A hail of bullets at the multinational forces’ helicopter in Vlora ON PAGE 2

Hospitals document the victims of the months of communist rebellion ON PAGE 5

Fatal explosion for a participant in the massacre of the special forces ON PAGE 2

. Albanian socialists are making it clear that they will try to use every means to maintain the monopoly of the armed committees in several cities in southern Albania until election day, June 29. An armed gang of SP militants stopped a group of foreign observers heading to Gjirokastër at midday on Thursday, threatening that they would be killed on the spot if they tried to continue on their way. The terrorist attack on members of the international community’s mission is, in effect, a declaration of war between the Socialist Party and international observers, chiefly the OSCE, whose mission will be to monitor the June 29 elections in Albania. The return of Western mission members to Tirana under the menace of Kalashnikov barrels is the criminal message that the SP’s black ranks are sending to foreign observers who have come, and will come, to Albania for the elections. A day before the grave and significant incident, the Socialist secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Lush Përpali, had declared at a meeting with Bundestag deputies that his party believed the committees should be disbanded only after the elections. The German parliamentarians had reminded Përpali that his party had signed the May 9 political agreement, under which the committees were to be disbanded 45 days before the elections, and that it should keep its promise. The grave incident in Memaliaj is fully in keeping with the statement by socialist official Përpali, as well as with the entire political line of the Socialist Party in recent days. A few days earlier, SP leader Fatos Nano accused the OSCE of working against Albania’s left-wing parties, threatening Albanians and the international community that the Albanian crisis would recur in other episodes. During this period, the Socialist Party leader has expressed great distrust of the international community’s efforts, repeatedly attacking and even insulting the OSCE and its special envoy, Franc Vranicki. The socialists’ accusations against the OSCE have grown particularly since the preparatory conference in Rome, which dashed the hopes of the Socialist Party and other left-wing parties of finding international support for blocking or postponing the June 29 elections. Following the OSCE’s ultimatum that there would be no postponement of the elections, and especially after the categorical statement by the United States that the left should forget about a boycott, the socialists seem to have been left with nothing but the committees to rely on—their only oasis in the wasteland of their certain defeat. By driving away foreign observers at gunpoint and terrorizing residents of several southern cities, the socialists intend to keep at least a few electoral districts [the source text here is garbled] as the only possibility, a few hours before Fatos Nano and several other SP figures enter parliament. Prime Minister Fino pretended yesterday to express regret over the serious incident in Memaliaj and hastened to say that the people who attacked the foreign observers did not belong to any political party. We have a simple question for Fino: how does he know that the armed bandits were apolitical, when their names are not yet known and it is still unknown how the attack was organized? Fino’s being thrown once again into a [garbled phrase] with several politicians is part of the socialists’ plan to prevent any foreign observer from setting foot in the areas controlled by the armed committees. Astrit PATOZI

The committee’s bandits carry out Nano’s orders. The OSCE hopes the incident will not recur: “If it happens to us again, we will react forcefully.”

The serious incident in Bilatë happened before Fino met Gligorov . The shameful success of the meeting with Gligorov. In the now stale and worn-out style of reporting the success of socialist Fino’s visits around Europe, the left-wing press and his press office also covered the Prime Minister’s latest trip to Holland. According to “ZP,” European and world prime ministers, presidents and heads of state are practically falling over themselves—or, rather, had lined up—to meet Fino and express their support, backing, etc., etc. One of these politicians was also the President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Gligorov, who expressed to Fino his complete confidence in his support for Fino and his Government, as well as his concern about events in Albania. ON PAGE 3

Murry: “If what happened to the observers who were stopped in Memaliaj happens to us, we will react strongly” The OSCE calls for swift procedures on the technical aspects of the elections OSCE representatives in Tirana stated that they are within the operational timeframe and that the designs for the ballot papers and ballot boxes must be submitted to them as soon as possible. “Just as stated in the letter sent to Albania by Vranicki, the OSCE will provide material assistance for the elections. But since we have a deadline of June 29, the designs must be submitted to us as soon as possible,” Joef Murry, spokesperson for the OSCE office in Tirana, told ATSH. Murry said that this is the final deadline for having them ready by June 29. During the recent events, particularly in the southern prefectures, all election materials have been lost, including ballot boxes and voting-booth partitions; even municipal, commune and prefectural offices have been burned, which will create numerous obstacles in the electoral process. Murry clarified that the observers who returned to Tirana yesterday were not from the OSCE, but from the European Committee Monitors, and that the OSCE hopes it will not experience anything of the kind, but “will react strongly” if it does. R.F.

President Berisha appointed the new head of ShIK . The new head of ShIK, aged 37, was a candidate put forward by the Republican Party. He completed higher studies in law and worked as a prosecutor with the judicial police in Kavajë. ON PAGE 3

The political and non-political associations that took part in last night’s round-table talks also signed the social pact offered by the Democrats The allied parties in the Union for Democracy, as well as a large number of political and non-political associations, signed the social pact offered by the Democratic Party last night. All participants agreed that the State of Emergency should not be lifted and that a calm, democratic climate should be restored ahead of the June 29 elections. Those attending the meeting considered it essential to maintain the State of Emergency under the current conditions facing the country and called on the left to drop its demands to make signing the social pact conditional. The first meeting, held a few days ago with left-wing parties also taking part, failed to reach a compromise on signing the social pact after the conditions imposed by the Socialist Party and its allies. Despite the Democratic Party representatives’ willingness to make changes to the law on the State of Emergency, the meeting reached no conclusion. At yesterday’s meeting, the negotiating table was broadened to include a large number of associations, which agreed to the social pact after some amendments. Those present expressed their desire and readiness to help defuse the situation and create a calm electoral climate. Nevertheless, the signing of this peace pact by the parties of the Union for Democracy continues to be opposed by the left-wing parties.

The Italian Prime Minister in Albania on Sunday Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi will make a one-day visit to Albania on Sunday, sources at his office announced. Political sources reported that Prodi may hold consultations in Tirana with Albania’s unyielding president, Sali Berisha, and Prime Minister Bashkim Fino. Italy, which has strong trade ties with Albania and is concerned about the proper conduct of the Albanian parliamentary elections, has played an active role in international efforts to prevent the impoverished state from descending into anarchy. It leads an international military force deployed in Albania to protect aid convoys.

“ALBËS” soldiers in combat position, in front of the OSCE headquarters in Tirana

Memaliaj. Armed socialist committees attack European Community mission members

The National Privatization Agency informs all interested parties that publication is beginning for the properties to be privatized. You will find more detailed information in the newspapers Rilindja Demokratike, Zëri i Popullit, Koha Jonë, Republika, as well as in all other newspapers with national circulation.