Limprecht: “It is unacceptable for parties or political leaders to create an atmosphere that would endanger the work of the OSCE or other observer organizations” Yesterday, Ambassador Joseph Limprecht issued a public message to all Albanians and party leaders pages 16–17

By MARTIN LEKA Two years ago, the people of Tirana began to look with pursed lips at the consequences of the previous day’s events. Cleaning up rubble from the streets and pavements, washing shopfronts smeared with mud, removing burnt-out cars. This was the bleak backdrop against which innocent shopkeepers hurried to buy the things stolen in the “revolution” of the previous day, the “proletarian revolution” that degenerated into thieves’ orgies, with office and shop plugs and keys being stolen. Two years later, everyone has the right to weigh the facts: who won and who lost on 14 September; to wonder, on the basis of the facts: who won and who lost on 14 September, left-wingless?! It is absolutely certain that the only ones who gained were the forty or so thieves, so conscientious and responsible that they rushed to find the antenna socket on computers, mistaking them for televisions. And when they realized they were no good as TVs, they sold them the next day for five lekë (!). Everyone else lost. All Albanians, without exception. Albania lost the image of its recovery after the catastrophe of ’97, thus eclipsing the admirable efforts made up to that point by the winners of the elections a year earlier to build a state. Nevertheless, everyone understands, when all is said and done, that as during the past ten years, both two years ago and today, the duel is between the government and the opposition. Both sides lost. Chaos and anarchy taking over a country or even a region cannot produce winners. That is what happened on 14 September too. The government was unable to prevent what happened and therefore came out defeated. It is responsible for safeguarding the state and its institutions. The opposition, in all its components, and especially its leader S. Berisha, came out by far the biggest losers. This can be understood from a superficial analysis if we consider that an attempted coup in the middle of Europe, as Berisha’s party attempted, would meet not only with the absolute opposition of the West, but also with other catastrophic consequences for the very instigators of this public crime. The day before yesterday, the chief of American diplomacy in Tirana, Jozeph Limprecht, asked to meet Berisha, although the latter’s daily itinerary had been full and he was due to be in Vlora the following day. (Continued on page 2)

Supporters of Yugoslav President Milošević threw stones and tomatoes at a rally held by his most important rival in Kosovo. Opposition candidate Vojisllav Kostunica, who is campaigning in areas of Kosovo populated by Serbs, said he had been hit in the face and legs with stones. A local hospital official said eight people had received first aid after violence broke out when Milošević’s supporters attacked the convoy of cars carrying Kostunica, his aides and journalists. Yesterday, in the Albanian part of Mitrovica, Hashim Thaçi held several campaign meetings that passed without violence from political opponents.