THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE NORTHERN CITY On page 5

MEDIATOR “THE PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE” On page 7

NERVE-WRACKING STANDOFF Interior Order Minister Poçi: PS has received same day, that is, rival parties, and only yesterday at 11:00 a.m. did the Minister of Public Order, Spartak Poçi, officially declare that this time the square belongs to the Socialist Party. Because, according to the Minister, this party was the first to request permission to hold the final rally of the campaign in that square, at that time and on that day. Friday is the last day of this local-government election campaign. Saturday is the day before the vote, and the law does not allow any political force to campaign. But the issue concerns less the supporters on either side than whether the leadership of one of them would dare to back down. As of not interfere in the election campaign and that it, the DP, is determined to follow its electoral schedule to the letter. Poçi, for his part, insisted that the police under his command would not allow it—in other words, would block any counter-rally. But the question is how likely it is that the Albanian police will be able, on Friday, to avert a possible confrontation between thousands of supporters of the two... Continued on page 2

editorial Who will hold Friday afternoon’s rally in “Skënderbej” Square, the PS or the PD? Both parties have asked to hold it on the same day, namely Friday. The controversy continued for 48 hours between the two rival parties, and only yesterday, at 11:00, Public Order Minister Spartak Poçi officially declared— a political rally by both parties at the same time, on the same day and in the same place could provoke unforeseen disturbances for both sides, and even worse for the participants from both camps, if the leadership of one of them did not dare to back down. By yesterday evening, the Democratic Party announced that the police must not intervene in the election campaign—

On pages 2–3

Koshtunica, the true winner in Serbia The Serbian opposition’s presidential candidate Vojislav Koshtunica appeared before journalists yesterday with the title of the new president of Yugoslavia. “This is a victory for the people,” Koshtunica said... On page 18