The government orders police to enter the SP Congress. Sensational operation by special forces Former chairman: The violence of my own people is worse than Berisha’s The government orders police to enter the SP Congress. Sensational operation by special forces Nano’s escorts arrested by surprise Former chairman: The violence of my own people is worse than Berisha’s page 5

Gurushi Levonja With yesterday’s expulsion of Vejsiu at the meeting of the National Council, Democratic Party leader Berisha compromised all areas of his nearly year-long efforts to rehabilitate himself as a constructive force in Albanian politics. In fact, after taking several steps—such as returning the party to parliament, extending a hand of cooperation to the current government team, and, above all, allowing space and breathing room to emerge within the DP most recently, as part of preparations for its upcoming convention—the impression was taking shape that Berisha, having learned lessons from the tragic events of recent years, had become a pragmatic politician. Such a change had also made an impact on certain international political circles, which were beginning to look at Berisha differently. Naturally, in the face of such positive reactions, it was in the Democratic leader’s interest to continue showing restraint. First, viewed pragmatically, neither a vote against him by Vjesiu nor one by anyone else would have threatened Berisha enough to make him decide to torpedo him. Second, during this period there has been no shortage of voices describing Berisha’s steps as being of a “demagogic nature,” invoking the proverb “the wolf only changes its coat.” Specifically, after this, no one will doubt that Berisha himself was behind the attacks on Pollo by some media outlets close to the DP, which were in line with Berisha’s positions. Likewise, the statements by his rival in the contest for party chairman, Pollo, that “he was threatened, even in relation to his family, after announcing his candidacy,” following the lightning attacks on Vjesiu and Demi, seem entirely credible. On the other hand, Berisha’s opponents, accustomed to frequent contact with foreign representatives, will now have a strong argument to convince them that “Berisha is incorrigible” and that he should be abandoned once and for all. Besides this, one can say that the right moment was not chosen to launch a purge in the ranks of the DP. Given the normal course of developments in the DP camp, in contrast with the manipulations characterizing the selection of delegates to the SP Congress, Berisha’s haste in attacking Vjesiu, Demi and others unintentionally serves his Socialist opponents a valuable favor. Instead of Berisha and the DP focusing on denouncing the manipulations and roots within the SP, attention is being diverted from the significance of Berisha’s return. The Socialists’ reaction after yesterday’s elections was rather optimistically justified. They are confident they will remain in power as long as Berisha leads the DP.

photo REUTERS Oliver Bierhoff celebrating after scoring the equalizer against Hertha Berlin

The National Council forces the dictator to bare his teeth “You are a criminal”—these were the words spoken during a televised exchange by a man who had served the Democratic Party so much. Finally disillusioned and angry at the ingratitude shown for the contribution he had made since the founding of the DP, Ylli Vjesiu, one of the right’s loyalists, left, like all the other founders. Pollo, for his part, recounted that he had been threatened when he announced his candidacy. He too, like the others, was driven out by Berisha’s violence, by Enver’s ghost in the DP, by the madness of the communist imagination about conspiracies, and by communist hatred of democracy. Thus, yesterday the DP returned to the road toward ruin, the road toward the end of hope, the road toward eternal isolation. page 3

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