Yesterday in Parliament, at the proposal of the DP, the infamous Article 24/1 was repealed

“To secure the votes of the people we have tied to us and, in the worst case, to secure our peace in opposition.” Perhaps this was the Democratic Party’s aim when it decided to vote against 24/1, the law “on the purging of the administration” in Albania, a law that was passed three years ago with the DP’s own “veto.” Arbnori said yesterday that 24/1 was anti-communist and that adopting this article had been necessary. He also said that communism in Albania was a fall outside the law. Will the DP no longer fight communism? Many would think so after Arbnori’s statement in yesterday’s session. Perhaps the DP’s decision to repeal the article so strongly criticized by the opposition can also be viewed as an electoral card on the eve of the forthcoming elections. Assuring the new administration employees that they will not lose their jobs is the same as asking them for their new political votes. And if this is the message the DP intended to convey to its people yesterday, the SP did this three years ago. “The first article we will repeal when we come to power will be 24/1,” this party has said several times. The positions of the two largest political forces are no longer far apart. Article 24/1 has ceased to exist, and formally this makes it impossible to carry out new purges in the administration. What still seems a possible hypothesis is that the DP fears purges in the administration it itself established, by a future government of today’s opposition. ARIAN ÇANI

From the president’s visit to Berat yesterday “Next year we will lower taxes and customs duties,” President Berisha told investors in Berat yesterday. Next year falls after the elections, but Berisha’s statement shows his confidence that the DP will win the elections again. In any case, these promises run counter to the DP’s main objective of making Albania a welfare state, which relies on taxes on the wealthy to help the poor and pensioners. For the second time in a week, the president left Tirana to visit Kavajë first and now Berat. Berisha’s point-by-point approach is supported by the World Bank page 4

Politicians continue to declare their wealth The monetary dependence of Albanian politicians continues Politicians continue to declare their wealth “Just enough money for bread” The monetary dependence of Albanian politicians continues

Yesterday in Parliament, government intervention in local government was given legal sanction Majko: Blendi Çela is preparing alaza for socialist leaders in the districts page 5

Terror and anguish in the Elbasan family He is suspected to have ended up in Greece page 7

The local DP has six new names ready page 2

Parliament passed the law on free zones page 6

Yesterday’s interpellation was requested by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Shaqir Vukaj Vukaj: “More than 12,000 people are currently confined in their homes” Yesterday’s interpellation was requested by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Shaqir Vukaj Meksi responds on blood feuds Vukaj: “More than 12,000 people are currently confined in their homes” An end to blood feuds in Albania. Representatives of the country’s largest parties appealed yesterday, during an interpellation with Prime Minister Meksi, to find every possible way and means to put an end to this painful phenomenon. “If we all raise this issue at every platform and every meeting with the people in the areas where this phenomenon occurs, in order to fight it and create a sound public opinion in keeping with the times we live in, blood feuds inherited from the past will decrease significantly from year to year,” Meksi said. page 2 The chairman of the blood-feud reconciliation commission, Ndrekë Pjetri, at one of the confined families in the highlands of Shkodër Photo: L. Lika Feuters

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