Arbnori turmoil, a failure before it even began. Berisha: This is a government of files. The monarchy, after the Constitutional Court, appeals in The Hague and Strasbourg Page 9

The “Movement for Reform,” although initiated by figures who have not been at the forefront of the Democratic Party’s political activity, is not passing without leaving its mark on the party. But more than in the DP, the movement of recent days is affecting some of the groups that have split from the DP, forming other parties. Judging from the theses made public by the DP reformists, the core of the reform they are seeking is Berisha’s removal from the DP leadership. Indeed, given Berisha’s influence in this party, it is clear that removing him from its helm would bring about a revolution in the life of the DP, first and foremost in the relations between its various ranks. The fact is that the departure of groups featuring well-known names from this party has been linked solely to Sali Berisha’s undisputed power within its ranks, which made it impossible for them to win in confrontations with Berisha. In this way, now that Berisha has been stripped of power and his standing continues to decline, it is logical that the former “departed” from the DP should begin to consider cooperating with the latest group within it, which has advanced the idea of reform and changes to the party leadership. In fact, not only that: the idea of reuniting all the “daughter” political parties that split from the DP into a single DP without Berisha has also become current. Such an idea was also put forward by the leader of the “Movement for Democracy,” the most recent faction to break away from the DP, Mr. Dashamir Shehi. Such an idea is certainly very attractive, but given the circumstances created by the passage of time, it is now almost impossible. First of all, the DP’s “daughter” parties have by now developed their own identities and, having shifted—some further left, others further right—now find themselves in different trenches. The fact is that the first faction of the “motionists” of 1992, grouped in the “Democratic Alliance” Party, is in a governing coalition with the Socialists and Social Democrats, while the other groups, such as PDD and LD, are in the right-wing grouping known as DBSH, that is, in opposition. In this respect, it can be said that all these factions that left the DP, especially Shehi, Ruli, Serreqi, Kononi, Vroni, Doshi and others’ “Movement for Democracy,” continue to follow their own path away from the “mother” party, while handing over their ambitions unconditionally to it—as Berisha, Mula and others can all too easily imagine what would happen if today’s Berisha, now shaken, had Ceka, Imani, Kalakulla, Pashko, Shehi, Ruli and the others lined up against him in the DP. Given Berisha’s undisputed authority over this party’s governing bodies, and their “motionists,” each of whom “crosses himself” for Berisha, the only way to achieve the reform they claim to want—or even to remove Berisha from within the party—is a movement from below, from the party’s grassroots, where the influence of the DP’s authoritarian leader is weaker. KJ

Italy’s Finance Minister Carlo Azelio Ciampi gets out of the car to go to a government meeting. Photo REUTERS

Nano, Fino, Brokaj: Tirana–Rinas–Rogner Two months have passed since the parliamentary elections ended, and still none of the government’s senior leaders has gotten out of the “Benz” to meet with their voters, who, amid Kalashnikovs, voted wholeheartedly for today’s leaders. Naturally, the Socialist leaders have to think not only about their own constituency, but about all of Albania. The responsibility they have taken on is no small matter. Nevertheless, they must not forget that the road to the seats they occupy today ran through their electoral constituencies and the votes of the electorate, who want to see their MPs not only on TV but also in the neighborhoods of their cities, where gunfire still claims lives. (Continued on page 2)

Italy’s Finance Minister Carlo Azelio Ciampi gets out of the car to go to a government meeting. Photo REUTERS