Mercenaries and toughs apply pressure to impose the result Scandal in Kakavijë. Greek cars without documents seek to violate Albanian law page 3

BY MARTIN LEKA Today’s challenge for Albanians is called Himara. It may seem paradoxical, given that although voting is taking place today almost all over Albania, the civic and human conscience of Albanians is focused on a town in the south of the country, in a brilliant geographical position, known in Albania more than anything else for two things: its beauty and its polyphonic songs. We could have completely ignored a place like Himara, where around 3,000 people will vote today, out of the more than 1 million voting in Albania today. But the influx of Greek public opinion, the Greek media, and especially MPs from the opposition “New Democracy” has made this small town the greatest object of affection for Albanians today. The electoral logic of two weeks ago would have made it easy, even for the most fanatical ignoramus, to work out the arithmetic of the winner. It would be, as it will in fact be today, the Albanian candidate Viktor Mato. Beyond the choice of a mayor, certain anti-Albanian circles appear interested in creating an artificial incident with Albania. This aim is evident not only in the anti-Albanian sentiment of Greek extremist circles, not only in the tension created yesterday in Himara, not only in the arrival of Greek MPs and the “tough guys” accompanying them, but also in the statement by the Greek Foreign Minister, who is calling for international monitoring of the votes of Albanian emigrants. Before doing this, he should notify the Council of Europe at least once so it can see the Greek “sweeps,” accompanied by unprecedented violence by Greek police officers. Greek diplomacy should understand that the Albanian authorities have never prevented the PBDNJ from receiving votes in Kukës or Tropojë, or in Sarandë or Vlorë. Neither in places where it is called PëDëNjë, nor where it is called PeDhENjë. Plenty of people may come to Himara, but the soil remains the same as it was thousands of years ago when it came into being. People may “create” a mayor, but they cannot change what has always been, is, and will be, from time immemorial: Albanian Himara.

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