Turmoil at the socialist newspaper; editor-in-chief replaced. 12 journalists object

Mejdani: You are salaried employees of the leadership. Majko: I was against it page 3

Yesterday, before the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” could hit the newsstands, a sensational report spread from inside the newspaper: the SP was appointing someone to head the paper, and the journalists were protesting the Party’s official domination of the newspaper. Almost one hundred percent of Zëri’s journalists signed a petition opposing the forced appointment as head of the newspaper of “a man implicated in the political past and in the dictatorship overthrown in Albania.” Until late last night, an atmosphere of twofold tension had enveloped the building where the journalists of Zëri i Popullit worked: surprise that opposition journalists dared to rebel against their own party’s injustices, even while facing the state; and, meanwhile, the hostile gaze of the decisive leaders of the Socialist Party. Yesterday’s events surrounding the newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” involve not only a “spark” between the Party and the journalists, but also a third, very important element: the concern of the ordinary citizen. This one, perhaps

about them, well, there was no difficulty [text unclear] the ordinary citizen. After this news, the latter should be concerned about the danger that the opposition, too, poses of bringing arbitrary conduct into the state and the risk of thuggish domination. But let us analyze each element one by one: Why are the journalists concerned? L. Ruci was to become head of the newspaper. This man, as it is figuratively put in ZP, had never had occasion to set foot in the corridors of this building. He had written a few erotic poems, and because of his close ties with the offices of the PPSH, he had once managed to be appointed to the comfortable position of editor-in-chief of the magazine “Ylli”. He has no journalistic work to his name, perhaps not even a single article. During the period of efforts to establish a pluralist and democratic press, he neither dared nor was able to put pen to paper even once. Meanwhile, the journalists of ZP, alongside all their colleagues, have made their efforts—even in opposition to Berisha’s state violence—to do their best in their role; meanwhile this man ERROK ÇUPI (continued on page 3)

Finally, yesterday at noon, after a seven-month interruption of the telephone service, and with admirable urgency, Telekomi i Tiranës restored the telephone signal to the two numbers of the newspaper “Koha Jonë”, 287 81 and 287 96. After the journalists’ final and firm warning that they would protest in front of the Presidency yesterday at 11:00, technicians, chief engineers and managers from Telekomi i Tiranës flocked to the offices of “Koha Jonë” to restore the phones, which had been arbitrarily disconnected since April 14. And within two hours everything was back to normal at “Koha Jonë”, while the managers of Telekomi i Tiranës had excused themselves by saying that “they had no technical means to fix them (!)”, even though the order had come from other state bodies. Nevertheless, the journalists’ staff puts aside everything that has been done to them and thanks President Berisha, who at last found the courage to rise above the mediocre level of the servile officials surrounding him and give the green light to Albania’s largest newspaper, “Koha Jonë”. And the green light he gave yesterday, following the journalists’ determined protest, may also enlighten the mind of the Albanian parliamentary speaker, Arbnori, so that he calls for the removal of the many taxes burdening the independent press. Nevertheless, as a popular saying goes, “Better late than never!” The 43 journalists of “Koha Jonë”

Yesterday in Belgrade, during the student protests against the manipulated elections REUTER

“Money laundering can be carried out without even moving the money out of the bank” page 9

Let us take action every day in defense of the trade unionists page 3 Vlorë, police demolish lawyers’ kiosks page 12

All journalists and correspondents of the newspaper “Sport Ekspres” should call the new number 355 91 of this newsroom, installed yesterday by the Tirana Telecommunications service. The newsroom of “Sport Ekspres”