Power cannot be maintained by justifying oneself with anti-Berisha propaganda. Citizens want paved roads, electricity, jobs, public order, and security for the future page 3

By Errok Çupi Politicians work all day with their “shovels” on them, and, finally, do you know what they do?... In the end, they have filled the “sack” that weighs on the back of the individual... In essence, even useful politics works this way: By working, it burdens and eases the individual. The contract the individual has made with the politician is one of give and take. Meanwhile, the unspoken contract politics has made with itself and with the individual is that it should be as light as possible, so as to leave the individual as much energy as possible to pursue politics. The changing of normal relations in Albanian politics is burdening the individual. Politics itself is very heavy: Politicians, just like the goblins in fairy tales who stood at children’s windows at night, stand over people at the kitchen table—which is now called the television screen. Wherever screens are switched on, the same faces appear. Parents lose their individuality in front of their children, neighbors quarrel from one floor to another, and the normal part of life slips into the “river.” Not even a night’s sleep can ease overheated minds. What a macabre desire politicians have to weigh heavily on people with their blunders?! The government and the opposition fight over the citizen’s head. Citizens do not have the necessities of life secured, yet are obliged to turn their heads from side to side, following the “ball.” These ones mention millions of dollars embezzled; those ones mention luxurious villas; these ones mention millions of tons of oil, while those ones mention tons of gold stolen at night in the mountains... Where is all of it? Not a bit of it trickles down to the individual. Politics only weighs on the soul and darkens reason. How irresponsible politics is in the face of truth and citizens?! Political parties have turned into murderous horses, instead of serving the rider—the state-citizen. All day long, parties get under the citizen’s feet. The parties have no work to do, so they get between the state and the individual, neutralizing both. Parties were created to be present in the formation of the government; after that, they move backstage. But here, the Party is like a hot griddle over one’s head: it terrorizes the state, takes the government along as its companion and travels the world with a state mandate; parties inflame tempers, co-opt artists and children, break laws, duplicate the government, transfer prominent figures, and shelter criminals. All of this weighs on the individual’s life. Meanwhile, official politics has entered a race against urgency. It rushes to introduce foreigners, delegations, messages, promises of aid, moral support, and so on. The citizen has long been looking toward the sky. In fact, it is better for this weariness to happen, since the weariness of looking at reality would be heavier. Everyone “works” by burdening the individual. Things must happen differently.

Page 24 Elvjer Raça, Bogdani’s manager, in Tirana yesterday. Photo: P. ILO

Today at 12:00, Berisha has announced a large rally in “Skënderbej” Square, where, according to him, more than 40,000 demonstrators will take part. For his part, the Minister of Public Order, Spartak Poçi, has called for the rally not to be held, saying he will use the police force to prevent it from taking place. It is also reported that dozens of PD messengers have mobilized buses to bring people from the districts to Tirana, filling “Skënderbej” Square, although, as political analysts and foreign embassies believe, today will show who is more determined: the PD without power or the Socialist government. If the police manage to prevent the rally, Berisha will suffer a severe moral and psychological blow; whereas if the PD leader manages to enter the square and gather people, the Socialist government will be shaken, leaving the task of governing to the PD. Thus, today Berisha and the PS face one another. Whoever wins today gains the moral, and then legal, right to show how the rule of law is established.