How the New Year ’97 began
Economic agreement signed between “Zëri i Popullit” and the presidential newspaper “Albania”
“ZP”’s protests for Nano’s release will go hand in hand with the headlines of the newspaper “Albania”, which says Nano is a thief!
The PS immediately rewards Berisha for Fatos Nano’s meager amnesty and for his debts. Yesterday, the party’s 55-year-old newspaper “Zëri i Popullit” signed a bilateral agreement with President Berisha’s newspaper “Albania”. Starting January 3, the newspaper of yesterday’s communists and today’s socialists will be distributed by the transport agency of the newspaper “Albania”, run by businessman Ylli Rakipi. So the readers—the militants of this newspaper—and those who buy it tomorrow will also pay for “Albania” in the price of the newspaper. Thus, in the new year, the PS’s protests for the release of the innocent Nano will go hand in hand with the headlines of “Albania”, which says that Nano is more than a thief.
For the socialists, the situation would have been just the same. Today’s PS leaders, much more than Berisha, have caused immeasurable damage to Albanian democracy and the economy. Their decision to enter the October 20 elections was a great betrayal of the opposition and the entire Albanian electorate. On the other hand, entering those elections was also the greatest gift to Berisha. Through October 20, the socialists gave Berisha back the standing he had lost on May 26. If economist Fatos Nano and politicians Mediani and Islami had simply analyzed the pyramid schemes, they would have decided not to enter the elections. To prove the May 26 slogan “with us everyone wins,” Berisha, during the summer and
…tomorrow, in the price of the newspaper, pay for “Albania” too. So, the new headlines, the PS protests for the release of the innocent Nano will … with the headlines of “Alba-… that Nano is more than … As the reason for this agree-… the socialist leaders came up with … the free transport service offered by …ania”, which offered 20 qindarka … less than “Koha Jonë”! In this … today’s socialists proved that … they are exactly like Enver Hox-… because the dictator used to say: “We … but we do not break our principles.” … old and new socialists … that they once asked … the editors of “Koha Jonë” to make … accusations against the agency of … newspaper distribution “Albania”, … having convinced us that it … is run by an “X” shell company … on orders from the top of the state. …Rexhep Mejdani and Kastriot Isla-…mi and their comrades defend the power of the PS … accused of collaborating with … the Servet Pëllumbi faction, Ilir … and his comrades. According to the motion-… collaboration between Berisha and the PS, … clear, since the newspaper Alba-… carried an interview with Luan Hajdara-… and Ilir Meta. But the moderates … went even further. They decided … to breathe life into “Albania”, finally marking it with an ad-… “For a year and a half the newspaper “ZP” … was devastated by the agency of “Koha…”. The team led by Mejdani … for little money, although it had re… … to give it to Berisha through … “Albania”. Mejdani and those who … chose him for the post of secretary-… general are proving more and more every day that they are completely … bankrupt in politics. Albanians, after May 26, but particularly after October 20, have understood that more … if economist Fatos Nano and politicians Me-…jdani and Islami had us everyone wins,” Berisha throughout the … autumn gave unprecedented growth to the pyramid schemes and the profits from them. Many opposition leaders on October 20 voted for Brojka of the PD, since they have no small capital in the pyramid firms. To believe this fact, just look at how the PS leaders have almost never spoken out against the pyramid schemes, even though they know well that they are a fraudulent game. They would rather take their percentages than warn the Albanian electorate about what awaits it.
After the deserved defeat of October 20, the fresh socialist leaders began to feel the ground slipping beneath their feet. The PS grassroots, as well as the former leaders who had left, began looking for the causes of the defeat and those directly responsible. Nano kept himself hidden, both from analyses and from messages. Meanwhile, the “moderate” leaders closed ranks to keep their seats. The grassroots’ demands for Nano and the presidium to resign, and the petitions for an extraordinary congress, are censored by a group of “moderators” before they even reach the presidium.
It is interesting that while Berisha increases the votes in his favor, the socialist leaders increase the votes in their own favor. This connection reduces those in their favor. This connection was recently embodied in the economic link between “Zëri i Popullit” and “Albania”. Nevertheless, Ylli Rakipi deserves recognition, since he knows how to do politics better than the Islamis, Mejdani and co.
So, starting today, the headlines “Release the innocent Nano” and “Nano is a thief!” go hand in hand.
EMIN BARÇI