Minister Bode comments on the freezing of the foundations’ money PS, the party of misfortune The strong tremor in the loan-sharking business, the bankruptcy of the “Sude” firm and the freezing of the funds of the “Populli” and “Xhaferri” foundations and the “Gjallica” firm, because the deposits of thousands upon thousands of Albanian citizens were at risk, was welcomed with rubbing of hands in the failed camp of the left-wing opposition. Having failed with their sole anti-President and anti-democracy alternative, the conservative leaders of the PS, as well as charlatans like Ceka and Gjinushi, from whose political pole only the seal remains, rushed to exploit the tension of thousands upon thousands of people, caused by the threat to their deposits, to make up for their hopeless defeat, their atrophy and fossilization on the Albanian political scene. This attempt by Albanian left-wing extremists to use people’s pain and misfortune for political capital is the most shameless expression of cynicism, spiritual wickedness, the poison they have stored in their souls, and the human hatred they feel for democracy and its values, for civilization and its values, for Albania and its future, and for the Albanian people and their future. There can be no greater misfortune for a political force; no greater misfortune can befall a politician or political group than to build its political platform, to presume its political success, on other people’s misfortune, on the misfortune of its own citizens, on their pain, suffering and sacrifices. The government’s decision to temporarily freeze the deposits of the foundations, which had been examined beforehand by a parliamentary committee—or, in other words, the transparency committee—is a preventive measure by the government in the citizens’ favor. This freeze means that the deposits currently held by these foundations in second-tier banks, including the Banka Tregtare, which is a second-tier bank, are to be blocked in the depositors’ interest until the matter is finally clarified. This means that if these firms and foundations conduct their activities in accordance with their statutes and do not base their activities on pyramid schemes for collecting money, they will be allowed to continue operating according to the rules, as they may have done up to now. Otherwise, it will be clarified how to proceed. In any case, this is a temporary freeze of the deposited money, a temporary blocking of it in the bank until the situation is clarified, in the interest of the depositors of these 250 million dollars. This is a protective measure, given the situation that has arisen, when the public is worried about the future of these firms, all the more so because we have a precedent: the bankruptcy of the Sude firm, in which depositors lost their money. I want to emphasize that, although the amount that has been blocked has been said to concern the state budget and the budget deficit for the past year—claims that are entirely unfounded, because the money is not in the state budget but in state-owned second-tier banks, which manage it according to the rules and laws governing their activities—I would assure all depositors in these foundations that their money, frozen in the bank, is completely safe. This money will be made available to depositors in accordance with the rules and laws, and, in the worst case, if these foundations are based on a pyramid scheme. So the guarantee that citizens who deposited money will get back the money we have blocked is complete. civilization and its values, for Albania and its future, for people, their security and their future. There can be no greater calamity for a political force; there can be no greater calamity for a politician or a group of politicians than to change your political platform, to base your political success on the misfortune of others, on the misfortune of your citizens, on their pain, suffering and sacrifices. But unfortunately, the Albanian far left, the so-called Socialist Party and its brainless, emasculated satellites, from the beginnings of the democratic movement until today, have tried to build their politics on the suffering, pain, tragedy and hardship of every individual during this difficult period that we all faced together with courage after the fall of the monster of communism—perhaps among the greatest calamities Albanians have experienced throughout their millennia-long history. When Albanians took to the streets and began protesting peacefully but resolutely against dictatorship, for a free and democratic society, the Albanian Stalinist hooligans provoked arson and destruction, exoduses, crime and terror in order to discredit the values of freedom and democracy. These offspring of evil did not abandon this political course even after losing power. Albanians are witnesses to how the former Communist secret-police structures were implicated in the gravest crimes committed over these four years, while the last chief of that infamous police force held the post of secretary-general of the Socialist Party. During these five years of Democratic Party rule, when extraordinary transformations took place in Albania despite many difficulties—transformations of which all the citizens of this country are aware, as shown by their verdict in the last two elections, in which the Democratic Party and its alternative were voted for overwhelmingly—the Socialist owls have done nothing but lament and shed crocodile tears over the people’s troubles. They have shamelessly tried to blame the DP, the President and the Democratic government for every weather disaster, every car-travel tragedy and every painful event. Like ravens, they have croaked over every individual misfortune suffered by every citizen; like ravens, they have foretold doom for months and years. The alternative of the SP and its impotent satellites has been an alternative of mourning, an alternative of misfortune for Albanians, and it is precisely for this reason that the Socialist Party became a calamity. The mourning and misfortune that befell Albanians for four consecutive years enveloped them. Albanians rejected it with contempt and refused with dignity to become part of the Socialist calamity. But the Socialists, being thick-headed, persist in their alternative of misfortune. After all, being the wretches of history, they cannot create or support any other alternative. They rejoice and rub their hands when a company goes bankrupt; they rejoice and rub their hands when Albania faces a difficulty; they rejoice in misfortune and despair. But the Socialists and their eunuchs can be certain of one thing: Albanians will never accept those who foretell misfortune as their leaders.

Interview with Kristaq Luniku, Governor of the Bank of Albania The assets of the borrowing firms have been frozen, but meanwhile the governor of the Bank of Albania says that everyone should receive a share of what is due to them, whether it is money, a building or a shop. A bank is a genuine financial intermediary. We will not allow any license for banking activities to be issued by the Central Bank unless the applicants have the necessary experience and unless we are convinced that we are dealing with pyramid schemes—not usury, but capital invested in production, with interest rates that conform to those prevailing in financial markets throughout the world. Only 48 hours have passed since the latest decision! The Albanian Government’s decision to freeze the money that the borrowers hold in state banks. A leading representative of the banking system and the Central Bank says that, by the time we reach a decision about this money, the usury firms have carried out an unfair distribution and, unfortunately, the wealth has become widely dispersed, creating a very large gap between the individuals who entrusted their money to them. He states clearly that these firms made a few individuals rich and wealthy, at the expense of thousands of other people. The undeniable fact is that a large number of Albanians are left out on the streets and have lost their only wealth. One person put in 1 million and another 20 million; some gave these firms the only property they had that could bring them closer to owning a home, and the misfortune does not end with the figures representing the money lost. As a senior banking specialist and official in Albania’s banking system, Luniku stresses that at this moment it is most important “that this money not disappear, that it not leave through emigration. But, so that this money neither leaves nor disappears, the state itself must act on behalf of the Albanian people who put it in.” He goes on to say that this present wealth is no longer worth what it was to the people who deposited it. But, to the extent possible, the amount put into the usury schemes should be recovered. In this regard, Luniku says: “The legal basis must be improved and, at the same time, provision must be made at least to block the managers, to analyze the lists of everyone, and then, on the basis of procedures established by law, such as a distribution order, specific shares should be received in cash, or in buildings, shops or whatever they may be.”

Deputy Finance Minister Sherefedin Shehu comments on the government’s decision to freeze the deposits held by the foundations: The system of usury in Albania, through the bankruptcy of the so-called Sude firm, has focused public attention also on the other side of the coin: the scale of the loss of money in the event that borrowing firms go bankrupt. It was precisely to reduce the extent of the loss that the Government, at an emergency meeting, decided to freeze the deposits of the Populli and Xhaferri foundations. Why was such a step taken only against these two foundations, what was the purpose of the Government’s decision, how will they operate in the future, and other issues were explained yesterday in a statement to RD by Deputy Finance Minister Sherefedin Shehu. Page 3

Announcement The National Council of PDSH meets Today, at 10:00, an expanded meeting of the National Council of PDSH will be held in the hall of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, on the topic: “Deepening the reform in implementing the DP program—a primary task for our structures.” Invited are the deputies of the DP parliamentary group, the secretaries of DP branches, the chairpersons of FRPD and the DP Women’s Forum, the chairpersons of working groups, mayors, chairpersons of district councils, prefects, commune chairpersons, and the mass media. Invitations may be collected from the PDSH Organization Department in Tirana. The PDSH Presidium

Jail for the borrowers Page 2

Page 3