The National Bank disappoints the financial schemes: No bank for pyramid schemes “Voice of America” reports that the money of a large company disappeared from Vlora by speedboat. The source is being kept secret pages 2, 7

After its failure in the local elections of 20 October, the fragmented Albanian opposition has now pinned its hopes solely on the collapse of the pyramid-scheme institutions. In fact, the schemes have become decisive and have simultaneously paralysed Albanian politics, but this should not prevent the opposition, and especially the Socialist Party, from reorganising and reforming itself to face the new challenges. Three months have passed, and no convincing analysis has yet been made of the defeat in the last elections. Nothing is stirring in the PS swamps: no proposals, no political manoeuvres—not even in words—and no attempt to reunite the electorate divided after Nano’s motion and the change in the party leadership. The Socialist electorate is still experiencing this division. Because of its poor economic position compared with the electorate of the PD’s kiosks, it now readily swaps Nano’s portrait for that of Xhaferri or Driza. Even Nano himself is silent and says an anis? of the PS, “hesitates even to make promises with pyramid-scheme money.” After the last two elections, the Socialist electorate is no longer as devoted to the PS as before, nor is it an electorate that marches in step. Moreover, recent events in Bulgaria and Serbia, where their Socialist counterparts are in an extremely difficult position, work against the Socialist opposition, despite the PD’s poor image after the elections of 26 May. As if that were not enough, instead of taking advantage of this poor image, the Socialists also commit “little blunders” such as the attempt to appoint an old communist to the post of deputy editor-in-chief of Zëri i Popullit. This time, as on previous occasions, the Socialists have pinned their hopes solely on the PD’s mistakes, and specifically on the collapse of the pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, the erosion of the PS and the opposition in general continues for other, more straightforward reasons as well. Many of its members and supporters, tired of being in opposition and persecuted by those in power at the same time, have begun moving closer to the government—out of necessity, or simply in search of a better life—seeing this as the only way to get by. Under these circumstances, even in the event of early elections, the opposition will hardly be able to secure in parliament the seats it dreams of. While the opposition merely waits for the pyramid schemes to collapse, the PD is making use of them, just as it did before the 20 October elections. The pyramid scheme system is weakening day by day, but it seems the apocalypse will not happen in a single day, as the PD’s opponents would like. The PD is fully aware that the pyramid-scheme chapter will one day come to an end, but it is taking care to close it with a series of small achievements spread over time, thereby keeping the revolts of the Albanian people to a minimum. Historically, their threshold for revolt has been low, even when their very bread has been taken away. The governing party is trying to let everything collapse gradually, leaving only two or three pyramid-scheme giants in the end, so that, in the worst case, it can make the Albanians shareholders in an asset whose value has been artificially inflated. Berisha himself continues his game. He is trying to divert attention to other issues, chiefly Kosovo, demonstrating to the West, and especially to the United States, that Albania has no alternative to him. The only ray of hope comes from Shkodra, where the right is continually gaining ground, and from other cities in Albania. Nevertheless, this will be a long battle against Berisha’s right-wing cards. He currently controls all of Albania, with only one moral problem before him: how will he be re-elected President by a legitimate parliament?!

Yesterday, the deserted lecture halls of the Faculty of History and Philology Photo: G. Shkullaku

Regarding the interview “Kamberi: 5% interest within January,” the spokesperson of the “Kamberi” Company states: “The subtitle published in Koha Jonë accompanying Sunday’s interview, ‘F. Kamberi: “I don’t deal with planes or transoceanic ships”’, does not correspond to the spirit of the interview. The interview states verbatim: ‘Our large and modern investments cannot be taken away by plane or by transoceanic ship,’ in response to the question of whether President Kamberi lives with his family in Vlora or has sent his family members abroad.”

KAH?LIA Saris