The underground military depot at Arshilenko is broken into ON PAGE 2 The underground military depot at Arshilenko is broken into 15 surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles stolen ON PAGE 2

Powerful explosive blast in the capital ON PAGE 2 Powerful explosive blast in the capital Fate competes with bombs ON PAGE 2

A terrifying night; at least two dead and five wounded ON PAGE 2 A terrifying night; at least two dead and five wounded Mortars and rockets battle in Vlora ON PAGE 2

The real opposition will be absent from the baptism, amid bursts of gunfire, of the world’s most desecrated parliament The era of the Kalashnikov state begins. Albania’s clock turns back six years Today Albania will officially turn its clock back six uncomfortable years, to the time when, after only a few afternoons, what was called the parliament of the Kalashnikovs first came into being. But despite the disastrous consequences for Albanians, this is legally an act imposed at gunpoint, and it promises no longevity, since the same thing happened six years ago. The same faces who in 1991 tried to hold on to their rotten and criminal power by force of arms will sit in parliament today. They arrive in parliament carrying on their shoulders the heavy burden of the crimes, terror and violence that plunged the country into chaos, arson and destruction for around six months. The arrival of the barbarians in the parliamentary chamber is the greatest desecration ever inflicted on this temple of the Albanian state throughout its history. Alongside the Kalashnikov deputies, who not only prevented their political rivals from campaigning but also lynched and took them hostage, several Enverist monsters, surviving like dinosaurs from the dictatorship’s darkest times, which Albanian democracy overthrew, will also come to parliament in the guise of independent candidates. Tomorrow, Rexhep Mejdani will be in parliament, even as a possible presidential candidate; he probably reeks of gunpowder more than anyone else in that chamber. During the election campaign, his photograph was placed at the entrance to the town of Çërrik beside that of Enver Hoxha, together with the quotation, “Glory to the brilliant work of the immortal...” Tomorrow, Fatos Nano, the chief of the armed gangs, will sit in parliament—the only leader of a winning party in the world who did not allow his rivals to campaign, and the man who bears on his shoulders all the sins of the Socialist Party’s Pirro Flora. Fatos Nano, Prime Minister under Ramiz Alia, who tried to retain power through bloodshed on 2 April 1991, when the streets of Shkodra ran red, enters the Albanian parliament as its most legitimate deputy, since in the eyes of the Albanian courts he remains convicted of large-scale corruption, while owing the Albanian state the staggering sum of 7 million dollars. The former chief of State Security, Gramoz Ruçi, will again be in parliament, along with the general of the southern gangs, Arben Imami, the horse-tamer Kastriot Islami, and a large bunch of other gangsters who will bring with them the virus of communism, forgotten by Albanians for six years. The only thing these people can bring into the parliamentary chamber may be the modern methods of the armed gangs that have struck and devastated Albania in so little time. This parliament will bear the face of the armed gangs, and is expected to share their fate. The democratic opposition, which accepted the elections of 29 June only for the sake of higher interests, cannot accept the presence of the Kalashnikovs that will accompany the parliament, government and other high structures of gang rule in its place. The election of the president and the new government’s vote of confidence by this parliament will be a continuation of the elections violated in areas occupied by the gangs. The Democratic Party, which contested the elections in these areas, has made no attempt to obstruct the rule of the Kalashnikovs. This parliament is the greatest affront to the Albanians’ democratic aspirations. It embodies the collapse of communism returning to Europe, and the revival of the forgotten practice of seizing power by violence. And for this reason, this rule by violence, which is about to take power, will have a terri-fyingly short life.

The car bearing Ministry of Finance plates is ambushed Three dead and one wounded. The men, who were highly sought by police, were travelling towards Vlora Three men who were highly sought by police were killed and another was wounded during a clash between rival gangs at a place called Qafa e Sokolit in the district of Lushnje. According to reports from the Ministry of the Interior, the incident took place at 15:15, when armed individuals opened fire on a “Foristradë”-type vehicle with registration plate TR 1507 Z, belonging to the Ministry of Finance. The exchange of fire left the following people dead at the scene: Gazmend Ismaili, a resident of Vlora and a man wanted by police; Artan Kapllani, a resident of Durrës, sentenced to 19 years for murder and escaped from the place where he was serving his sentence sentence; and Lani Kacani, a resident of Elbasan, who was also wanted by police. According to police reports, a citizen from Vlora was also lightly wounded and is being treated at the military hospital in Tirana. Meanwhile, reliable sources say that all three people found dead yesterday had been seen meeting senior officials on the grounds of the Prime Minister’s Office during the morning. They left Tirana only after receiving a state registration plate from the Ministry of Finance from one of its senior officials. Then, at around 11 o’clock, they left Tirana to head towards the death awaiting them in the ambush at a place called Qafa e Sokol it. In all likelihood, the false plate was given to the men who were highly sought by police on Malaj’s orders, and only then did the car set off towards Vlora. So far, it remains a mystery whether the victims were given the official plate to throw off the people lying in wait, or to make them easier for the latter to identify. The police statement says that intensive work is under way to identify and apprehend the perpetrators of the crime, while the greatest mystery surrounding the incident is why the Ministry of Finance gave a false plate to four people who were highly sought by police.

The new Parliament votes people into the “Nano 3” Government

“High treason” continues to be played out at the Ministry of Defence Nano pays for the PS victory with missiles The gang—which, like a very small number of other Albanian military personnel, knew the location of the secret depot and how to open its doors, and which managed in a short time to transport modern weapons without being seen by the guards and the mines that the minister says he has placed around every military depot—makes you think a little longer about what our Minister of Defence did yesterday on a foreign radio station, with its questions ON PAGE 2

The Centre Group will boycott several parliamentary sessions Opposition: Illegitimate MPs must stay away from top state posts The opposition has decided to boycott in Parliament all sessions for electing illegitimate MPs to the state’s highest institutions. Balli moving towards joining the Centre-Right alliance ON PAGE 3

Report from Tirana, the capital waiting for something to happen ON PAGE 4 An extraordinary news bulletin made Albanians on Friday stop and scratch their heads, and ask themselves doubtfully, as if it were not they but someone else who had cast a ballot in the ballot boxes on 29 June: Why have the socialists won so much ...? At a quarter past nine, the television news jingle made them hold their breath (the rules of broadcasting are very rarely observed on Albanian TV): the presenter announced that the Central Election Commission had finally signed the official record of the final election results, a record that was read out in full and attested to the socialists’ landslide victory

Strengthening internal discipline is urgent Time for changes to the party’s statute Criteria should be established for membership in the Democratic Party ON PAGE 4

The wave of forced returns of Albanian refugees continues “It is the second day that I have requested a meeting, and perhaps today we can talk,” said the Albanian ambassador in Athens, Hysen Çabej, who has sought clarification from the Greek side about the expulsion of thousands of Albanian emigrants from Greece. The ambassador added that a large number of police cars had been seen in central Athens, in Omonia, rounding up emigrants and sending them back. “We still have no information about what is happening,” Çabej said. At the border crossing linking Albania with Greece, an increased number of emigrants being forcibly returned from Greece by the police continues to be seen. Hundreds of emigrants have been there in recent days, most of whom testified that they had been held for days in Greek remand cells. The emigrants’ accounts say that police operations have spread into the interior of the country and, although, according to the emigrants, they are directed at undocumented Albanians. Commentators in the Greek press have also said that the Greek government should exercise restraint in expelling emigrants, and should not link the problems caused by a very small minority of Albanian citizens with the larger number of emigrants who work and live in Greece.