The three leading figures of the Democratic Alliance Party, Neritan Ceka, Ridvan Peshkëpia and Preç Zogaj, are still on the island of fuel today page 8

The construction business is among the most successful businesses and accounts for a considerable share of investment funds in the Albanian economy. However, this has meant that the many construction projects carried out and still under way over these years, when it comes to compliance with urban-planning regulations, have been and remain one of the most complicated problems of the transition years. Corruption among officials at the central and local levels has also played a significant role in this regard. It is now a well-known fact that the issuing of construction permits has been particularly fertile ground for corruption to flourish. Yet, as a consequence of non-compliance with urban-planning regulations, persistent conflicts have arisen in a considerable proportion of construction projects from this period—both between ordinary citizens and construction companies, and among the companies themselves. While the conflict between citizens and construction companies was rooted in disregard for individual rights—for example, allowing a high-rise building to be erected right in front of someone’s window—the disputes between different construction companies relate to what is known as unfair competition. Thus, while some companies were granted permits to build without regard for urban-planning rules, for others obtaining a construction permit had become a veritable odyssey. Tirana, as the country’s metropolis, can be said to have set the most negative example in this regard. Specifically, numerous irregularities in the field of indiscriminate construction, provoking the citizens’ justified outrage, prompted the Prefecture of Tirana to take action. As soon as Prefect Dedja was appointed to the post, one of the goals he set for himself was to make his institution a barricade against legal violations and abuses in the construction sector. Nevertheless, the prefecture had to make maximum efforts to combat illegal construction. In fact, the “Dedja” period has been characterized by the cancellation of illegal construction permits. On the other hand, by seeking compliance with the “rules of the game,” he has tried to minimize the ordeal of bureaucratic delays faced by Albanian builders when obtaining construction permits. Such efforts have also played a significant part in the important decisions taken by the KRRSH in recent days, such as the rigorous inspection of construction permits and the strengthening of the Construction Police.

Page 7 Poçi’s deputy, Anti-Mafia Prosecutor

Prosecuted by the Greek justice system for giving birth at an advanced age page 10

The Bogovë forest, where the former prime minister used to feed wild boars, is engulfed in flames Alarm at the prefecture. So far, 14 hectares have burned page 11