Today Vranicki in Tirana; Vlora has been in the square for 90 days. Nano takes on the President in Durrës Page 2

by Frrok Çupi It is now known that 6,000 multinational military forces have been deployed in Albania. In practice, they are present and can be seen everywhere, on vehicles and armored cars, walking around or even in luxury hotels. The readiness with which the political establishment and the Albanian population themselves accepted these forces is also well known. Although many people consider the arrival of foreigners to calm Albanians fighting one another a disgrace, they too still regard the presence of these troops as necessary. Why has this balance been established? Because while the state leadership, headed by the President of the Republic, thinks that the forces have come to protect it from the people, who are revolting against the government and the leader’s misconduct, the people at the same time think that these forces have come to protect them from the state establishment. In fact, the Forces have declared that they have nothing to do with this conflict; and, in fact, that is what is happening: the people have not been freed from the President, nor has the President been freed from the people. The multinational political forces cannot consider their job done unless they resolve this conflict. But will they take sides in this situation? The Multinationals are taking extraordinary care to avoid this pitfall, walking as if on glass. Fear of taking sides has left the Multinational Forces, to this day, doing nothing for Albania. In practice, as many people are being killed today as would have been killed in the absence of the multinationals; hospitals are facing the same shortages today as they would without the multinationals; gunfire rings out in the middle of Tirana a little more than on the day the multinationals arrived. Since no benefit for Albania is yet in sight, let us ask what Albania’s multinationals are doing for Europe and their own countries. The answer may be the same. These days, at the Velipojë crossings, more than half a million Albanians are waiting to take the sea routes to Italy and Europe; others have already set off. Meanwhile, 6,000 European forces—Italians, French and Germans—are stationed here, along with another force to receive Albanian migrants. Besides this, Albanians’ journeys back and forth across the sea cost them, cost their own country, and also affect Albania’s relations with Italy, etc. The only beneficiary in this business is the Mafia, which traffics people. All of this is happening right under the Multinationals’ noses. In practice, the Italian contingent of the Multinational Force alone spends around 2.5 million dollars every day. And the other contingents? Meanwhile, according to the statements made, these troops are here with the aim of safeguarding aid for Albania. In fact, the announced aid does not exceed 3.5 million ECU, which amounts to around 5 million dollars. Comparing the figures may cause confusion in people’s minds. So far, the riddle of the Multinationals’ presence seems likely to be solved by their role in the elections. Albanian citizens hope that they will also protect the ballot boxes from being stolen by Berisha’s gang. That may happen, in which case the Albanian people, though poor, would be willing to pay the tribute themselves. But judging by what we have seen so far, the Multinationals will remain somewhat up in the air.

Prime Minister Bashkim Fino during yesterday’s meetings Photo: G. Shkullaku Prime Minister Bashkim Fino during yesterday’s meetings. Photo: G. Shkullaku

Tragedy in Rogozhinë. Two explosions in Tirana too Bomb on a bus, five dead Page 2

The tense hours begin for the European official The OSCE special envoy for events in Albania, former Austrian Chancellor Franc Vranicki, is arriving in Tirana again today. This time Vranicki is coming to Albania following the political escalation caused by difficulties in approving a joint plan for the upcoming political elections. On his last visit, Vranicki met the highest-ranking figures in Albanian politics, but after meeting Berisha he canceled two announced visits, to Vlora and Shkodër. His meeting schedule is still unknown, but it seems that the debate over the Committees and his undisguised desire to go to Vlora will lead Vranicki to meet the people of the Committees not in the capacity of bandits.