BY ENTON ABILEKAJ 250 thousand dollars are spent. And the railcar tender was cancelled. “Koha Jonë” contributed to ensuring that Albania was not robbed of money in this way. But it did not end there. The new power was given a chance, having promised to fight corruption. In fact, it made that promise yesterday too. All the structures connected with the tender hoped that Meta had intervened for the best. Meta himself insisted on this. But he has broken the law. Even putting aside his personal ties with the Austrian firm, he prevented intervention in a tender, and when he sees that irresponsibility has taken place. Moreover, he intervened in a matter where it is clear that all procedures were violated; the Austrian firm is a company with irregular documents and has not obtained authorisation to take railcars out of its country, Italy. In light of these facts, it is clear that the Albanian Deputy Prime Minister intervened, not only breaking the law but also getting involved in a 250-thousand-dollar affair. Furthermore, he caused the cancellation by the Director of Tenders at the Ministry. This is the fact: the tender was not selected by any of the structures involved in it, which, unfortunately, have dealt with this matter without being mentioned by “Koha Jonë”. Nor was the Prime Minister’s Office able to uncover the truth. Instead, it tried to cover it up by launching endless propaganda, which could not conceal the facts for long; most of it soon came to light. If this is taken as the same great matter. If this is taken as the same great matter. This is Meta’s accusation against the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which, even so, has no justification. The Prime Minister’s Office tried to close the scandal immediately, instead of calling for it to be investigated and reporting on the inquiry at the Ministry. The heads of his institutions had come out to oppose the demand for clarification of this tender, since the Deputy Prime Minister had made his position clear. But the tender was apparently not conducted properly, and everything was handled secretly, which is another fact. These facts and many suspicions concern not only this matter, but the entire government. Moreover, further facts emerged from the executive offices, more serious than the railcar tender. The 250 thousand dollars intended for the railways were used for another purpose. This makes the scandal even worse.

Resigns over the scandal: the Director of Tenders at the Ministry of Transport Pages 2–3 After the car bomb exploded yesterday in a market in Jerusalem. Photo REUTERS

“We will return on Monday if the majority changes its mind” The biggest dispute in the Central Election Commission Page 4 The representatives of the PD walked out of the Central Voting Commission. After lengthy debates that began yesterday morning, everything ended with the PD representatives leaving the commission, on the grounds that senior state officials had violated Article 48 of the Referendum Law. “We are leaving this commission until Monday, hoping that everything will be resolved, because nobody has an interest in a boycott and in creating problems during this time.”

Ruçi: The Constitution, the PD’s crisis “They have no argument to defend themselves” Page 7

How the voting will be safeguarded There is information about disturbances on 22 November Page 9

Kurds alarm Greece The leaders of Gjirokastër and Epirus meet about migrants Pages 1–2

Status for 3,000 migrants Albania will send 3,000 people across the Adriatic every year Albanians wishing to travel to Italy will no longer have to risk travelling by speedboat. They now have the right to emigrate legally to Italy. A day earlier, the Consul at the Italian Embassy, Adriano Monti, confirmed—in a telephone conversation—to the Chief of Cabinet of the Ministry of Labour, Kosta Barbaja, that the Italian government had approved the decree on immigration.