The German Minister of State refutes the thesis that attention is shifting toward Serbia Zopel: “I look with admiration at how a new generation in Albania responsibly seizes the great opportunity to overcome centuries-old backwardness in a very short time” The German Minister of State refutes the thesis that attention is shifting toward Serbia. Germany: Albania will become European within a decade. Zopel: “I look with admiration at how a new generation in Albania responsibly seizes the great opportunity to overcome centuries-old backwardness in a very short time.” Zopel in Tirana yesterday. Photo: P. ILO

Of course, all the parties across the opposition spectrum have their headquarters, and they even make some noise. A good number of them receive financial assistance from the State Budget in proportion to their vote share, and are treated as part of this country’s institutional life. In this respect, Albania fully fits the image of a country with the plural structure of democracy. But beneath this picture, the crisis of opposition institutions has persisted in Albania for a long time. It is the longest-running crisis, and perhaps the one with more consequences than ever; its weight translates into an obstacle not only to the process of democratization, but above all to affirming normal relations between the country’s political mechanisms, institutions and legislature. The personalization of relations between the current leader of the largest party, Sali Berisha, and the main party leading the governing majority has brought the crisis to the point where responsibility for the opposition side must finally be determined. In this state of affairs, the Albanian opposition is being deformed, remaining from 1997 until today an unorganized structure, without a vocation or credibility as an opposition—a unit with “many heads.” In its confrontational stance, this opposition has left very little room for loyalty and accountability for the consequences of opposition expressed through a dimly focused outlook. In his latest speech, Berisha ruled out the word “protests,” replacing it with “revolts.” While saying that these were revolts over the vote, he then forgot what path these revolts would take, thereby narrowly constraining the political action of the entire opposition. At these gatherings, the remaining opposition also spends not a word on the tangible social reality, the severe energy crisis, this country’s statistical catastrophe, the brutality of the country’s police in its dealings with crime and the squalor of the suburbs, new and old corruption, or Albania’s official foreign relations. All these vital issues for the country are neglected by the opposition—the institution whose function is to expose and denounce abuses and government failures to act. Meanwhile, the chaotic state within it, its factions and the inconsistencies in its day-to-day strategy, are yet another blatant expression of the other political crisis this country is experiencing. This opposition’s lack of direction toward the structures it—or its hostage-taker, as he is often described, the former president—controls naturally invites the conclusion that even more space is being left in the country’s political arena for the question: “Opposition, where are you?”

page 3 The Intimate Life of Ursula Andress I will go on

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Council of Europe: Albania, the country with excessively high taxes on the press pages 16, 17

All journalists, camera operators, employees and technical staff of KOHA Radio and Television, as well as the “Koha Jonë” journalists in the districts, are hereby informed that a work meeting will be held on Monday, 6 November, at 10⁰⁰, to discuss the new structure and the orientation of RTV KOHA exclusively toward news and studio debates. The new General Director, Mr Vullnet Musaraj, co-owner of “MEDIA '99”, will also be introduced. Each “KJ” journalist in the districts will also work for RTV KOHA, and should therefore submit the name of their camera operator on Monday.