Page 3 Refugees, Minister Sherifi: They will not be returned against their will. Berisha: Let’s shorten the days of the deceitful government. Arbnori: This is only the beginning PD Secretary for Tirana, Shaban Memia. Below, the lists with which he armed PD activists

Perhaps as a result of pressure from the PD, whose leaders keep repeating the refrain about the so-called “Communist revanche,” but perhaps also because it is unprepared to remove the right people, it must be said that the new government, from the moment it began work, has shown sluggishness when it comes to replacing senior officials, not to mention those at lower levels. It is truly astonishing that only three days ago, when the government had been in office for more than a month, the deputy ministers of the last Meksi government were dismissed and replaced by new people. But this sluggishness in carrying out replacements stands out much more when it comes to those who represent the state abroad. This is unacceptable; one need only start from the fact that these people represent the face of the Albanian state to the world. First of all, the heads of Albanian diplomatic missions around the world were not sent there to work in the interests of the state, but generally to serve the interests of the PD and Berisha. If one were to try to compile a list of examples in this regard, it would be very long, starting with the head of the famous “Fokus,” then the director of RTSH, the editor-in-chief of “RD,” some comedian, and even ordinary people whose sole merit may have been a family connection to some PD leader. On this basis alone, it is not even worth making the effort to point out that a particular Albanian ambassador has merits in this or that respect. More than that, it should be pointed out that most Albanian diplomats in our foreign missions have been involved in dirty dealings, ranging from bribes to recruit students for study in neighboring countries, passport trafficking for emigrants, renting out premises in some embassy, and even the clandestine importation of Kurds or Chinese by selling them Albanian visas. But the worst thing is that even now, most Albanian ambassadors continue to serve the PD and Berisha loyally, more than they serve the Albanian state. Just a few weeks after the Government of National Reconciliation was formed, former Prime Minister Fino experienced this firsthand, prompting him to reprimand former chief diplomat Staro-va. Anyone would be scandalized to learn that people accused of abuses, even crimes, find shelter in some Albanian state mission, or that a diplomat sends messages wishing for the swiftest possible overthrow of the Nano government. Ultimately, the foreign policy set out in the new government’s program has essential changes in several key respects, and this requires Albania to be represented abroad by new people, with a different background and, above all, a different mentality. Moreover, replacing Albanian diplomats in our missions around the world is an immediate necessity, given the country’s emergency circumstances, whose resolution depends entirely on the international factor. It is not known to what extent the government and Mr. Nano himself are aware of this, or how long they will accept being represented by old faces. G.L.

Following citizens’ complaints Page 9

The Albanian Prime Minister responded to the appeal and refused to set a time for the leading Albanian journalists to discuss their problems, which they had also brought to Nano’s attention in an official request for a meeting on Monday, 26 August. Accordingly, today, 26 August, at 10:00, all Albanian press publishers will meet at the offices of “Gazeta Shqiptare” to discuss the measures they will take regarding their demands and Nano’s negative response. Mass-media journalists are also invited to cover the meeting of Albanian press publishers.

PD Secretary for Tirana, Shaban Memia. Below, the lists with which he armed PD activists

The editorial staff of the newspaper “Koha Jonë” will publish a 32-page newspaper every Sunday, priced at 50 lekë, while on the other days it will have 24 pages and cost 30 lekë. Once the staff is fully prepared for the workload it must handle, the newspaper “Koha Jonë” will be published daily with 32 pages, marking an evolution in Albanian journalism. Yesterday, dozens of readers also called about the quality of the Sunday newspaper, offering various criticisms and praise. The staff fully agrees with the criticisms made: the newspaper was not up to the required standard, and some sections were somewhat tiring and not very relaxing for the weekend. THE EDITORIAL STAFF