Hundreds of young people were repatriated without their wives and children “Fino took revenge for the Bushat incident” were the first words spoken by hundreds of refugees from Shkodër who were repatriated yesterday after the 36-hour odyssey of three days ago. Page 2

Vejsiu on the Fino–political parties meeting — What was discussed between Fino and all the parties at the last meeting? — Prime Minister Fino presented a draft agreement with three points, the first of which called for the adoption of the 1992 version of the electoral law, supplemented by the Council of Europe and ODIHR, a version that is essentially proportional. The second issue set out in the draft agreement was the reinstatement of the anti-defection law, with the aim of restricting it. — The third issue was the position on the military committees, which, under this agreement, were to be disbanded after the election date was set. — Why did the PD insist on the majoritarian law? — There are many arguments. The experience of countries with older democracies points to a gradual shift toward the majoritarian law, as in France, England, etc. — Do you think this law is acceptable to the electorate? — Not only is it acceptable, but I would say it is perhaps the only one that would suit the electorate. With this law, the electorate would choose its candidate honestly and transparently. This law prevails today in the Mediterranean and Europe. The opposite happens with the proportional system, where candidates are selected on lists by political forces and are destined to lead parasitic lives, detached from the electorate. The proportional law also carries another risk. It can lead to the emergence of so-called partitocracy, in which a party puts in parliament not those individuals who have merit, but those who rank highest in the party hierarchy. — Why is there a demand to change the anti-genocide law? — In reality, this is not specifically an effort by the PS to exempt from responsibility those who committed crimes throughout the period of the dictatorial system. The draft agreement presented to us considerably narrowed the scope of this law. That was why several parties objected; some even demanded that this law also be replaced by the criminalization of acts from recent years, such as those involving corruption, pyramid schemes, foreign agencies, etc. — The third point of the draft agreement concerned the position toward the so-called military committees. What was your position? — On this point, we did not agree with what was presented to us here, which said that the committees would be disbanded after the election date was set. This means legalizing the committees’ activities to date. Likewise, making the date conditional on the committees’ dissolution is absurd, since they could emerge again and have no connection [to it]. It must be said that they are coordinated, and it makes no difference if the committees are formally disbanded and then reactivated during the campaign. These unconstitutional matters must, without any hesitation, be subject to penalties. Discussing these committees in this way makes it clear who created them and who is interested in keeping these unconstitutional formations standing.

President Berisha speaks with Ambassador Grubmajer We are committed to a fully majoritarian system, the system that prevails today in the Mediterranean and Europe and that Albania needs in order to restore stability. No political maneuver, whoever may be behind it, will divert us from the 9 March Agreement, and attempts to undermine this Agreement through the electoral law are merely a pretext for keeping the rebel committees in place; they must soon be held accountable for the acts they have committed and for blocking the electoral process. Yesterday at noon, President Berisha received Ambassador Grubmajer at his request, and discussed with him ... already familiar with the 28 March agreement, in which the PS’s alliance with the rebel committees is publicly legalized. They also ... but some OSCE groups, the Council of Europe, etc., recognize it as a law that provides the basis for free and fair elections. We are broadly ... concerning the electoral process. At this meeting President Berisha reiterated that the major—and only—obstacle to holding elections today is the socialists’ alliance with the committees in several districts of the country and their support by PS government officials. It is of great importance that political forces and international committees call on the leadership of the Socialist Party and its wing in the Government to sever all ties with these committees, which are terrorizing the population in these cities and strengthening the fundamentalist wing of the PS, not its moderate wing. The claim that the PS leadership and the Government have no connection with the committees is naïve and nobody can believe it. Albanians, and not only Albanians, are have also repeatedly seen, over these two months, on the screens of Albanian RTV and foreign media, socialist ministers and government officials embracing them, giving speeches from rally platforms, and sitting at tables with Malaj, Shyti, Zani, who today lead these rebel committees. There is also a Council of Europe resolution on these committees that considers them illegal. The Albanian Government must respect this resolution. “I,” the President stressed, “am convinced that no Albanian who wants free and fair elections accepts the electoral campaign beginning in the presence of these committees. Albanians see Albania only as a whole.” As for the Albanian electoral law, I consider that some groups of the OSCE, March Agreement, and attempts to adopt be held responsible electoral process. Ambassador Grubmajer informed the President about Chancellor Vranickij’s visit to our country, as well as expressing the opinion that all efforts to hold the elections within the time frame set by the political forces should be accelerated.

The OSCE’s special envoy, former Austrian Chancellor Vranicki, arrives in Tirana today. As is known, negotiator Vranicki has visited Albania several times after the events of the communist rebellion in the south of the country, which had plunged the country into a deep crisis. In his role as the OSCE’s special envoy, the former Austrian Chancellor has contributed to calming the unrest in the country and the explosive situations of several weeks ago. Vranicki played an important role in negotiations with several EU countries to secure real recognition of the Albanian problem, as well as in obtaining much-needed economic and humanitarian aid for the Albanian people. Negotiator Vranicki and the OSCE helped the Albanian people with regard to the issue of ... the preparations for new elections and the arrival of the multinational force, to restore public order in Albania. Mr. Vranicki has also played a positive role in fostering serious dialogue between the government and political parties in Albania to prepare for the upcoming elections. Tirana today, as political forces in the country are discussing very important issues such as the adoption of the electoral law, as well as the dissolution of the military committees in several southern cities, which make the regular electoral process impossible. Mr. Vranicki is welcome to help find solutions to these problems as well. It is understood that the former Austrian Chancellor and OSCE special envoy will stay in Albania for 2–3 days. M. BUÇPAPAJ

Meeting of Mr. Arbnori with the group section of Vau i Dejës The PD structures at every level do not need to be rebuilt, since they have been and remain fully operational, said, among other things, at the meeting held yesterday by the member of the PDSH leadership and Speaker of the People’s Assembly, Mr. Pjetër Arbnori, with the group section of the Municipality of Vau i Dejës in Shkodër. Also taking part were the chairman of the PD branch in Shkodër, Mr. Ommir Rusi, PD secretary Mark Kroqi, and the chairman of the PD group section in Vau i Dejës, Nard Noka. The meeting went on to reaffirm once again full support for the PD and President Berisha in this area, as throughout the district of Shkodër. As was said there, the latest conclusions of the meeting of the PD National Council have received broad support from the grassroots PD structures. The speakers responsibly analyzed the factors that led to this grave situation for the country and clarified the mistake involving the arsonists and the firefighters. The various speakers at the meeting condemned the illegal and terrorist activities of the rebel committees in several southern cities and stressed that those who created them must eliminate them, because only then will we have free elections, change and democracy.

A pine sapling named after Albanian director Kujtim Çashku, as well as a pine sapling named after renowned Italian director Vanna Paoli, is planted in the University Square beside the Academy of Arts in Izmir, Turkey . From April 29 to May 4, the 9th International Film Festival was held in Izmir, Turkey, and paid tribute to the work of the world-renowned artist Marcelo Mastrojani. The Albanian director Kujtim Çashku’s film “Kolonel Bunker” took part in the Mediterranean film competition at the festival. The film was awarded the Special Jury Prize. The Israeli film “In the Name of Love,” by director Idit Shechor, received the same prize. The “Artemisi i Florit” Cup was awarded to the French film “Letrae saj është ajo” by director Romain Goupil (Rome Copal).

Meetings continue in the PD sections in Lezhë Mr. Vili Minarolli, PD Secretary for Public Relations, takes part Page 3