KOSOVO KOÇI, ALARM OVER UNREST IN NORTHERN ALBANIA On page 8

On page 10 The country in darkness. Bufi: I don’t know anything

For Tirana, M. Marinë testifies against NATO forces - On page 5 Roma-ALBA again in Vlorë

Andi Bejtja Following the latest incident in Vlorë, where the police commissioner was in the hands of armed speedboat operators for several hours, calls from Italy for the dispatch of another Alba mission, or some kind of European protectorate for Albania, have grown louder than ever. This time the distinction is clear. If two years ago Alba came to ensure stability in an Albania armed to the teeth and to guarantee that new elections could be held peacefully, now this mission would come solely to stop human trafficking, turning not only the sea but also the land into a genuine barrier. The Albanian authorities reacted immediately, saying that Albania does not need such a mission, but if the fight against this trafficking has not succeeded within a few months, there is a great risk that one form of protectorate or another will become reality, or, worse, Albania will once again be isolated, just as it isolated itself for 45 years. Seen from this perspective, it can be said that Albania has not only “forgotten” eight years of transition, but has gone much further backwards. The talk is no longer, as it once was, of a protectorate supposedly intended to use its experience to help build the Albanian state, but of a protectorate-cage that will prevent Albanians from doing the foolish things that cost Europe dearly. This panic, in Italy in particular and Europe in general, is evident for another reason too: from now on, no one will care about violations of human rights in Albania, or the imprisonment of politicians or journalists, but will concern themselves only with Albania’s stability. There is a great risk that if anarchy continues in the country and irresponsible smuggling and trafficking are not stopped, the international community—if it cannot impose a protectorate on the Albanians—may support the establishment of a strong hand in Albania (in the negative sense of the phrase). And this strongman, whoever he may be, whether from the left or the right, could remain in power as long as he wants if he blocks the trafficking of clandestine migrants. Thus, as in Hoxha’s time, we will have a tacit pact between Europe and Albania’s number one, where the only contract to be honoured is the country’s stability, with little concern for internal democracy and the rebuilding of democratic institutions. If Albania continues down this path, it seems it will gain partners for stability rather than partners for democracy. Everything will be unpredictable, and it would not be surprising if even people on the Albanian political scene brought back Haxhi Qamili—a Haxhi Qamili who could kill and execute whoever he wanted, solely to block the speedboats and the flow of refugees. Politicians who accept this dreadful role, quietly supported by the West, are plentiful.

The tragedy of three women in Kavajë and Lushnjë Meanwhile, yesterday a 76-year-old woman drowned in a water-filled canal S.L.A.V. KONSTRUKSION SH.P.K. Italian-Albanian joint venture L. “Paravani”, no. 8, first floor, Vlorë Tel/Fax 62 2443 Vlorë Tel/Fax 62 2443 Durrës IMPORT - EXPORT SALES - BUILDING MATERIALS - SUPPLIES - PLUMBING AND SANITARY WARE Family quarrels poison three young women with rat poison and lead another woman, aged 76, to drown in a canal. Fotoksina, as the poison used to kill rats is also called, visited two 30-year-old women in Lushnjë and another in a village in Kavajë over this Saturday and Sunday. Meanwhile, family disputes also drove a woman from Lushnjë to suicide; in despair, she threw herself into a canal. On Saturday at midday, a young woman, Luiza Gjinollari, 30, was brought to the Lushnjë Civil Hospital in a coma. On page 18

Starting on 1 February, a contest for our readers begins. The newspaper will give away 4 holiday trips, one week in Italy’s most popular tourist destinations. Anyone who buys “Gazeta Shqiptare” will receive: a free trip, a Schengen visa, one week’s accommodation booked, and a contribution toward travel expenses. The winners will be on TV on 16 February

KESH SOUNDS THE ALARM: POWER FROM 17:00 TO 22:00. BUT THE REASONS HAVE NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED