The leader of the DP: “He will answer for what he is doing” The election of the seventh member of the CEC sparks fierce controversy in Parliament page 3

By GAVROSH LEVONJA After an incident involving a Montenegrin Police speedboat, which was fired upon by Yugoslav soldiers, the latter also blocked the border crossing for Albanian citizens, demanding Yugoslav visas. There is not the slightest doubt that such a step, ordered by Belgrade, represents an escalation of Milošević’s pressure on Montenegrin President Gjukanoviç. Specifically, Belgrade’s decision to close the Hani i Hotit artery came only a short time after changes to the Constitution of Yugoslavia, intended to discriminate against the small republic of what remains of Yugoslavia; at the same time, it was accompanied by the Serbian Police blocking food products entering Montenegro from Serbia. With these measures, the man who continues to rule in Belgrade aims to make life as difficult as possible for his opponents, who enjoy Western support, perhaps also to paralyze his links with the Serbian opposition on the eve of local elections in the country. Indeed, the Montenegrin President, following the unilateral decision of the federal Parliament controlled by Milošević, can be said to find himself between two fires. First of all, if he hesitates over holding a referendum to separate the country from Serbia, Gjukanoviçi fears the outbreak of a bloody war, from which his country would suffer more than anyone. His 25,000 police officers, equipped with light weapons, do not seem capable of standing up to an army like the Yugoslav one, especially since it controls all the strategic points in Montenegro. Add to this a considerable number of “pro-Milošević” Montenegrins, many of whom are already armed by the Belgrade regime. On the other hand, the President of Montenegro has still not received a signal from the West for a “show of force” against Milošević; while advising him to show restraint, the West warns that it will not do what it did in Kosovo should a conflict break out in Montenegro. In this regard, one cannot help noticing that Milošević’s offensive began a few months before the US presidential election, when Washington is known to be extremely cautious during such periods. In this respect, Milošević seems to have decided to test the West’s nerves too, taking its pulse regarding the scale of its reaction. But it should not be forgotten that any hesitation by Gjukanoviçi over the decision to “burn his bridges” with Yugoslavia, and to give Milošević an appropriate answer, would work to the advantage of those who support Belgrade and would negatively affect the balance with the Serbian dictator. As those who [unclear] at the beginning of his battle with [unclear] have vowed, the developments in Montenegro are fraught with surprises, which obliges Albanian politicians to follow the situation there closely so as not to be caught off guard.

Page 15 Italian naval forces recovering the bodies yesterday in the Strait of Otranto photo REUTERS

Major producers and importers: the battle to dominate world markets Fuel barons bewilder politicians In Albania, the price has risen by 25 percent over the last 3 months page 20