The prime minister begins the fight alone within the PS. The conflict moves down to Local Government. Congress voters will choose the young candidates The prime minister begins the fight alone within the PS. The conflict moves down to Local Government Majko will dismiss Nano’s prefects Congress voters will choose the young candidates page 3

The latest statement on Kosovo by US Under Secretary of State Strobe Talbot was certainly a cold shower for the Albanians of Kosovo. Yesterday, Mr Talbot categorically ruled out any idea of Kosovo’s independence. The truth is that what the senior State Department official said yesterday expresses the US administration’s long-standing position on Kosovo, but recently, ever since the air campaign against Belgrade began, Washington, albeit somewhat implicitly, had created the impression among Albanian circles that it did not rule out alternatives closer to the Albanians’ maximalist aspirations, including possible independence. This may even be why Talbot’s statement in question had such a shocking effect. First of all, such a statement by a US official could not have been issued “into thin air,” without the knowledge or approval of the Washington administration. In fact, judging by what is currently happening in Kosovo, there is a strong possibility that a statement of this kind was not made as a “rap on the knuckles” for the Albanians of Kosovo. Swept up by an often uncontrolled enthusiasm over realizing the idea of an independent Kosovo, now that there are no Serbian soldiers there, groups of Albanians began taking revenge on Serbs, repeating on a smaller scale a scenario similar to the one Milošević carried out against them. And, as if that were not enough, they also clashed with KFOR soldiers, those who saved the Albanians from Milošević’s massacres. Yet such attitudes served Milošević more than they served the realization of the Albanians’ wishes and aspirations. What is even more troubling is that the Albanian political class, while engaged in an all-out duel among themselves, has shown that it has not been engaged in stopping one another and has demonstrated that it has not even the slightest influence over the Albanians. The same can be said of the KLA, whose members should have become a key source of support for KFOR forces and the international administration in Kosovo. It is a fact that recently foreign media have been giving ever more coverage to phenomena such as the “ethnic cleansing” of Serbs by Albanians, not to mention well-known politicians such as Fisiberg, who make anti-Albanian statements and do not hesitate to criticize NATO’s operation against Belgrade. Talbot’s statement that an independent Kosovo is impossible may be intended to bring the Albanians back to the path of building democratic institutions, making them operational as soon as possible in order to show that they know how to govern a state and therefore deserve independence.

page 12 Russia’s mafia boss, business partner of the Albanian Pacolli

Ersekë: in a fit of anger, he beat citizens and ended up in jail Drunk, he walked along the city streets, stumbling and falling. Children followed behind him, whistling and throwing stones at him. Then he gave orders to beat anyone seen in the street. The result: 30 people in hospital and dozens more in jail. The injuries suffered by innocent citizens were so serious that they sparked a full-scale revolt outside the police station. Although there had been no problems before, the police chief was placed in detention. This unusual incident will remain in the eyewitnesses’ memories for a long time. page 11

SUMMER TELE-BINGO, 29 August 1999 One hundred winners of 50,000 lekë (new lekë) TELE-BINGO, 7,000,000 lekë (new lekë)