Prime Minister Nano, yesterday after returning from the USA — A hard line on pyramid schemes Vehbi Alimuça begins distributing the money. Few creditors are satisfied P. 3–11

The violence with which the Serbian police yesterday prevented the Albanian students’ peaceful demonstrations from taking place was anticipated. Given the efforts of the international community to persuade the students not to hold the announced demonstrations, and the advice of Albanian leader Rugova and part of the Kosovo political elite not to take such a step for the time being, this was a powerful card in the hands of the Serbian authorities to prevent—or at least obstruct—the demonstrations calling for a return to school buildings. Moreover, by unleashing exemplary violence, deploying tanks, tear gas and even helicopters on the first day of the protest, those commanding Serbia’s police forces sought to avert a possible escalation of the protest movement among Albanians, which could have taken on a different character. The use of violence was also anticipated as a consequence of the political situation in Serbia and Yugoslavia. For the first time, in the elections held a few days ago, Milošević’s Socialist Party failed to win an absolute majority that would have allowed it to govern without a coalition, while this Sunday the Socialist candidate for president, Lilić, will face the ultranationalist Šešelj in a runoff. For this reason, any concession or loss of control of the situation would seriously compromise the chances of the Socialist candidate and the future of the party in power. Thus, in addition to external pressure, these were also among the reasons that prompted most of the Albanian political class to call for the demonstrations to be postponed. Nevertheless, the brutal violence that yesterday resulted in injuries and broken limbs, beatings and arrests of the protest organizers, is a reprehensible act. The way in which the Serbian police authorities handled the peaceful protest by Albanian students and citizens showed that Serbia is still far from being a democratic country, undermining Belgrade’s claims that it should be rehabilitated by the international community. But more importantly, the preference for resorting to violence is a roadblock to the newly launched process of normalizing Albanian-Yugoslav relations, quite apart from the fact that violence plays into the hands of maximalist currents on both sides. This is why developments in Kosovo are currently being followed with great concern by international public opinion. Among other things, yesterday’s events in Kosovo once again showed the inability of Albanian political forces to speak with one voice. Instead of Berisha taking the initiative [?] with his supporters against Nano, it would be better for him, together with his political opponents, to organize rallies in support of the legitimate rights of Kosovo Albanians. GAVROSH LEVONJA

Prime Minister Nano meets his deputy, Fino, at Rinas yesterday Photo: Reuters

Tanks and armoured vehicles deployed in the operation. The first targets are the hotspots. Vlora lines up to hand in weapons. The police release the figures: thousands of weapons and munitions are in their hands Deadline for surrendering weapons expires. Police launch an offensive Just one day after the deadline for collecting weapons expired, the police force has launched an offensive. Checks in homes, on roads and in vehicles—these are the main areas in which the blue-uniformed officers have operated in Tirana and throughout Albania. In the early hours of yesterday morning, a decision by senior officials of the Ministry of the Interior ordered all police stations in the districts to begin the operation to seize weapons and apprehend those who possess them. P. 2, 13

The students’ demonstration in Kosovo is met with a response P. 4

In Parliament for the announced statement P. 5

Dozens of complaints from residents of Vlora to the police P. 6

Repairing the network will cost hundreds of millions P. 7

First meeting between the capital cities’ leaders fails P. 9

Police operations in Berat and Fier P. 13

Gjirokastër: Assault on the principal sparks protests P. 15