From Meta’s railway cars to Hajdaraga’s rice page 3

Mentor Kikia Music blares in a village, and someone asked a neighbor who was getting married. “Sinani,” the neighbor said. “But who is he marrying?” “His first wife,” the neighbor replied. With a few changes, to our misfortune, the same dialogue is taking place today in the countries around Albania, too. This time, the “groom” is the party leader and the “bride” is the government. After several days of anxiety, yesterday the questions about the new cabinet that will govern our country were finally settled. And it is the same one, the “first wife,” with all the bad and good things it had. We were left with nothing to do but realize that things were not really all that complicated. The whole struggle over the “new government” had nothing to do with finding the best people to choose to pull the country out of its latest European mess. It had all been an effort to protect the interests of the clans that have formed political parties and groups within parties. For three days, the press has published several cabinet line-ups. And after each version, those who had made agreements before coming together to bring down Majko would shout: “We hadn’t agreed on it this way, Comrade Nano.” Yesterday, meanwhile, there was another quarrel over these line-ups in the “big” offices of politics. Should so-and-so minister go or stay? Who is putting them forward? Which group do they belong to? And finally, things seem to have been brought into line—and ended up as they were. The cabinet will also include a dozen ministers whose institutions have open files with the Prosecutor’s Office. Amid all this game, which regularly leads to corruption and the abuse of power, while ordinary people keep their eyes turned “upward,” there has been only one aim: to form a government that satisfies all the clans. No one should be left disappointed. After all, these are all their clans. A few days ago in Finland, Albania’s signing of the Association Agreement with the European Union was postponed until mid-December. Macedonia passed this threshold, while we were given a chance that is really nothing other than a warning, perhaps the last one. Corruption, smuggling, ordinary crime and mafia crime... This is where Albania should make a U-turn, if it wants to... This is where Albania should make a U-turn. But with whom? The CVs of our government officials are very short: Graduated as... minister... In the government, only the Prime Minister has changed. Was he the reason for Europe’s reluctance to accept us, and the fog that from time to time descended on Skopje, embarrassing senior American officials who were planning visits to Tirana?

page 16 The visit to Denmark, at the government’s invitation, continues The government seeks to close the Shuli file

Yesterday, the visit of MPs Nikollë Lesi, Kiço Blushi, Vili Min-arolli and Halil Lalaj focused on its most interesting stop. The four Albanian MPs, invited by the Danish government, visited Public Television and Denmark’s private television stations. At meetings with television executives, MP Lesi asked about relations between the media and the state, satellite programmes, and relations between media outlets at home and abroad. At their meetings in the Danish parliament, the Albanian MPs encountered particular interest in Albania and Kosovo and in the latest developments in these Albanian-inhabited territories. The visit will continue until Monday with a very packed programme. re.po

big draw, 31 October 1999 • 100 Mini-Bingos worth 100,000 old lekë each • 20 Tele-Bingos worth ten million old lekë each • 1 Magic-Bingo worth five million old lekë • 1 Star-Bingo worth 1.5 million old lekë