Klement Koloneci, Luan Pobrati in custody. Aredin Shyti’s son is accused of Kaloshi’s murder Klement Koloneci, Luan Pobrati in custody. Aredin Shyti’s son accused of Kaloshi’s murder Enver Hoxha’s son-in-law arrested Pranvera Hoxha: “We have no connection whatsoever with Aredin Shyti’s son” page 2

The police operations this month have indeed been frequent, high-profile and even successful. Thanks to these operations, it was possible to deal a heavy blow to organized crime in Albania. One of the cornerstones of Albanian national identity was returned to the national museum, while surprising aspects of crime in our country were uncovered. These operations are successes for the Albanian police, making you believe that real professionals are involved and also hope that the taxes we pay for our administration are not being wasted. The sensational news reminded us that the cars, radios, equipment and everything else spent on the police without a second thought may not be merely for show, to exert authority and frighten the public, but can also be used for concrete work—the kind of work done by every police force in the world. They also showed us once again that old conviction: when the police want to get involved, no one can escape them, not even the most sophisticated criminals. It is interesting to note that the major police operations took place precisely during these days in October, on the eve of the local elections. This brings to mind the fact that the old style has still not disappeared in this sector either: launching operations on the eve of holidays, disputes with the imperialist-revisionists, or Party congresses. Such recurring patterns dampen enthusiasm and convince us that the logic of the party-state is still present even in a sector vital to Albanian society—in the forces responsible for maintaining public order. Their politicization was the greatest curse for Albanians yesterday, and it will remain so today and tomorrow unless it is eliminated. The fact that these large-scale operations have no named authors, the fact that the slogan about former Sigurimi agents being involved has resurfaced, and that even the president is getting entangled in the confusion, make you certain that the police’s latest actions carry a heavy dose of election propaganda. For many years now, but especially politicians and journalists, the police’s latest moves have not seemed like a good omen. They do not see the police as an alibi for the authorities to keep the police, the forces of order and violence, out on the streets until after 20 October. To understand what this entails, it is enough to recall the dreadful atmosphere of the 26 May elections, which only the politicians’ prudence prevented from turning into bloodshed. Politics can demand whatever it wants. But today we have a state that has depoliticized the police and the army. The forces of order have a duty to act, to protect democracy and to ensure the victory of one party or another. That happened on 26 May, but any attempt could be fatal for the police and the entire nation. KJ

page 3 Agim Fagu and Namik Dokle meet at a rally photo A. BABANI

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Since 14 April 1996, the editorial office of the newspaper “Koha Jonë” has been working without any working telephone, because Tirana Telecom has cut the telephone signal to numbers 28781 and 28796. Having appealed in vain to all the senior leaders of the ruling party, we are seeking the intervention of the Minister of Defence, Safet Zhulali. This citizen should be the person most interested in ensuring that “Koha Jonë” gets a telephone. After the accusations over the loss of 5 million dollars, Zhulali has surely tried for hours to explain to the newspaper the true destination of this sum. In any case, we are waiting for the Minister to take the trouble to explain it, naturally by calling numbers 28781 and 28796. For our part, we will cover the cost of this phone call, which will cost the Minister at least 5 million dollars.