The Legalists’ congress concludes. Durollari elected chairman. King Leka I sends a message Fists at the King’s congress Police calm the monarchists. 15 branches consider the congress illegal page 3

At last, one of the heads of Albanian institutions managed to show the authorities that his institution was independent. Dervishi, Secretary of the Albanian Football Federation, rebelled, challenged the Secretary of State and prevailed over her. He called Albania’s expulsion from FIFA a loss for himself as well, but he succeeded in his main aim: he showed that the institution he headed could not fail to be independent. When the institution was violated by the Government, when it was violated by those in power, a door to the West was closed to Albania; it was excluded from the World. About a year and a half earlier, in June 1995, Albania was seeking entry into the Council of Europe with full rights. Perhaps it could have joined earlier, but Albania was held back by domestic problems between the ruling party and the opposition. The opposition made the Albanian state’s membership in important international organizations conditional on human rights, and above all on its own rights, and on the non-violation of the institution of the Opposition. This continued until June 1995, when the authorities were much more restrained toward the opposition and sought its consensus for Albania’s membership in the Council of Europe. The June accession was not Albania’s accession, because the opposition was not joining; it continued to be violated. Fatos Nano was not joining either; he was in prison following an unfair trial. In June, Berisha was joining, gaining the alibi of the leader of a state that had supposedly never violated human rights. The opposition gave its consent, and the first elections held after that were violent. With that alibi, the authorities could violate all institutions. The institution of the President of the Court of Cassation was immediately violated. After a long, lonely struggle with the authorities to defend the independence of his institution, Zef Brozi was removed. The Council of Europe was concerned, but it could not expel a country that had only just joined. The first elections held in Albania after it joined the Council of Europe were violent. The institution of the free vote was violated twice. In June of this year, one year after accession to the Council of Europe, Albanian politics was being judged in Strasbourg for violating the most important institution: the free vote. The authorities were not to blame. Since they had joined the Council of Europe by violating institutions, they could also be expelled from that organization for violating institutions. The opposition was to blame for giving its consent a year earlier. This was demonstrated by the Secretary of the Albanian Football Federation, who, without being in the opposition, managed to protect the institution by condemning its violation. The consequences of Dervishi’s rebellion, painful though they are for a large number of athletes and fans, are ultimately a precedent showing the value of institutions and their independence. ENTON ABILEKAJ

Police intervene at the Legalists’ congress in the Palace of Congresses photo G. SHKULLAKU Police intervene at the Legalists’ congress in the Palace of Congresses — photo G. SHKULLAKU

Lawyers present new evidence of innocence page 2 Gjirokastra is taken over by “Populli” and “Xhaferi” The fear of the 20 million dollars lost two years ago has passed page 7 Brunasi escaped with 2 million dollars The cashier in a cell, five others under investigation while free page 11 Kadare in the shops with “Spiritus” page 19