Lawyers protest after being killed by the police WITH A POT ON THE FACE Divorces, why did they split up 2,005 Albanian couples in '98 On page 7

Pollo: Don't be afraid, the bones for the good of the country Return after 13 months PD is once again bringing to the center of attention the situation in KOZ, the organization which through it is seeking a non-real solution, an emergency session. According to the Democrats, this will not be sufficient. PD is convinced that the real crisis the country is going through is in the left-wing government. The news was made public yesterday by the secretary for relations with the public, Genc Pollo. What seemed unexpected to me in the return of the MPs to Parliament was the involvement and invitation of former prime minister Aleksandër Meksi. What is now being revealed are some statements by the chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, which he considers more than tactics. According to him, the opposition has strong reasons to ask, and they will be in parliament to defend all the interests of the country through debate. After so many months of isolation, such a move arouses renewed attention. Continues on page 2

In Vlora, a ship carrying smuggled cigarettes is seized On page 6

Mallas: Athens and Tirana will be connected by a red telephone line On page 11

From Prishtina Carlo Bollino In the unsettled villages of Kosovo, a nightmare has just swept through the city. Last night I saw at close range dozens of trucks, while somewhere behind them hundreds of carts full of people were fleeing in a crowd. They were coming one after another along the devastated roads and, as soon as they entered the city, they would panic, but a second later, with a look of wonder, nothing. A miserable column of people, sweating and fleeing the mass expulsion, at which those angels over there? ANSA? Their irony was tied up in a fog of questions. “There was nothing, except home-made discs,” one told the others. Military vehicles, tanks, armored cars were speeding toward the border. In other words, there was a strange traffic of people and vehicles causing terror. Terrifying were the few early reports coming from Prizren and being spread in the city. Could the machinery of death have started up again? Has an idiotic system been emptied out? Some radio bulletins about the calm appearance of KFOR moving through Kosovo somewhat eased things, and may have curbed the panic. But other vehicles and trucks from Kosovo, and hundreds of refugees, entered the roads to see what was happening. Anxiety grew. Some foreign journalists say that yesterday afternoon, two trucks carrying hundreds of drunken and frightened civilians had arrived from the Kukës side, bringing confusing reports from the center of Kosovo. Unclear and disorienting words, and fear still remains. Continues on page 8

25 July 1999 A winner with 50,000 lek (new) Tele-Bingo 7,000,000 lek (new)

Exclusive Volkswagen distributor in Albania For automobiles from the years 1989-1999 Replace your comfort inflators Original spare parts now 30% cheaper 1-year warranty on repairs Address: alka shpk, Lagjia 6, Rr. Durrësit, Tirana, Albania, Tel&Fax 0355 42 27888