Gjinnushi: The situation is bad, turmoil at customs, law and order, and justice Page 3

BY FRROK ÇUPI The waves of the seas have apparently brought great news, and the country’s entire political narrative has been thrown into turmoil... This is how the mountain bards would describe the “storm” stirred up after the Prime Minister’s interviews in Crans Montana. Unfortunately, just like the bards, of whom Albania has countless numbers, politicians are stirring up the “sea” without knowing what has happened. The event is still “behind the mountain.” What has really happened? I am the first to ask. Had there not been so much fuss, it would have been very easy for us to understand what the journalist colleagues who interviewed Albania’s Prime Minister said. But now that the interviewers or the interviewee have been branded “heretics,” it seems necessary to meet them and ask: What sin did they commit? The interviews contain nothing but words; where, then, is the “crime”? Unfortunately, our politics is so little acquainted with the state that it does not understand that an interview by the Prime Minister (which may not be acceptable to everyone) does not constitute the entirety of government and state policy. Why has this policy not been broadened to encompass the real concept of the state? Unfortunately, our politics is so incapable that it cannot remember what position it adopted toward Kosovo, especially now, at this most crucial moment. Albania’s options are well known. Our politics apparently has not understood at all that if it is thinking of making a *kulac*, it should not offer it to the wise people before it has even been baked. Nobody knows what happened in Crans Montana, while politicians have already set people against one another “over the national question.” And if there is no “kulac,” where will all this quarrelling lead? Unfortunately, politics has not learned that political solutions are not determined by the masses, but in the appropriate national or international institutions. Once a policy brings down a government or a state institution, after that, political “interviews” no longer come from the popular masses. The masses want to know the best possible solution. What is the best possible one today; does politics know? As if all our affairs were “just fine,” and now we are reading the Internet!... People are looking for bread and work, dear politician brothers! Unfortunately, once again, politics has not understood that Albania is not the “center of the world,” able to impose its own options, its own views. Albania’s current policy toward Kosovo, up to now, is indeed what it actually is. What upheaval did it undergo in Crans Montana? Nobody knows, while political quarrelling goes on here at home. Why are you doing all this?... Over an interview? I fear that tomorrow politics itself will be disgusted by its own emptiness. The truth about our “dusty” politics, put so plainly, is this: our politics shows that it has been reduced to interview phrases; it shows that it has a great deal on the surface and cannot find—or has no—core, substance, reality. We have many real things to do, yet we busy ourselves with words.

Pages 6–7 Creditors of the “2K” company (Fier) are to come forward to withdraw their money According to a report by the chairman of the Interest-Bearing Loans Supervisory Council, Mr Farudin Arapi, dated 7 January 1998, the “2K” company is also a pyramid scheme (page 9 of the report), along with the “Kamberi,” “Universi,” etc. companies. But afterward its owner collaborated with minister Ylli Bufi to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from several tenders (which will soon be made public), and in this way the “2K” company in Fier believes it is ready to begin repaying its creditors as of today. Those creditors should come forward this week to withdraw their money. The same applies to another company which, according to Arapi’s report, has the means to begin repaying its creditors. Perhaps, if the government had acted reasonably, it could have found ways to provide assistance through tenders, so that companies such as “VEFA,” “Silva,” “Kamberi,” etc. could also begin repaying their creditors, like the “2K” company in Fier. Naturally, a role in this case was also played by President Meidani’s political adviser, Mr Preç Zogaj, who, driven by private interests in this “2K” company, influenced the start of repayments to some of the company’s creditors. The company is now offering guarantees for serious investments, as it has had the support of the President of the Republic himself. The address of the company where the money can be withdrawn is: “Don Bosko” Street, Vilat e Reja, Tirana. Tel. 33526.

Kukës—the robbers’ attack; they had set up an ambush on the road P. 10

Today, the previously unknown corruption document comes to light P. 17

Vlorë—tragedy at sea; one of the speedboat operators arrested P. 11

PR deputy: Kosovo, a vote of confidence for the government P. 5

Because of a serious breakdown at the “Demokracia” printing house, the newspapers “RD,” “Republika,” “Albania,” “Gazeta Shqiptare,” and “Sport Ekspres” are not being published; therefore, today the newspaper “Koha Jonë” is being published with only 16 pages, as it was only late that we managed to arrange for it to be printed at another printing house, “EuroRilindja.” We apologize to our readers, but in any case, it is not our fault. THE “K” EDITORIAL OFFICE

Because of a serious breakdown at the “Demokracia” printing house, the newspaper “Sport Ekspres” will not be published today.