For 1 million lekë, he blows up two houses A 47-YEAR-OLD WHO COMMITTED CRIMES ON ORDER IS ARRESTED P. 2

Frrok Çupi In the office, the telephone rings and someone answers, mentioning Kosovo; in the state’s top offices, the day begins with “Kosovo”; even in opposition offices, immediately after coffee, they speak loudly about Kosovo; a helicopter circles for two hours above the rooftops of Tirana “because it is heading to Tropojë for Kosovo.” In a musty arts hall, the final rehearsals are under way for a concert about Kosovo. A young man alone at night calls Radio “Intervista” from a roadside phone booth, saying he would sleep outside for “enrigh homeland Kosovo.” Everyone is headed toward Kosovo. BUT WHO IS LEFT HERE? Here, the children have returned from school because “someone reported a bomb”; an employee of the Academy of Sciences has taken off her shoes and is trying to cross the river running down the middle of Tirana’s boulevard; a vegetable seller calls to a policeman in vain because someone has just stolen his sack of carrots; at the window of an apartment building, a nervous girl signals to her boyfriend with her fingers that she cannot go out because there was no hot water for her to wash; pensioners have filled the queues to withdraw 20 dollars for 15 days... Everyone else has set off for... Kosovo. WHO ARE THE OTHERS? For so many years, a noise called “Kosovo” has been made here in Albania. Sometimes it is the noise of folk ballads, sometimes the noise of a train, sometimes political noise. The impression is always created that everyone has set off in the direction of Kosovo, giving rise to tragic misunderstandings. (Continued on page 2)

Blendi Fevziu The comments, accusations and speculation of recent days about developments in the PS leadership received their first official response yesterday. But contrary to expectations, the response came neither from Secretary General Majko, nor from Coordinating Secretary Ruçi, nor from the Secretary for Organizations, Ligësi. In an editorial in the daily press, Ilir Meta, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of FRESH, has taken it upon himself to clarify the future of the PS and steer the “one-million-strong” electorate of the pink party in the right direction. Beyond the context of the article, Meta’s undertaking has particular significance. Speaking on behalf of the Socialist Party and responding to all the comments made about it, Meta has publicly taken on the role of leader. The speculation identifying him as the most powerful person in the structures of the Socialist Party has now also received his affirmative response. The socialists are in a chaotic situation, and Meta does not hesitate to admit this. The absence of a leader mandated by the congress has opened paths of hope for many individuals and groups, whose clash at the June congress has already begun to take shape. The games with the press and contradictory statements also serve this climate, creating complete confusion not only within the PS but also in government. Sensing this vacuum and lack of authority in the PS leadership, Meta has taken it upon himself to steer the future of the country’s largest party. Beyond the symbolism, Meta has put forward a bold idea in his article. He has divided the PS leadership into responsible and irresponsible members, and set out the criteria by which this classification can be made. The view that those who observe the party’s statutes and institutions are responsible, while the others are irresponsible, needs no comment. Meta has been careful not to mention names, but it is not difficult to remember that some of the most important figures, including Prime Minister Majko, have recently been criticized by the party over the pink platform. The idea of a Majko–Meta conflict has often been mentioned, but future developments in the PS could turn speculation into a real confrontation. Yesterday’s article is the first invitation Meta has extended to the entire party, but above all to Majko, to respect the rules of the game. Rules that, it seems, have been laid down behind the scenes of the pink party.

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