“Nano won’t last even six months! They’re wrong. He will restore order and collect the taxes” Page 4–5 “Nano won’t last even six months! They’re wrong. He will restore order and collect the taxes” Pages 4–5

His 28 years in prison, which Berisha and his communist protégés have exploited, are now being put on the line by “Europe’s Mandela” to save the party. When Mr. Arbnori’s candidacy became known, challenging Berisha’s bid for the post of PD chairman, there were also doubts about the seriousness of such a move by Arbnori. But after becoming familiar with the content of his speech to the National Council, one concludes that his candidacy is an “in extremis” sacrifice to save the party from its continuing downward spiral, which may perhaps have begun when it came to power. Without doubt, this decline is what led “Mandela” to speak more openly than ever, identifying, with his characteristic candor, all the ills that have laid the PD low. These range from nepotism and misguided positions against property and former persecuted people and the right wing in general, to the inability or lack of desire to give the country a constitution, and the inability to govern, which opened the way for former communists to come to power. Bearing in mind how the PD is run, with Berisha ruling with an iron fist, Arbnori’s criticisms are directed more at him. Precisely because of the way the party functions, he is aware that nothing will change in the PD unless its leader, former communist secretary Sali Berisha, steps down. The very fact that Arbnori’s speech was censored, with no space given to it at all in the pages of the PD press, makes this abundantly clear. The fact that Arbnori chose to speak at this particular moment also shows the struggle within him to choose between his fellow combatant, Berisha, and the party in which he has invested far more than some others. The truth is that the matters the former Speaker raised in his latest speech had troubled him for a long time; it was precisely his desire to protect the party that held him back, because accusing Berisha would shake its immunity and prestige. Perhaps he also feels some regret over this delay, since if he had spoken up in time, things would not have gone this far. The man who, through his 28 years in the hell of communist prisons, helped the PD win international credibility as a serious opposition, is now aware that in his contest with Berisha he is not facing him on equal terms. It is no coincidence that he has called for “the electoral process for the post of chairman to be regular.” Yes, if PD militants want a renaissance in power, they must understand that with Berisha at its helm this will remain a distant dream. As long as he is at the head of the PD, Nano and his people will never feel threatened. But Arbnori’s emergence as leader of the PD would mean that all the dedicated cadres would rally around him, opening the doors of Western chancelleries to the PD; and ultimately, a change of this right-wing government would not be long in coming, accompanied by much greater chances for Albania to have a right-wing government. GAVROSH LEVONJA

Former Speaker of Parliament Pjetër Arbnori, if facing Berisha for the PD throne

They refuse to accept their reduced wages Rebellion among the blue uniforms returns. Yesterday, all the police officers at Tirana Police Station No. 3 refused to sign the payroll sheet for their 4,500-lek wage. Once again, on payday, the “unknown soldiers” protested by not withdrawing a single penny from the payroll. As soon as the officers at Police Station No. 3 were offered 4,500 lek for the past half-month, they turned a blind eye. They did not leave their jobs, but no one bothered to sign the payroll sheet. This is not the only case of the poor treatment of public-sector employees. P. 10

Berisha is turning the PD into HAMAS P. 6

The victims of the Channel return to land P. 15

P. 19

Elbasan is inundated by the dictator’s lottery tickets P. 6

Tirana: March nights return to the outskirts P. 2

Former Speaker of Parliament PJETER ARBNORI performs an autopsy on the PD’s defeat. “RD” does not publish his speech