The consensus on the Electoral Code is finally shattered Berisha lights the fuse: I’ll set off the dynamite The majority approves the code, Berisha walks out of Parliament and meets the American Ambassador: This is the code of the funeral page 5

In the USA, the diagnosis: Albania comes out "sooty" Speaking at the Forum on Albania at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, our ambassador to the USA Fatos Tarifa publicly denounced the activities of the “Maliqo” foundation and, in particular, its negative influence on the country’s financial markets. He described the case as a “source of misfortunes” and listed a series of details in support of Mr. Gjallica’s profile. Speaking about corruption and trafficking, Tarifa called them “old Albanian ailments”. Speaking about the newspaper “Koha Jonë”, Tarifa said it was “one of the most important newspapers in Albania” and then went on to level harsh criticism at it, reaching the heights of a monstrous paradox. According to him, “political rhetoric and Albanian media rhetoric, at times and often unwillingly, linked to insults and slander, display anti-citizenship and irresponsibility”. Speaking about the party New Albania, which is reflected in the absence of a national political limiter, Tarifa moves within a hostile and politically immoral territory. Furthermore, Mr. Tarifa lists a series of institutions, particularly important, but he must not forget that this view of the electoral code and the order of institutions is mainly understandable to what he calls the “syndrome of accusation”. The chairman of the association of independent lawyers, Spartak Ngjela, said that Mr. Tarifa is “incomprehensible” and that what was said in Washington is nothing other than an attempt to justify the government’s failures in the country. He said that the “Maliqo” foundation is an invention and represents a way to cover up the real responsibilities of state structures. He further added that Albania cannot be presented as “sooty” in the eyes of the world merely for short-term interests. page 2

May 20 - "Meta 2"?; leave Shuli, Xhuveli and Ruka page 2

OSCE session in Washington Aherens reports on Albania in the USA page 6-7

Bari, speaks the head of the Anti-Mafia Albanian "clans" kingdom of drugs page 11

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