The Prime Minister and the President sit down for talks Pages 2–3 The State Is the Altar BY FROK ÇUPI The State is not a pet animal fattened up for the dinner of close friends. The State is not a finger behind which one hides the sin committed against the governed, either. I fear once again that some people entrusted with the work of the State are misusing it, either as a whip or as candy. Small sinners should get this into their heads: The State is the altar at which both the ruler and the ruled seek forgiveness. Is it difficult to see where the Altar is? Of course it is difficult—not because the Altar is so small, but because it is so Great. If it were small, it would be easy: They would wrap it in a cigarette carton or a diplomatic bag and smuggle it into some kiosk or villa. Apart from four or five smugglers, the millions of other citizens would be left without a state... If the Altar were only the size of a person, that too would be easy: They would insult it, tell it, “we don’t want your history, we are modern,” and throw it away, squeezed dry... If it were the size of a file... (Ah, the predecessor of those who abuse the State, Berisha, heard of this opportunity: otherwise we would truly have had the File-State shoved in the face of every nonconformist!)... Even if the Altar were as large as a ship, a remedy would still have been found: It would have been anchored, for example, in Igoumenitsa until the territorial waters were under control, and after that, “whoosh, into a corner of land.” But the Altar-State is very large. First of all, it has the breadth of the entire Albanian territory. When you tell those in power that a narrow, exclusively southern government does not represent the State, they answer with “patriotic” indignation. Until yesterday they were rightly at “war” with Berisha, who made the administration northern. Now they are on the other shore! This is how the State languishes. Vlora, which gave the Albanian state its start, would never allow the northern part to be lopped off. Second, the State is as broad as the population of this state territory. The State itself should have the same nuances as the population: whether they are highlanders or Lab people, villagers or members of a minority, Christians or Muslims, educated or illiterate. Everyone must be represented in the State, not “they teach the people not to say I am Muslim or Christian,” as the government’s spokesman declares. The State and its government are representatives; when this is lacking, the State is no longer like an umbrella for everyone. Berisha’s State fell like sand precisely because it remained like a dog’s tail. (Continued on page 3)

Photo: A.BABANI Prime Minister Nano and President Meidani began talks yesterday

Koridallos in revolt for the second time 350 Albanians rebel Revolt at the Greek prison: Inmates attack guards and set fire to their cells. Special forces intervene A revolt broke out last night at the high-security Greek prison of Koridallos, near Athens. It all began as a result of a clash between 700 prisoners, 350 of whom were Albanians, and the prison guards, after the prisoners refused to return to their cells when their free-time walk ended. They began throwing stones at the guards and the police reinforcements that arrived to prevent them from escaping from the prison, and also started fires, setting fire to mattresses and other objects in their cells. P. 11

Armed clashes in the border area Serbs near Albania P. 5 Why yesterday’s opponents were made ministers The anti-motionists, Nano’s maneuver P. 4 Two perpetrators of the crime found after 4 days Police officer’s killers caught P. 7 Complaint filed over the monarchists’ rally in July Investigation into Durollari P. 9 Vlora: throws granddaughter into the river, then shoots his daughter Father kills daughter P. 13 Kukës: another robbery targeting travelers Masked men attack more than 60 people P. 11 Complete statistics on the perpetrators of crime Here is who stains their hands with blood P. 6