The killers’ names emerge; the prosecutor’s office turns them over to the police More than a year later, a witness to the most horrific crime in Qyteti Studenti has come forward page 3

BY GAVROSH LEVONJA Two days ago, the public learned of the decision by the Minister of

Two days ago, the public learned of the decision by the Minister of Local Government to dismiss almost all the prefects. public learned of the decision by the Minister of Local Government to dismiss almost all the prefects. Setting aside matters related to shortcomings in the work of the dismissed officials, the storm unleashed against the prefects can be taken as the government’s first signal that it is beginning a campaign of changes among officials appointed to local-government structures, extending even to the lowest levels. If this happens, it will mean a change in mentality regarding how shortcomings in governance are to be corrected. In fact, until now the prevailing idea has been that changes at the center are the best remedy for avoiding trouble, without giving much thought to the role of the network of mini-governments that covers the whole country. On the other hand, we have become accustomed to all kinds of accusations being directed only at the central government, starting with the prime minister and ministers and continuing with other directors. Yet little or nothing is said about the “sins” of appointed officials working at the grassroots. When corruption, involvement in smuggling, and other illegal activities by those in power are discussed, it would be a mistake to think that these are the exclusive preserve of senior officials. It would be impossible, for example, for a minister to engage in smuggling without being connected to someone at the grassroots. Among other factors, being somewhat more “in the shadows” in the eyes of the public gives peripheral officials greater opportunity to succumb to the temptation of breaking the law for personal gain. In any case, since they are appointed according to party, clan, or even family criteria, this category of officials, while being required to “work” for the “big bosses” as well, normally feels no fear that it might be swept up in a purge. In fact, if we are talking about nepotism, its effects are most evident precisely in the lower tiers of the state administration. Furthermore, because people are in much closer contact with local government, it is local government that serves as a reflection of a country’s governance. Another factor also makes a purge of local-government structures imperative. Now, when local government is expected to receive greater powers, it is clear that these will be misused by incompetent or corrupt officials. But the connection between these purges and the Socialists’ preparations to successfully face the local elections scheduled for next spring cannot be ignored, nor can Nano’s intrigues and surprise move to play the card of early elections.

Page 23 The Finnish singer performing last night, on the festival’s first night Photo P.llo The Finnish singer performing last night, on the festival’s first night. Photo P.llo

Stability Coordinator Pashko reports on the achievements Just back from the second economic roundtable on the Stability Pact, held the day before yesterday in Rome, special coordinator Gramoz Pashko said he was very happy that 27 of the projects submitted by the Albanian government had been taken into consideration by the European Investment Bank. In fact, the main aim of the latest meeting in Rome was to prepare the agenda for the two final economic roundtables: the first will be held on 10–12 February in Skopje, while the other, which will be the last and will allocate funding to the countries of the region, will be held in March. page 3

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You have 4 days left to make amends for the insult you inflicted on 62 Albanian tourists. Let your irony about celebrating the birth of Christ in February, at the time of Buddha’s birth, and the arrival of the millennium at the time of the Chinese New Year be the last such irony that a representative of a country like Italy directs at Albanians. ATHS