An armed revolt is being prepared on the eve of the referendum Page 9 Berisha explains how the Coup d’État was carried out

BY FRROK ÇUPI Yesterday, the world’s most prestigious information experts announced, while commenting, that attention had been armed by Kosovo and redirected to Iraq. (They went on to joke that “apparently Saddam remains the greater dictator.”) But what concerns us Albanians most closely lies precisely here: At the most crucial moment of a development or a step forward, an “Iraq” appears before us and draws attention away from us. Just as now, Iraq and the Gulf War also did so in January 1991, when Albanians on both sides of the border had embarked on the path to democratization and were attracting the focus of broad public opinion. The Golfi with Imban went down, and here we were covered by an “eclip…”—an “eclipse”—which then allowed many phenomena to develop in the darkness, even the phenomenon of Berisha instead of a clear path to democracy. But this is not merely a fate that repeats itself from afar and falls upon us like a blow; more often than not, we Albanians create the “Iraqs” ourselves. I believe it is enough to “touch” only the most recent events with a pencil point to understand how many misfortunes we have prepared for ourselves. For example, right on the eve of the International Conference for Albania and the donations to it, the horror of 14 September is prepared in Tirana, burning institutions and seizing the state. As the Constitution approaches—the law that, like Prometheus, will raise our state from the abyss to the European level—groups of masked and armed men terrorize Shkodër and rob the OSCE; here in Tirana they plant explosives at the head of the Constitutional Court, and so on. In the spring of 1997, at the moment when Albania was responding to the call of the former communist East by showing the swift example of the second departure of a corrupt post-communist government, [text unclear: “dona e sheh e sheh”] distributed weapons and installed the “Iraq bomb” in Albania. The same thing had happened at the establishment of political pluralism (1991), when the DP, from being a broad popular party, turned into a party of street people. In practice, this is what is happening these days: An attempt is being made, and hope is being placed, on establishing peace, voting on the Constitution and finding common ground between individuals and the state; but suddenly some assassinations and explosions appear. There you have it: our “Iraqs.” The progressive civil and political [forces] are trying to draw closer and are being helped, while here we “set off the Golfi bomb.” The situation is strained, but the solution can only be Albanian. So, what should we do? Simply say, “Let’s not create any more ‘Iraqs’ against ourselves.” That is far too little, or nothing at all. All the more so because we are one of the peoples who have experienced—and created—the ghosts of the “Castle of Memory,” built in this way, time and again. Our modernity comes to us from “Iraq.”

Starting next Tuesday and continuing thereafter, in a comprehensive series, the newspaper “Koha Jonë” will publish articles, photographs, interviews, commentaries and documents about yesterday’s and today’s officials of the Albanian state: how they became wealthy, where they found the money to buy houses, villas, properties, etc. Readers will be able to see the wealth of each person in power over these years, that is, from 1991 to 1998. Naturally, this is a heavy burden for the still very young shoulders of the newspaper “Koha Jonë”; but professional courage and civic responsibility make us bring public opinion to bear on its political class, which has done [text cut off] for the nation... [cut off] ...hand. People need to know who governed them yesterday and who these people are who hold power today. The journalists of “Koha Jonë” may face pressure and threats, but we are also used to prisons and having our newsroom burned down. Naturally, in every instance where pressure is used, we will publish it immediately to show the public who the politicians are who use violence, theft, tariffs, smuggling, etc. We now have in our hands ... are the main financial sources of the political class, ... [text cut off] ... in the next issue of “Koha Jonë.”

Sali Berisha during a rally in September 1998 Photo REUTERS Sali Berisha during a rally in September 1998. Photo REUTERS

Everyone being tracked by the police, now identified by name The Ministry orders files to be compiled on wanted persons Page 2 A special file system for dangerous people in Albania. All wanted criminals will be “archived” with all their details in the archives of the Ministry of Public Order, according to their place of residence and the crimes they have committed. This is intended to make searches easier and to focus investigations in cases involving similar crimes. This is a decision taken by the Ministry of Public Order, and the task will be carried out by the Criminal Police Directorate.

The director of the Ministry of Transport decides to confess everything The “Mega-Monika” scandal Page 5