of having, on Nano’s orders, removed from the lists of pyramid-scheme victims the names of 192 current officials and people close to them. “They illegally benefited from 160 million dollars, and we have evidence of this.” According to him, the Finance Minister alone received a full 700,000 dollars from “Cenaj”. He stated that the names of everyone who benefited would be made public. On page 9

SHKODRA — The perpetrators of the barbaric killing of the man from Tropoja have been identified. The Prosecutor’s Office managed to find the two people who, on the morning of April 15, shot Qazim Hasaj in the head and then set him on fire. The half-burned corpse, found by several women at the city’s large rubbish dump, caused a sensation because this was the first time such an act of barbarity had occurred. On page 6

DURRËS — “Drugs, Durrës’s terrible scourge.” In an interview, Makuculli, the top police official in Durrës, says that the city has been hit hard by the white poison. He also identifies unauthorized construction as a major problem that must be dealt with one day. On page 8

Take it off Canale 5 After the row in Italy. The Albanian opposition, with its leader Berisha, is at the center of attention, but this time as the subject of a sketch on Canale 5, “Striscia la Berisha”. The “Italian-Albanian Association of Emigrants” has taken a stand—which, according to Ansa, at a press conference in Milan called for the humor featuring Albanians to be stopped immediately. “We cannot make fun of Albanians’ flaws on television,” they said. “We have received many protests regarding the offensive content of the programme hosted by Gene Gnocchi and Tullio Solenghi.” In fact, in Italy there is a law that can ban various television programmes that offend national sentiment. Images of “Striscia la Berisha” also reach this side of the Adriatic and, despite the appreciation for the two well-known Italian comedians, it remains the least humorous segment of the entire satirical programme. The programme began during a period when Sali Berisha was at the head of the Albanian state; it continues, and Italians need to be informed that the political situation in Albania has changed. Admir Nocaj also spoke at the press conference, the spokesperson for the association considered “the most representative of Albanians living in Italy.” “The comedians’ humor focuses on a stereotype,” says Nocaj, “a negative and offensive one for us, so we have asked for that segment of the programme, which tries to make fun of Albanians without any basis in what truly characterizes us, to be stopped immediately.”

Deçani engulfed in flames BELGRADE — Albanian “terrorists” attack Serbs. A military communiqué, described by Tanju as such, reported a confrontation between five Albanians who were trying to cross the border and a unit of the Yugoslav army. According to this source, the confrontation took place near border stone C 6/4 and there were no casualties on either side. The Serbs also say that it was the Albanians who opened fire first, after which they were answered by the patrol, which dispersed them. The communiqué goes on to report that the Albanians left in the direction of their own border. Meanwhile, the Yugoslav Ministry has also lodged a strong protest with the Albanian embassy, describing the incident as very dangerous. On page 4

Italian visas: Here are new names The list of 188 people who are ready to depart On page 12

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