Today the Socialist Party leader, Mr. Servet Pëllumbi, seems to have had a difficult night. Hesitation is visible on his face, and the weight of defeat surely made him sleep uneasily. Mr. Pëllumbi’s statement yesterday about a protest in defense of the truth, while taking responsibility for the slanders, sounds to us like a tightening of nerves before an inevitable defeat. He informed us yesterday that from the beginning of January the work of the commission for screening former State Security personnel would be stopped. We had become used to sensational news from this gentleman, but today’s one is truly weighty. His statement was made public on television and radio, as a report from him personally, received directly by phone from the journalist. To say such a big thing and claim to come out with one’s head held high is no small matter. It was not difficult to understand where this news came from. The fact that Mr. Servet Pëllumbi had for days been in constant contact with PS leaders and with several deputies makes it clear that the source of the "information" was official. However, that does not make it true. On the contrary, it makes the position of the one spreading it even more serious. The truth is that the commission continues its work and there has been no decision to interrupt it. The attempt to create political panic and strike at a necessary process of moral cleansing is clear. This is another slap for the Socialist Party, which, instead of helping clarify the past, tries to cast a fog over it. Instead of responsibility and seriousness, Mr. Pëllumbi chose the path of political noise. But that path does not lead far. Public opinion understands very well the difference between an official announcement and an invention circulated for low political aims. The Socialist Party would do better to reflect. Each day that passes makes it clearer that it has not been able to break with the old habits of manipulation. And that is its greatest loss.

The press service in the Italian parliament yesterday denied the reports according to which the former Italian prime minister, Mr. Giulio Andreotti, has been implicated in a case involving mediation and financial gains. According to the statement, the published documents do not prove the accusations and contain no new element that would change the current assessment. The reports spread by some agencies have been considered inaccurate and tendentious. In the first comments from the Italian press, it is said that the case is being used for political warfare, while the investigations continue. Sources close to the prosecutor’s office have not agreed to give further details. Observers believe that the latest development may influence political debates in Italy, but it is still too early to speak of concrete consequences.

ANNOUNCED BY SINAN VESHU I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 1993, with the hope that the first days of the new year will mark a good beginning for economic and social activity, the stabilization of life, and a hopeful future for Albanians. Friends and compatriots, 1992 has been a difficult year, but also a year of great turning point. The year now ending taught us that freedom has its price, that democracy requires work, patience, and responsibility, and that without everyone’s effort neither the state nor prosperity can be built. On this threshold of the year, we must think about Albanian families, about the young, about pensioners, about the unemployed, and about all those who have suffered most from the burden of the transition. We must think about order, law, work, and production. Let us enter the New Year with faith, determination, and hope. Albania can become and will become, if we know how to remain united, honest, and unwavering on the path of freedom and democracy. Happy New Year 1993!

The shortage of the population[?] in Praball[?]et only with electric energy It seems that there is only one explanation for the failure to meet consumers’ needs for electric power in the city of K[?]: breakdowns and the inability to ensure regular supply. Citizens complain that outages are frequent and that everyday life has become difficult. In the evening hours, entire neighborhoods are left without lights. According to them, this situation has been going on for weeks and no one gives a convincing explanation. Meanwhile, payments are demanded regularly, while the service remains poor. Residents are calling for immediate intervention and a serious plan to improve the electricity supply, especially on the eve of the harsh winter.

VOICE(?) OF SALI BERISHA GJOVANI GLEJOSHI At Treminalin[?] on 25 December, 4 people lost their lives as a result of a road accident. According to local sources, the vehicle left the road and overturned. Another incident was recorded on the outskirts of the city, where the police arrested a person suspected of theft. The investigations continue. In a special notice, citizens are advised to exercise extra caution during the holiday days.