By holding corruption and its standard-bearers to account, it shows transparency, principle, and professional maturity. The determination to create a truly modern constitutional state. -Fatos Nano and his gang-a major stain of corruption and shame for the PS and the alternative it represents

The new procedure to be used in today's court session will consist entirely of reading the indictment of the person in the case, at the opening of the trial. In principle, this procedure is completely different from the usual procedures in criminal and civil matters in particular. It serves to develop the case in detail so as to give maximum transparency to the conclusions of the criminal offense to be investigated. The trial, as a process of applying substantive and procedural criminal law in our country under the conditions of pluralist democracy, also contains other institutional duties and characteristics. Its mission is to render a just and impartial verdict, to restore violated rights, and to prevent the perpetrators of any criminal offense from committing it. The prosecution body has the same role, which, within the framework of respect for legality, carries out the function of criminal prosecution on behalf of the state. Precisely these facts make the trial of the case "Nano and company" not merely a routine criminal process against persons incriminated for unprecedented economic corruption, but also a major test for our new democratic state. It can prove with concrete facts that Albanian justice is capable of fighting, with the means of law to the very end, the most alarming and dangerous manifestations of corruption among state officials, regardless of status or position, as a phenomenon inherited from and highly harmful under yesterday's dictatorship. This is particularly important because in our country in these last 1-2 years, under all-around coercive measures by the PD government against official corruption, by holding several former ministers and other high officials to account, the personal contribution of Fatos Nano in educating Albanians with hatred for private property and the private economy, in discrediting the market economy and implementing anti-national policy in this field, has steadily been denounced as the source of every economic evil. Nano has shown irresponsibility ever since he left the post of Prime Minister, defiantly challenging the authority of the government at a time when restoring normality to the economy and life in the country required a completely different attitude. At the head of the Socialists, he never dealt a serious blow to the corruption or abuses that had occurred during his rule. On the contrary, he tried to use the vices of old politics as tools to attack his opponents and as an alibi for their defeats. From this perspective, today's process takes on a broader political and moral meaning, because the determination to strike down even the most well-known figures of corruption is linked to the fate of democracy, reform, and social stability. Any concession in the face of this evil would damage not only the state, but also the PS itself and the alternative it represents.

The new procedure that will be used in today's court session will consist entirely of reading the indictment of the person in the case and opening the trial [?]

At last, Jano tries to persuade his entourage, the close circle around him, that his final end in prison should be justified, in short, by some "carelessness" or "oversight." According to Jano's calculations, having such political blind men at his side, such as Kastriot Islami, Teodor Laço, Luan Hajdaraga, Ylli Bufi, etc., gives him the illusion that through supposedly legalistic sophisms his responsibility for the criminal acts committed can be weakened or erased. However, all this effort is in vain. Nano cannot appear before public opinion as a man who has merely been careless. He was the initiator, inspirer, and defender of an entire system of corruption. Instead of leading the government to serve reforms and economic recovery, he turned the administration into a mechanism for clientelist enrichment and the misuse of funds. That is why the indictment against him and his collaborators is not merely a personal matter, but an act with broad social and political significance. The Albanian people expect justice not to retreat and not to fall prey to pressure or flimsy excuses. Only in this way can a new standard of public responsibility be established and the belief that power exists to plunder be uprooted. For Nano there remains only the shame of the failure of his false ideal and of his corrupted mission.

Every ordinary person who follows with attention the political and social events and developments in our country during these three years of pluralist democracy is able to understand the fundamental difference that exists between today's Albanian society and that before 22 March 1992. On the unforgettable 26th of March of that year, millions of Albanians were morally and spiritually freed from the anguish of a communist hell. At the same time, hopes grew for economic revival, for the construction of legal institutions, and for the return of civic dignity. However, together with this great social process, there still remained forces and mentalities that aim to sabotage every step toward normality. These are the remnants of communism, which sometimes appear openly and sometimes hide behind new political formulas. The motionists, who for momentary interests became allies with the communists, are trying to keep alive the spirit of conflict and blockage. They offer no clear vision for the country's development, only obstacles, slander, and division. By instrumentalizing discontent and feeding nostalgia for the past, they try to create the idea that democratic change has failed. But the facts say otherwise. Albania has embarked on a one-way path toward freedom, private property, and a market economy. For this reason, the alliance of the communists with the motionists is nothing other than an alliance of hell against civic hope.

On Friday the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, received the ambassador of the People's Republic of China in a meeting. During the conversation, issues of bilateral relations and the possibilities for expanding cooperation in fields of mutual interest were discussed. The President valued the traditional relations between the two countries and emphasized the importance of the new democratic developments in Albania. For his part, the ambassador expressed readiness to deepen contacts and contribute to strengthening ties between the two peoples. The meeting took place in an atmosphere of understanding and friendship.

The reconstruction of Tirana's electrical network will continue in several districts of the capital. The municipality is cooperating with specialized organizations to improve the power supply and eliminate the many inherited defects. The works aim to increase technical safety and create better conditions for residents.

The responsible institutions are reviewing possibilities for better use of water resources and for improving conditions for various sectors of the economy. It was emphasized that the proper management of water resources is essential for agricultural and industrial development.