The violence being prepared for 31 August: the police must respond with the force of the law Pages 2–3

BY BLENDI FEVZIU A week has passed since the unexpected arrest of six former DP MPs and senior former military officers, but the political situation still appears unstable. Attempts to transfer the matter from the political arena to the purely legal one have not produced the expected results. Nano’s statement that he had no hand in the arrests and that this is entirely a matter for the justice system was followed by repeated statements from the DP and its leaders that everything is political revenge, and nothing but political revenge. Both sides have retreated into their trenches, and the situation in the country looks anything but promising as autumn begins. But another unexpected detail has been added to this sad, gray picture. The President, the man who stands above the political forces and symbolizes the unity of the nation, has fallen into a frightening silence. In vain, groups of journalists wait for hours outside the door of the Presidency. In vain, cameras wait to capture the measured message of the country’s foremost citizen. Since a religious ceremony on Mount Tomorr, the President has not appeared in public. It is almost as if everything in Albania has been settled and it is time for a holiday. But why isn’t the President speaking? Why doesn’t he state his opinion, or take responsibility for the troubled situation? Even if this year such reconciliation initiatives have been taken mainly by OSCE Ambassador Everts, that does not mean Meidani has no right to do so. On the contrary, the constitutional laws give him the right to convene the parties, consult with them and, in difficult moments, even chair meetings of the executive. The President should not speak only when a kindergarten is inaugurated, when he is responsible for an Italian-Albanian newspaper called “Gazeta Shqiptare,” or when he receives NGO leaders in the empty darkness of his residence. All these are commendable activities, but, to be realistic, they belong to the Albania of the future. In a country without consolidated legal structures, without a strong democratic foundation and conspicuously politicized, there are more important problems. The President should be like a shepherd, guiding the confused flock in the right direction. This time, it seems that the President himself is more confused than the politicians and journalists. But in this tangled scheme, whose thread lies in a mysterious safe, he too disappears into a mysterious safe. Let him come out and be seen, to protect his image. Let him come out and say whether this was a mistake or an action to be avoided. Let him leave it to the justice system or place it on the political conscience as a sin. When there is a serious situation, he should speak. The country is in a critical situation, and he cannot remain silent. The DP has left Parliament and taken to the streets; the Constitution has been left hanging in the air; newspapers have carried calls for armed punishment and even civil war. In this broader context of civil war, everyone has the right to ask: When will the President speak?

Fatos Nano Photo: GENT SHKULLAKU

Thirty-five people turned back, including holders of Albanian visas; they were citizens of countries where Islam is the official religion Police cordon off the airport. No foreigner from Arab countries gets through Albania’s only air gateway was closed yesterday to all foreign nationals arriving from Islamic countries. All foreign nationals—Arabs, Turks, Egyptians and Pakistanis, anyone arriving from Muslim countries that have now recognized the “holy war”—were refused entry into Albania. Some of them had valid passports and visas, but were still not allowed in. Page 7

Terror in Gjirokastër too; special forces deployed Page 6

Prosecuted by the public prosecutor’s office; there were Kosovars among them Page 9

Mission dispatched from New York to the militarized city Page 13

UÇA, graffiti on walls against Nano Page 11

100,000 lekë for the front line; they withstood the violence Page 9

Serbs and Albanians in a blind alley Page 5

How the DP officials passed the time Page 6