President Berisha declares: “This year Albanians will get through the winter better than last year because they will have their own homes” ONLY THAT? - What difference will there be this winter in terms of supplying people with food? - Will darkness continue to prevail throughout the winter because of the lack of

. Logically, these questions should have been put to the President at the press conference that He organized a few days ago with journalists from the party and state press. But the President, or those who issued the announcement and invitations, did not consider it appropriate to invite the journalists of the newspaper «Koha jonë». Apparently, it is more important to invite journalists from «Tribuna Demokratike» or from some newspaper whose name nobody knows, which comes out once every two or three weeks, than journalists from «Koha jonë», a newspaper published twice a week and second in the Albanian press in terms of daily circulation. The Albanian rulers pretend to forget this newspaper at a time when all foreign embassies and other institutions have never failed to invite representatives of this newspaper to press conferences. Whether our rulers like it or not, this newspaper is what it is, and its standing is in no way diminished by whether or not today’s democrats respect it. On the contrary... Being firmly convinced that the President is among the first to read «Koha jonë»—and that is the greatest respect for us—we think that the questions we should ask him at a press conference should be asked in our newspaper.

- Will darkness continue to prevail throughout the winter because of the lack of electricity, which has almost taken over the whole country? - What will Albanians use to heat themselves this cold winter? A similar question was also put to President Berisha by a journalist at the press conference he held. The President’s answer was: “This winter Albanians will get through the winter better than last year.” Winter has almost arrived in all our homes. Will we be able to face it without pain and great difficulty? Will we get through it as we did last winter, better or worse? What measures has the Government taken to cope with this cold season? A similar question was also put to President Berisha by a journalist at the press conference he held. The President’s answer was: “This winter An answer that applies to all Albanians: this winter they will have their homes. Is that enough to say that we will get through it better than last winter? The Democratic Party. But what will happen to those who have no home at all? Where will they spend the winter? So where is the difference here, according to the President’s answer? Those who had homes last winter have them this year too. Those who did not have them last year do not have them this year either (except for the Ministers), since it is well known that not a single apartment block was built this year. Let us suppose that all Albanians will have their homes this winter. it better than last winter? Have our pantries not found winter more empty than last year? Is there not less sugar, oil, pasta, rice, flour, beans, meat, cheese and many other food products on the market? Are we not all witnesses to these shortages? This year, too, the electricity game has begun: one hour with power and two without, one night with it and the next without. No radio and no television. Darkness. Not completely, though. We have candles. Eat at six, go to bed at seven in the evening. Mr Berisha, can you not see Tirana—and, let alone the other districts, almost every night without electricity? Of course you can see it. Is this how the whole winter will pass? Can we call this situation better than last year, Mr President? What will Albanians use to heat their homes this winter? Electricity is lacking, kerosene is lacking, firewood is in very short supply. And besides heating, what will Albanian women cook with? A. FRANGAJ