President of the Republic Sali Berisha, expressing his profound grief and most sincere condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the Qafë Shtamë tunnel , calls on the entire population of the country not to approach any military facility, just as he has asked the Prosecutor General to immediately launch an investigation into the causes, circumstances and responsibility for this avoidable tragedy, and the Government to take all measures to prevent such tragic events and to assist the families affected by this grave tragedy.

Feature on the people of the committees How the march toward Tirana was thwarted Feature on the people of the committees Terror and crimes under Shvyt’s direction How the march toward Tirana was thwarted (more in upcoming issues) Page 3

A view of the site where the tragedy occurred. Qafë Shtamë, 30 April 1997

Vranitcki: The issues being discussed concerning the election law are not fundamental Telephone conversation between Berisha and Vranitcki The Prime Minister’s statement that he might resign if his party’s formula for the electoral law is not accepted surprises me. It shows a lack of a sense of tolerance and compromise. He often describes himself as a product of the March 9 agreement, but if he has read it, he should know that it says nothing about an election law. The Socialist Party’s pressure may compel him to take adventurous steps, but if he thinks he can impose them on the Democratic Party and the parliamentary majority, he is not only undermining National Reconciliation, but also demonstrating that he does not understand the scale of the issue. His statement seems imprudent to me, because it comes at a time when the country’s two main parties are holding talks on a package of decisions related to the elections.

More space for Nano’s photo than for the Qafë Shtamë tragedy Page 4

Vranitcki: The issues being discussed concerning the election law are not fundamental The President of the Republic, Sali Berisha, spoke by telephone yesterday with the personal representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, former Austrian Chancellor Franc Vranitcki, at the latter’s request. They discussed the situation in the country and progress toward elections. Once again, President Berisha confirmed to Chancellor Vranitcki the necessity of holding free elections within the deadline set by the political forces in the March 9 agreement. At present, President Berisha stressed, the major obstacles to holding free elections and setting their date are the armed committees in several southern districts, which obstruct legitimate central and local government in those districts and keep them mired in organized crime, theft, robbery, looting, murder, and the expulsion of foreign investors. These committees, led by left-wing extremists, mobsters, and traffickers, do not allow the political activity of non-leftist forces, obstruct the distribution of non-leftist newspapers in these areas, and prevent the free movement of people. President Berisha stressed that through their activities, by making it impossible to set the election date and delaying its determination, they are punishing all Albanian citizens through a deterioration in their family and economic circumstances and their businesses, as a result of rising inflation and increased use of the budget deficit. Resolving these problems requires the stabilization of the country’s governance through free elections. These committees, the President stressed, are reigning over chaos and terror in these districts because the Government of National Reconciliation is paralyzed and cannot act against them. Under the March 28 agreement, the committees were declared to be the armed wing or ally of the country’s main former opposition force, which currently leads the Government of National Reconciliation. Recently, the Government has organized a series of meetings with the political forces on the election law, although it is known that the majoritarian law meets international standards and is something Albania needs greatly during this period. The President stressed that he wants a decision requiring the PS to denounce its March 28 alliance with these committees and to remove them from the territory and population, restore public order, and bring back the peace and security that the citizens of these districts deserve. President Berisha stressed that he had discussed these problems repeatedly with government leaders and members, as well as representatives of the political forces. Former Austrian Chancellor Vranitcki praised President Berisha’s commitment to holding free and fair elections within the deadline set by the March 9 agreement. He also agreed with the President that fundamental matters that should obstruct free and fair elections, and insisted on the need to break the deadlock in several southern districts and create the conditions for a democratic electoral process.

According to the independent ENTER Agency: Former Albanian Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi says that his government never asked the United States of America to take control of the island of Sazan in Vlora. In an interview with the independent news agency “Enter,” the former Albanian prime minister said that “there is no official document to prove this.” Meksi added that the Albanian government had never discussed this issue through institutional channels. He said that talks on closer military cooperation between the two countries had been the responsibility of former senior government military officials who were serving outside Albania. Former Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi said that the developed military government is part of NATO’s military bases in Albania. He said that NATO’s presence in Albania was conditional on Parliament’s Partnership for Peace agreement and Albania’s political orientation. “We,” he said, “have never made a request for any particular place.” The statement by former Albanian Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi comes after his talks yesterday with the American Ambassador in Tirana, who says that the Albanian government offered the island of Sazan to the American government in December 1995. The controversy erupted after the foreign press, mainly American, repeatedly emphasized that one of the aims behind the cooling of relations between Washington and Tirana was the problems that had arisen in military relations.

- The twists and turns from left to right have added wrinkles to old man Godo, but now they are also creating cracks Page 4

At its party meeting, only a few people showed up, while in Rubik no one could be found to attend the meeting

An irresponsible and adventurous resignation The Prime Minister’s statement that he might resign if his party’s formula for the electoral law is not accepted surprises me.

The Secretary General of the DP, Mr. Genc Pollo, tells “RD” The Prime Minister’s warning that he would resign is irresponsible and adventurous

Nano’s photo, as for the Qafe Shtame tragedy Page 4 Those who destroyed the army cannot rebuild it To build a modern army, modern structures are needed, not structures from 1942–1944. In the army: those who abandoned the barracks are in charge of the work, along with the Enverist-socialist armed wing. Minister Vukaj has been deprived of not 3 units, but more than 50 barracks, more than 100 warehouses, ammunition depots, etc.

The PS openly declares itself responsible for the Albanian tragedy

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